VE Day Celebration
Spinach quiche, sausage, breakfast bread, orange juice, and coffee or tea was today’s breakfast menu at the Casa de la Paz. I started out this morning, after eating breakfast, with a walk to see what type of celebration the Castillo de San Marcos would have for VE (Victory in Europe) Day (which was officially yesterday). Photo: Army tank and jeep in front of the Castillo de San Marcos.
VE Day Celebration
VE Day Celebration
Army car.
VE Day Celebration
VE Day Celebration
Representative from the French Foreign Legion?
VE Day Celebration
VE Day Celebration
Base camp.
VE Day Celebration
VE Day Celebration
Another view of the base camp. TOBRUK is in Eastern Libya and the site of the Siege of Tobruk in 1941 between the Axis and Allied Forces, mostly Australian.
VE Day Celebration
VE Day Celebration
Sailor.
VE Day Celebration
VE Day Celebration
Period wear.
VE Day Celebration
Avenida Menendez
I left the Castillo de San Marcos and walked on the seawall side to the marina. The Casa de la Paz is the second building from the right.
Avenida Menendez
Avenida Menendez
Horse and buggy on Avenida Menendez. The last four buildings on the right are part of the new Hilton.
Avenida Menendez
Avenida Menendez
Friendly horse in front of the Casa de la Paz (middle building).
Avenida Menendez
Avenida Menendez
Farther along Avenida Menendez. On the left: the A1A Ale Works; in the middle: bell tower of the Basilica–Cathedral; and on the right: Wachovia Bank Building.
Avenida Menendez
The Marina
Boats at the marina.
The Marina
The Marina
Manatee Basics for Boaters sign. Manatees are large aquatic animals that you see off the Florida coast. I have never seen one.
The Marina
The Marina
Along the seawall. The Santa Maria Restaurant is on the left.
The Marina
The Marina
The Victory III––the boat that I would take a scenic cruise on. It was going to be another hot day today, probably hotter than yesterday. I decided that a boat cruise would be more pleasant than doing more walking around.
The Marina
The Marina
St. Augustine seen from the marina.
The Marina
Scenic Cruise
Leaving the marina. The skyline buildings––left: Casa Monica; left center: Ponce de Leon Hotel/Flagler College; right center: Basilica–Cathedral; right: Wachovia Bank Building. The Bridge of Lions is on the far right.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
We sailed under the Bridge of Lions.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
View from Matanzas Bay. From the right: Casa de la Paz and the Casablanca B&B; all buildings on the left should be part of the new Hilton.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Farther along Matanzas Bay and along Avenida Menendez. From the left: Monterey Inn; a store; the Acapulco Restaurant; Castillo de San Marcos.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Base camp at the Castillo de San Marcos.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Closer–up view of the Castillo de San Marcos.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Castillo de San Marcos, looking back toward St. Augustine.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Great Egret in front of waterfront homes.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Larger view of the waterfront homes.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
A 208–foot–high stainless steel cross marking the site of the founding of St. Augustine.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Looking back to St. Augustine. From the left: Wachovia Bank Building; bell tower of the Basilica–Cathedral; the Alcazar; and the Casa Monica. In front of the skyline: Castillo de San Marcos.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Sand pipers (?) on the sand and pelicans in the water.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Bridge to the Coastal Highway and the peninsula.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Waterfront homes on the peninsula.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Looking back to the peninsula.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Looking back at St. Augustine, showing the entire skyline. From the left: Wachovia Bank Building; bell tower of the Basilica–Cathedral; white towers of the Casa Monica; red–colored towers of the Alcazar between the Casa Monica towers; the Ponce de Leon Hotel/Flagler College; Flagler College smokestack; the Grace Methodist Church; and the Memorial Presbyterian Church.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
The St. Augustine Lighthouse on Anastasia Island.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Closer–up view of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Dolphin fin seen in the water.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Fishermen and fisherwoman in blue shirts.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Boating and jet skiing.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Sailing back to the marina. The Casa de la Paz is in the middle, in front of the Flagler College smokestock, with the dome of the Memorial Presbyterian Church on the right.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Now, the dome of the Memorial Presbyterian Church appears almost directly behind the Casa de la Paz, the effect of the foreground staying the same and the background moving.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
The dome of the Memorial Presbyterian Church has again moved.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
Coming into the marina. The dome has moved again. The Santa Maria restaurant is in the photo.
