Day 105 - Sun 10 Nov 2019 - St Augustine

St Augustine was the first Permanent European Settlement in North America. It was founded in 1565 by the Spanish for the defense of the Spanish Treasure fleet transporting traded goods from Asia through the Americas to Spain. Spain also wanted to prevent the French from settling permanently in North America after it learned that the French built Fort Caroline on the banks of the St Johns river near Jacksonville in 1562. The Spanish defeated the French in the area in 1564.

During the Anglo-Spanish war of 1585-1604 an English privateer ransacked and burned the town of St Augustine in 1668. This and the establishment of the English settlement of Charleston in 1670 prompted the Spanish to build Castillo de San Marcos in 1672-1695. Although attacked and besieged many times, the fortress was never taken by force. By stroke of luck, the walls made out of coquina (a soft limestone sedimentary rock from shells) turned out the be excellent at absorbing cannon fire.

We learned that in those time sieges were mostly preferred over assaults. It was more beneficial for your opponent to have to surrender because they ran out of ammunition and food so you could then take over the Fort and town. However, from far away attacking ships could see the well trained cannoneers reload their cannons and aim their shots up to 4 miles away with amazing precision.

The English gained control of Florida under the Treaty of Paris (1763). It became a haven for British Loyalists during the American Revolution war. It was later returned to the Spanish after the Peace of Paris (1783) who in turn ceded it to the Americans under the Adams–Onís Treaty (1821).

(You can lose days clicking through on all this fascinating stuff on Wikipedia...)

Unfortunately because the original Spanish town was burned by the English in 1668 and 1702 there are no original wooden buildings left from before that. The colonial Spansih quarter has been restored to the 1740s era but most of the buildings are now restaurants and souvenir shops.

Outside the colonial quarter we look at the Alcazar Hotel (now a museum) and the Ponce de Leon Hotel (now a college). Both built by millionaire developer Henry Flagler in the Spanish Renaissance style.

After lunch we explore Castillo de San Marco. The Spanish were ingenious with their arched casemates that could support heavier cannons on the ceilings and tidal toilets that used the tide to wash away the waste. We watch the cannoneers fire the cannon and the kids earn yet another Junior Rangers badge.

Today: 50km - 1h30m
Total: 13,908km - 282h45m