Kenneth Harold Smith III (a fellow student at the EPFL) told me in 1985, that St. Augustine would be one of the most fascinating towns in the USA. It took me 40 years to eventually follow his advice. Lina and I don’t regret this visit to beautiful St. Augustine.

Starting at the wonderful St. Augustine visitor center, we met Eric, who explained to us the story of the city. He even spoke a few words in German. What I recall is: although St. Augustine is the oldest town in the USA, the oldest house in the USA is elsewhere. The reason is that after the Spanish finished building the Castillo de San Marcos (a fortress in Vauban style) in 1695, the English took it over after having burned the town to the ground. So this destroyed houses that could have become the oldest in the USA. The fort remains the oldest masonry building in the USA.

The streets offer an 18th century flair, and it is so nice to stroll around. We were most impressed and delighted about the Flagler College and the Lightner Museum (pictures below). We ended the day at the Restaurant ‘Chez l’Amour’ with delicious seafood.

St. Augustine offers endless white sand beaches backed by natural dunes. You find the same beaches in Daytona Beach, but those are backed by an undiscontinued line of hotel buildings. Business is nearer. The beach line is constructed and one can drive with his own car, park it on the beach and enjoy the beach beside his own car.

We spent much time in the water. The weather was sunny but mild and the water was just perfect. We saw many fishes swimming around us, and we observed small animals (sand crabs) living at the tidal limit. They pop-off the sand when water submerges the sand, and they dig themselves back in the sand as the water withdraws. A funny dance to observe.

We would recommend St. Augustine for summer vacations, because of the more relaxed and natural atmosphere on the beach, and particularly because of the interesting town.

With this visit to the North of Florida, we conclude our Florida discovery tour and make ourselves ready to fly to Phoenix, AZ tomorrow.

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