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Just outside the RV park, an Osprey nest with residents
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In St Augustine, but outside the main tourist areas
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The historic Lions Bridge across the Matanzas River is being totally rebuilt - we drive across on a temporary bridge
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These ornamental towers from the old bridge will be used in the new bridge
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Along the beach boardwalk near the original Marineland on St Augustine Beach
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Some of the oldest trees in town are near the Fountain of Youth. Coincidence?
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The "old fort" is the 16th fort on this site after the first 15, made of wood, didn't hold up to Florida weather (slow learners?)
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They use the word "old" a lot around here
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One of the many ways to tour St Augustine
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Spiffy looking, but actually a burger joint. Good burgers, too . . .
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Lots of neat stuff up that alley, but we didn't buy a thing
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St George Street is the hub of the tourist shopping area
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Most of these buildings date to the 1700s, on the outside anyway.
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The old city gates on the east side of the old city
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Inside the gates the city was Catholic. Outside, most anything else was allowed
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Another of the carriages
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Old Spanish forts all look a lot alike. This one is almost identical to the old fort at San Juan, Puerto Rico
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The original Flagler Hotel is now home to Flagler College. Students now give the tours
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Another of Flagler's hotels is now a museum
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One of the towers, originally used as a water tower for the hotel
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The hotel was open only during the winter months - catering to only the richest people
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Statue of Pedro Menendez de Aviles, who captained the fleet that landed here in 1565
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At the old Flagler Hotel you paid for the whole season, no matter how long you stayed
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That's Ponce DeLeon, seeker of the Fountain of Youth. At 4'11", tallest guy on his ship
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The Gonzales-Alvarez House dates to about 1650, and is the oldest house in St Augustine. Now a museum
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Looking out of the Old Fort through the main gate
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Originally the fort would have been painted bright white
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Many of the cannons are original to the fort
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Looking across the river to the St Augustine Lighthouse
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Volunteers do weapons demonstrations at the fort on weekends
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It's a tall ship you can tour on, but it's smaller than some of the yachts in the harbor
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This cannon obviously came from someplace else, as this fort never fell
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Think we can pick off the tour ship?
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The ornamentation cast into some of these cannons is wonderful
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The craftsmanship that went into these things is amazing
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Weapons of war and works of art, all in one
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The "Spanish soldiers" preparing for Show and Tell
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That's a mortar, with a range of about 2 miles
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The view to the ocean from the fort
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Those watch towers at each corner of the fort were always manned
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The fort is star-shaped, so there's always a cross-fire pattern available from the guns
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Inside the fort
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The temporary drawbridge, part of the temporary Lions Bridge
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Here come the soldiers again
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Twice an hour on weekends, they shoot muskets and a cannon
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Looks like they've spotted some more tourists . . .
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FIRE!
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Another shot just as the guns fire - see the "flash in the pan"?
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Next, they fire the cannon, with much ceremony
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At the height of battle, each cannon was expected to fire no more than once every 15 minutes
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Big boom
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Much smoke
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Dang! Missed the tour oat again
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After firing, clean the gun
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Door to the old fort armory
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Mama osprey is alert today
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Our prime mode of transport about St Augustine.
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This is the original Ripley Museum.
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Left of the gate, the "Love Tree" - palm tree gowing out of a Live Oak
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Some of the old tabby walls
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A lovely garden at the entrance to the Saint Photios Greek Orthodox Shrine
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The shrine is dedicated to the first colony of Greek people who came to America in 1768
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You had to buy a special ticket to tour this garden - but the bars in the gate allowed an unobstructed camera view
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Inside the Spanish Colonial Village, a leather worker explains his craft
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The lace maker left samples - this was busy work for nuns
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Big Al did a lot of ducking under those low doorways
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The wood worker was fascinating, using authentic antique tools
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A 300-year old chisel, still very sharp
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Workbench of the day . . .
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This guy is multi-talented - he also makes the thatched roofs
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Blacksmith was out to lunch on our first visit
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The lock is the only thing not made in this shop
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Meanwhile, we visited the church scribe's office
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He explains the calligraphy styles he uses
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As he works, he letters a certificate for us
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Tain't easy doing a Norwegian name in Spanish
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Back from lunch, the blacksmith explains his trade
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We asked how he made that chain, so he showed us
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First you work the bellows to get the iron rod really hot
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And then you shape it with a hammer
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Took about 40 seconds to shape half a chain link
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Back in the day, thatching was a common way to roof a structure
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A little Carribean influence - the drum case will hold LOTS of donations
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There's a really good ice cream shop in that building on the left.
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Back on the train for more sightseeing
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An old church, built to blend with the style of the Flagler Hotel
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Curious chain for the fence . . .
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Flagler was one of the founders of Standard Oil, and a shrewd businessman
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Almost a harp sighting. The studios of harpist Mary Jane Ballou
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Sometimes a tourist train traffic jam . . . this was the other tourist train company
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A four-room log cabin, made from one log. At the Ripley museum
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Magnolia Street, where all the trees are Live Oaks (the magnolias were killed by a frost in the 1800s)
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They say it's the most photographed street in America
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The entrance to the actual "Fountain of Youth"
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As we end, a glimpse over the wall of a spectacular white Peacock