No plans for today other than walking across the bridge for a late lunch. I had my helping of pancakes at the Pirate Haus, but one can eat pancakes only so much! So I had spied some places across the river for a late lunch and, of course, wanted to walk across the beautiful Bridge of Lions . . . so off I went at about 11:30 AM.
The "sea" side of the harbor at St Augustine . . . the Matanzas River.
And looking "downstream" on the Matanzas towards the Francis and Usina Bridge, which you must cross in one direction or the other if coming to/from the north.
On the far side, in Anastasia, there is a monument to the Underground Railroad. Civilized Spanish Florida was a refuge for slaves escaping slave states of the South.
In the same park, statues of two lions, similar to those on the west (St Augustine) end of the bridge. These were probably mounted on the east end in Anastasia but were moved for some reason.
At O'Steen’s Restaurant in Anastasia, about a 20-minute walk from Pirate Haus. It can be difficult to get across the highway as there are many cars, no crosswalks, and no signals. Eventually, they will slow down and allow a crossing. O'Steen’s has been here for 50 years! They say it’s the best seafood on the East Coast. Even on Wednesday afternoon there was a wait. Can’t be bad, and looks good!
Returning to St Augustine on the opposite sidewalk across the bridge (the "upstream" side), I decided to wander around town a bit more, again with no agenda.
A statue of Ponce de Leon, who supposedly first landed near here in 1513.
Behind the statue, heading west, is the Plaza de la Constitución, where the city has done a nice job of memorializing a variety of historical events.
When I first approached this from the back and only caught the words "foot soldiers," I assumed it would be a monument to soldiers of WWI or WWII. I was further amazed to see the characters' faces . . . until I read the plaque and recognized this as a monument to civil rights activists, and a very nice monument at that . . .
Oddly, it occupies a space where not far away is a Confederate War Memorial . . . it is uncertain when the "clarifying" context will be added, as none was present during my visit. I'm sure it is a contentious subject matter . . . St Augustine is still the South. The Florida most of us know is still further south!
In addition, there was an obelisk monument erected to celebrate the Spanish Constitution of 1812 . . . hence the name Plaza de la Constitución. It is the only remaining obelisk standing, as others were ordered destroyed when the constitutional government was overthrown. There is also a memorial to prisoners of war held here by the British during the revolution, three of whom were signers of the Declaration of Independence. Afterwards, I wandered over to Flagler College, just because the main campus building is so beautiful.
And looping around to return to the hotel, I passed through the Old City Gate . . . not far from Castillo de San Marcos (which I have visited on a previous trip).
So back to the hotel and rest up for dinner and tomorrow's ride to Palatka. I'm returning to Catch 27 again for their gumbo and one last Jai Alai. Tomorrow promises to be warmer, which will make for a pleasant 40-mile-and-change ride.
Yes, I repeated the Minorcan clam chowder. Another "cool" evening; another perfect chowder.
