19-03-20 Wednesday in St. Augustine

We started our day at Castillo de San Marcos.

The outer drawbridge; as most of the soldiers lived in the surrounding town, NOT in the fort,
this drawbridge was used on a daily basis.
 
One of the many cannons at the fort.  Each cannon & mortar had unique castings, for identification, and embellishment.

After visiting the fort, we wandered through the quaint town, checking out the cute shops.  While nibbling a triple-berry scone at an outdoor-table of a coffee shop, we realized that one of the places I wanted to check out was .... right behind us; we were actually sitting on its "front porch".  

 The Treasury is the old town bank; it's main floor has been converted into a banquet hall,
Here's the entrance,
here's the actual banking area, less it's tables and counters.
and now the vault is the bar!

Then, we walked over to the Flagler College, a private four-year liberal arts college, housed in the former Hotel Ponce de Leon. Built by railroad magnate, Henry M. Flagler in 1888, the Ponce is considered one of the finest examples of Spanish Renaissance architecture and was one of the most exclusive resorts of its day.


This is a domed ceiling in the hotel's grand lobby -- it's now over the meeting area outside of the college cafeteria.  
One of the walls in the main eating area is a 3-story-tall Tiffany stained-glass mural.   Wow! --- very different from the cafeteria in McDonald Hall at MSU, that's for sure.  
We learned that you had to buy Tour Tickets a day in advance, so .... bummer!
OH WELL --- now I have a reason to come back again!

Practically right across the street is ....


 Fabulous walkways & shops surround this courtyard, that has fountains, a stream, and a bridge! 

All this sightseeing made us hungry, so we had lunch at the A1A Ale Works restaurant.

Then, we wandered back to the marina,   



They even have Mini-Golf! 
 ...waited for the 4:00 pm water taxi, (Note: the Bridge of Lions in the background is opened) 
and spent the rest of the evening on Zingara.  Good night, St. Augustine.  I'll be back soon!

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