Mom and I were leveling up our morning routine by taking our breakfast to the outside patio. We would now eat while listening to the waves and breathing in the Atlantic air. The harsh New York winter was melting away from our memories with every absorbed ray of sunshine. Our St. Augustine itinerary for the day was Castillo de San Marcos, historic downtown, and finally a ride out to the mythic Fountain of Youth.
Castillo de San Marcos was part of the National Park Service so once again we were subjected to covid bureaucracy. Even though, it was quite a large fort they would only let in 100 visitors at a time. This led to a long line forming outside, given the fact that they wouldnt let one group enter until an equal number of people had exited. Luckily, I had read up on the situation and had gotten there relatively early so the wait in line only took 15 minutes. I got a stamp in my national parks passport the visit and headed in.
Castillo de San Marcos was built in 1695 by the Spanish to defend their new colony of Florida as well as
their Atlantic trade routes from foreign marauders. It is the oldest stone fort in North America. Over its history it changed hands many times, but never by force and always as the result of a treaty. The fort went from Spain, to Britain, back to Spain, to the United States, to the Confederacy, and finally back to the United States in remarkably peaceful fashion.
We were required to wear masks the entire time we were in the fort. This was not a pleasent feeling in the broiling Florida sunshine, and if Im being honest did take away from the whole experience. There were a couple of different levels with rooms down below and a top deck of the fort which had great views of the scenic surroundings. Mom found a bench to sit on while I wandered around to each defensive corner of the fort. The fort contained many spectacular cannons throughout, and I had fun imagining myself defending the Castillo from dastardly invading forces.
It was a little hot for us, but we didnt want to give up our precious parking space so we walked to St Augustines historic district on foot. Not too far, but
we always have to be wary of Mom overexerting herself. There were many people in the narrow colonial streets. It was the first time since the pandemic began, where I was in a crowd of people where over half of them werent wearing masks. We were all there to have a good time and be around our fellow humans once again.
The target we had in mind was a highly Spanish/Cuban restaurant. Upon entering, the hostess informed us that it was going to be a wait. We didnt care. We had walked a long way and wanted to eat here. I gave her my phone number, so she could text me when a table was ready. However, I soon realized that my phone was still in the car. I walked back up to the hostess to tell her this crucial detail and point out where we were sitting in the lobby. To my amazement, she said that someone had just canceled and that we could be seated right way. Buena fortuna!
We had an absolutely delightful young waitress, Ines. She spoke with a thick accent from her native Venezuela. She was very hardworking while also being
theatrical in her expressions. Mom mentioned to her that she had a Venezuelan roommate in college. Ines said that Moms friend was lucky to have lived in Venezuela back when it was still a good place. Things had taken a turn for the worse in Venezuela for years now and it was not the country it had been for her parents generation.
The interior of the restaurant was spectacular. There was a light atrium feeling to the place with plenty of plants and colorful tiles. It had been around since 1905 and just oozed an old turn of the century Spanish charm. Mom remarked to me how lucky she was to be here and how she couldnt understand why her friends remained resolutely shut in their houses. The years were fleeting and should be taken advantage of.