Scenic Cruise
Scenic Cruise
On the cruise, I was talking to this great couple who now live in Florida. Of course, with the shirt that he was wearing, I asked him if he was originally from Brooklyn. Yes, not only that but he also lived for a time in the Northport area, right near my hometown. It is definitely a small world.
Scenic Cruise
O.C. White’s Restaurant
Time for lunch. I didn’t know where I was going to eat lunch today, but I was drawn to O.C. White’s by the Caribbean music that it was playing on its loudspeaker. It reminded me of my recent Caribbean trip. At least one Internet restaurant site rates O.C. White’s as the best restaurant in St. Augustine.
O.C. White’s Restaurant
O.C. White’s Restaurant
I had a Bimini Salad on the patio: mixed field greens topped with toasted walnuts, blue cheese, madarin oranges, and yellow raisins with raspberry vinaigrette dressing––$7.95. But then I added grilled shrimp (also available fried or blackened) for an additional $6.95, with $14.90 the total cost of the salad, the most expensive salad that I have ever bought, but at the same time the best salad that I have ever eaten. Another item on their menu: Florida gator tail––”Best Gator Tail in Town,” served with an island marmalade sauce, $6.95.
O.C. White’s Restaurant
On the Avenida Menendez
I expected to have a quite, uneventful walk back to the Casa de la Paz, but there were some unexpected sights. There was a weekend airshow at the St. Augustine Airport and I had been wondering if any fighter planes or such would be flying over St. Augustine. What did fly over was the spectacular B2 bomber––the Stealth Bomber. I heard it before I saw it, which I thought was somewhat unusual. I was talking to a vendor inside a pogoda when it flew by. He couldn’t get outside quickly enough to see it fly by and he was very disappointed as he had never seen it before. I told him not to worry, the B2 would be back in five minutes time––me, the expert, and after the flub I made about VE Day at the fort the other day, I sure hoped that I was right. I was and I took this photo of the flying bird.
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
Close–up of the Stealth Bomber. Okay, how did I know that it would come back in five minutes? Because the B2 has flown over my house in Pasadena quite a number of times as I live near the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and it comes to fly over the Rose Parade and other events in Pasadena. It also flies over my house before the opening Dodger game, even though I do not live near Dodger Stadium. And it always comes back at least once after its first passover and always within five minutes time.
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
Another photo of the B2. No matter how many times I have seen the big bird fly, I am always thrilled when I see it.
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
The Military Police coming down Avenida Menendez near the Casa de la Paz.
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
Interesting lawbreakers that they have picked up!
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
And now a tank coming down Avenida Menendez.
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
And soldiers walking down the sidewalk.
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
Man on a Segway.
On the Avenida Menendez
On the Avenida Menendez
Bride in her wedding gown passing by in a carriage. I waited ten minutes to see if anything else unusual would be happening in front of the Casa de la Paz. Nothing did, so I went inside to take a nap before getting ready for the reunion prom this evening.
On the Avenida Menendez
The Reunion Prom
I was told yesterday by George of Casa de la Paz that I would have to move my car from the lot in back of the B&B to a lot down the street because they were going to have a full house over the weekend and people are instructed to park their cars in the back of the B&B before checking in. There would not be enough room for my car in their lot. I had the B&B move my car at the appropriate time as I was out sightseeing, but I was shown in which direction my new parking lot was on Charlotte Street. I was upset about this as I was wearing a floor–length, very dressy, evening gown to the prom and I really didn’t want to walk down a St. Augustine street wearing it. George said not to worry––people here do it all the time. So, in my evening dress, I walked down Charlotte Street and George was right––it didn’t cause a stir. But no one told me that my car was now in a dirt parking lot and that the dirt was not packed. So dirt got on the skirt of my dress and all over my shoes––I was not happy. But I did make it to the prom and had a great time. The photo is of Jay Siegel and the Tokens who performed at our reunion this night. I put movie clips of 10 of their numbers on this website. Go to Movies, United States, Florida, “”The Tokens–1 to –10.”
