We have heard a lot of good things about Kaiser’s, so we had to check it out. We had to drive there as it is on A1A near Gypsy Cab. Kaiser’s is more than a deli with great sandwiches—walking in I was pleasantly surprised; it was so nice inside. Bright white walls, wine barrel tables, 2 leather sofas in a beautiful wine room with a great selection of wines. They also have a deck with outside seating. Phil had a Reuben with a beer and I had the traditional Italian with a glass of red. Both were delicious. They serve Boar’s Head meats and cheeses, and you can also purchase them by the pound. Check them out.
There is a new Art Gallery coming to town and although it isn’t officially open yet, it had a sneak peek preview of what’s to come this past First Friday, July 7, 2023. The gallery is called “The BART on Aviles” and is going to be a Wine Shop/Art Gallery. People questioned the name, but once they got it, it became ingrained in their mind.
BARt bART – Bar/Art combined.
Everyone that stopped in for complimentary wine and cheese hung out until 11PM! What a Party at the Barty. They loved the vibe/energy of the place. They loved the eclectic mix of artists. They loved the concept. Lots of future customers and friends were gained that night.
But for now, the art is off the walls to paint and freshen up the place. The anticipated Grand Opening will be August’s First Friday 8-4-23. Croix des doights!
“The BART on Aviles” is going to be a Wine Shop Art Gallery. The BART®™ will feature local St. Augustine artists; some well-known in the Art Community and some up and coming artists. At The BART®™, we want to feature an eclectic and avant-garde group of artists. Notice I said ‘we’ – YES, you heard right, Philip and I are the owners of The BART®™ and we are very excited about this new venture in life.
The Bart on Aviles is going to be a hip cool place. We are planning to introduce monthly events that focus on Wine, Art, Music and fun! Stay tuned.
4th of July in StA is a big event. The town is draped in Red, White, and Blue; everyone is showing their patriotism.
The festivities start at 6PM with The All Star Orchestra concert at the Plaza. Fireworks begin at 9:30. It is a 20 minute show choregraphed to music. The Bridge of Lions is closed for the fireworks as is Avenida Menendez. Last year it was packed with pedestrians and from the crowds already out I expect the same this year. If you are driving in, be prepared for rerouting of traffic and delays getting in and out of the city. There are shuttles you can take to avoid some of the congestion.
On my walk this morning (it was early – 7:30), people have already started claiming their spots on the Bayfront for the fireworks. The good news for us is we are right in the heart of it, we can walk down when we want, and we don’t need to worry about parking or the traffic on the way out of town after the festivities.
It was quiet on my walk. I saw that the fireworks barge was anchored at the bay and the Port-a-Potties were set up. They are at the Plaza and by the River and Fort near the Castillo de San Marcos. I also saw a herd of manatees, about six of them. Tried to get a photo but it’s not a great shot. And I saw two manatees yesterday. Someone said they saw a pod of dolphins earlier, so envious. LOVE dolphins.
Manatees
July 4th is the beginning of the summer festivities, kids are out of school, the streets are full of tourists, and the beaches are beautiful. Summer is definitely here in StA with afternoon temperatures in the 90’s and the heat index making it feel like the 100’s. Our Alexa devise alerted us this morning that there was a heat advisory in effect until 7:30PM. If you are out celebrating in our beautiful city today, remember to stay hydrated and wear your sunscreen!
For weeks it was on our calendar to head out to Francis Field for the Great American Race 2023 – over 120 Vintage Cars lining up for a 9 day ‘time trial’ race from St. Augustine, FL to Colorado Springs, CO. We love old cars, we always say “when cars were cars”, so we were really looking forward to this event.
It was raining all week, so we were happy to see the forecast of a nice sunny morning. The cars were amazing, ranging from the early 1900’s thru the early 1970’s. You could see the love and care put into preserving these vehicles. They are truly works of art.
The details of these cars are amazing.
One of the most unique vehicles was a 1918 American LaFrance Speedster. After speaking with the owners, we learned that this was originally a firetruck. What made this vehicle interesting was the chain drive on both rear wheels. When it first came in, it was chugging along and backfiring.
