November 19-20, 2020

We are back in St Augustine!  Last time we were here was Spring of 2018, on our way north from Cape Canaveral.  We were just playing at being cruisers then, in a rush to get back north from the season in Long Island, and I only had a week of vacation, so I think we spent two days.  This time we would like to spend 2 weeks, depending on weather and the mooring ball situation.

The weather has been mixed.  20 knot winds are a bit much, and it alternates a couple times a day between rainy and sunny.  The town is still terrific.  We are in front of Castillo de San Marco, originally built by the Spanish in the 1500s, and beautifully restored.  There is a charming pedestrian only old market shopping area, an embarrassment of palm trees, and lots of happy tourists, about half in masks.

We went to get our mail at the post office today, and the workers weren’t wearing masks.  Ah, Florida.

Two moorings over is a catamaran with a couple we met back in June on the docks in Annapolis.  It was their first day with their new boat, and we shared an nice drink to celebrate.  Now here they are with us, several months and hundreds of miles later.  We will get together in the coming week.

I am pleased to report that the Piggly Wiggly pork was spectacular for dinner last night.

We ate pork, drank wine, and enjoyed the Christmas light spectacle on shore.  Every building and palm tree is lit up.  There is a big schooner that plies the mooring filed each night just after sunset, with Christmas lights all thru the rigging.  It looks terrific, and we are the sights the tourists are seeing.  A fair trade.  Lots of music and friendly waving.

We love it here.  I’ll do another St Augustine post as we plan to stay here a long time and I don’t want this to get too long.