It took seven and one-quarter hours to cover the 46 miles from Fort George River to St Augustine. Although uneventful, we loved the trip simply because we were wearing shorts and a long-sleeved shirt for much of the time.
With roots dating back to 1565, St Augustine lays claim to being the oldest European settlement in the United States. We were reminded time and again of these historical roots during our visit here.Friday was a shopping day – which means West Marine, Home Depot, and, I am embarrassed to say, that ‘W’ store. There are two interesting parts about this trip which typify the cruising experience. As we were walking down the street, unsure of where to turn, Corinne pulled out the map and instantly two guys stopped and asked if we needed directions. As we began chatting, another couple from Australia stopped as well. It was at least twenty minutes before we were on our way again, and we had a whole bunch more tips about where to stop along the way.
When we finished shopping at West Marine we asked for directions to Home Depot. It was a couple of miles further out, a long walk, but the clerk said, ‘I’m off work in ten minutes so if you want to wait I’d be happy to give you a lift.’ People are incredible!
The second, and not so fun part of the shopping experience is walking back to the boat, usually with a heavy pack and bags in either hand.
On Saturday morning, on the way in to do the laundry, we stopped to chat with a couple from Nova Scotia. As we were chatting, there was a huge explosion. Fort Augustine was re-enacting the defense of an attack from sea by firing its cannons. As the smoke cleared, Howard retorted, ‘Jeez, those Yankees are still firing at us!’
While we were waiting for clothes to dry, we went over to watch the Christmas parade. It certainly wasn’t the same bone-chilling experience we remembered as kids.In the evening we visited the historical part of St Augustine for the candlelight parade. The tradition involves a re-enactment of the
parade through town to ensure that all is safe. A large number of people were dressed in period costume, which lent a surreal atmosphere to the entire evening. The parade returned to the town square where the governor proclaimed all was safe, extended good tidings and led everyone in Christmas carols. Much to Corinne's disappointment, this included only the first verse of each carol.