This was the first time we heard about this race, apparently the first one was in 1983 and originated at Knott’s Berry Farm near Los Angeles, CA and ended in Indianapolis, IN with a different route every year. We were told that the 2024 route will be from Kentucky to Maine. You can read all about the race on their website. You can follow the 2023 race daily there.
Around 11:30AM they started to line up for the first leg of the race. Exiting Francis Field was more ceremonial as they headed out to the first checkpoint where their time would begin.
On our way back home we decided to stop for a beer and sandwich at Ann O’Malley’s. No pics of the sandwiches but take my word for it, they make the best sandwiches. I had the Turkey Club and Philip had the Corned Beef Reuben. Simple straight forward sandwiches, served with a pickle and a bag of chips. And you can order either a whole or half sandwich. Which I happen to love.
Guinness is Good!
And then we walked home and got in just before the rain. I felt a little bad for the race drivers as some were driving convertibles, without tops…I am guessing they got wet.
Before we moved backed to StA, we had a house with a yard and a beautiful garden. My roses were gorgeous. Once things started blooming, I would take a Garden Stroll every morning with my iPhone. I would send the pics to my mother and post them on Facebook. Mother never tired of seeing my flowers. My Facebook followers; not so sure of that.
Here we don’t have a yard. We don’t even have a balcony for a container herb garden. I do have two plants in the apartment: a begonia varietal my niece gave me that is growing like mad and a snake plant. I’m thinking about getting an AeroGarden for some herbs, but not sure where I would put it. My niece loves hers.
Here, I don’t take a garden stroll every morning, but on my morning walks I do see beautiful flowers. Early May, you couldn’t step outside without the scent of gardenias and Night Blooming Jasmine flooding your senses. There were also the Magnolia blossoms and after the rain, the pink rain lilies. If you look, there is an abundance of flowers in our beautiful city. I miss my flower garden, especially the roses—but living here is worth giving that up. So, for now, I enjoy all the gardens, courtyards, window boxes, and containers around the city.
St. Augustine has so much beauty and history, and the doors and gates around town are perfect examples. There are so many different styles and periods of architecture. I never get tired of exploring our streets, and seeing the doors and gates of StA.
Sometimes I like to imagine those that lived there in the past and their lives. Sometimes I wish I could step thru a door or gate to see what beauty lies behind it.
Poetry is the opening and closing of a door, leaving those who look through to guess about what is seen during the moment. – Carl Sandburg
As mentioned in Part 1, our friend James arranged a tour of Flagler College for us as part of my birthday celebration. St. Augustine is full of beautiful architecture, history, and glamour of an age long gone. And the Flagler College is no exception!
Originally the Ponce de Leon Hotel, built in 1888 by millionaire Henry Flagler, it was a hotel until 1967 when it permanently closed. There was a period during WWII – 1942 – 1945 – when it was taken over by the Federal Government and it was the US Coast Guard training center; after the war it was returned, but the boom of guests visiting was no longer there, eventually causing its closure. In 1968 it became Flagler College.
Designed in the Spanish Renaissance style, it boasted 540 guest rooms (that now house college students). The grand lobby is magnificent with its 68 foot domed ceiling. Everything is gilded; if it looks like gold, it is gold! The ‘Ponce’ also has 79 Tiffany Glass windows. The details everywhere are amazing, especially when you remember everything was made by artists and craftsmen not machines. Painted murals on the walls and ceilings, ornate columns and ceiling moldings grace the rooms.
The courtyard with its beautiful fountain, covered walkways, and lush greenery offers a peaceful place to take in all the splendor and glamor. I can imagine women in beautiful gowns gossiping while sipping flutes of champagne in the garden, the captains of industry smoking cigars and conducting business deals while strolling the gardens, and the clandestine meetings of lovers.
There is a rumor that there is a secret tunnel going from the Ponce to the Alcazar (currently the Lightner Museum) where men would sneak off unseen, to meet their mistresses.
The door to the rumored secret tunnel.
As previously said, one can only imagine the lifestyle, guests and soirees in that Gilded Age…if the walls could only talk.
The Ponce was not the only hotel in St. Augustine built by Henry Flagler. He built the Alcazar to handle the abundance of guests coming to St. Augustine, and he also purchased the Casa Monica; after some renovations he reopened it as the Cordova.
A business magnate, Henry Flagler was a huge part in the development of Florida, building hotels from St. Augustine to the Keys and the Florida East Coast Railway to help get them and needed supplies there. He was certainly a visionary, leaving a legacy of beautiful architecture and history for Floridians and visitors to enjoy.
There is so much beauty and history at the Ponce, and the tour guides at Flagler College have a wealth of information to share along with some fun tidbits.
Henry Flagler’s face in one of the floor mosaic tiles in the Grand Foyer
Since it is a functioning college, it is best to make sure they are conducting tours before heading over. Tickets in advance are suggested and they are $17.00 per person.
Saturday morning found us at our favorite Brunch Spot—Roosevelt Room on St. George Street. A great way to start the day and the weekend. We started with Champagne, of course! The Mimosa of the day was Blood Orange, so I took a splash of juice! I had the Triple Mushroom Sandwich with a side of fruit and Phil had the Croque Monsieur with their famous Confit Pommes, which are so good! It’s our favorite brunch spot because they never disappoint, and Saturday was no different. And the staff is friendly and service is spot on.
Then we took a walk around town, stopped at Chocolattes for some croissants for Sunday morning. Chocolattes also has great breakfast sandwiches and beautiful cakes if you are having a sweet tooth. Next stop was The Gifted Cork to pick up a few bottles of wine. If you recall I told you about their wine club, June is Spanish wines, so we chose the two reds for this month. We have not done June’s wine tasting yet.
ChocoLattes
On our walk home we chose to walk along the Bayfront. Walking on the Bayfront is one of my favorite paths; first there is the water, and in my opinion, there really isn’t anything better than the scent of the salty sea air, plus there is always a nice breeze coming off of the water, so it keeps you cool, and depending on the time of day, the horse carriages line up along Avenida Menendez. Always love to see the horse carriages.
Sunday was a low key day which started with croissants and cappuccinos made by my own personal barista Phil. He really makes a delicious coffee! We have a great espresso/cappuccino machine, the Gaggia Classic Pro and our coffee of choice is Illy Intenso and combined they make a great beverage.
I have the BEST Barista
Sunday evening, we went to Forgotten Tonic around the corner for a cocktail and appetizer. Phil has his own drink there called an “Abbynormal” (think Young Frankenstein); it’s an Absinthe Mojito and while it may sound odd, it is actually very good…IF you like the taste of black licorice, so of course he had that. I had the Penicillin – Islay scotch, ginger, honey, lemon; I’m finding I like cocktails with honey and lemon and this one did not disappoint. For apps, we shared the Bruschetta and the Cajun Egg Rolls; which are always a favorite. And then we just came home and watched the telly…we have been binge watching Pennyworth on Amazon Prime. Which is pretty good!
On Monday, last day of birthday week it was a nice quiet day, I mean it is a ‘school day’ after all. I started the day with my morning walk. It was a very blustery day, I almost lost my ‘Wine People’ hat and at the top of the Bridge of Lions you could hear the wind vibrating the cables on all the sailboats at the marina. Have you ever wet your finger and run it around the rim of a wineglass? It was that sound at a much higher pitch/resonance. Natures orchestra. I love windy days.
After my walk, I made us a little breakfast – avocado toast with press pot coffee. And the rest of the day was a Monday…but not in a bad way.
And there it is, Birthday Week 2023 is over and celebrated in style!
Celebrated today with a late lunch/early dinner at O.C. White’s. We felt like burgers! They are pretty much a seafood place, but they do have other options. What makes them special is the location. They are right on the bayfront offering beautiful views and they have a beautiful outdoor dining area with a pergola and live music. Didn’t get the name of the guy playing that day, but he was very good and had a nice mixed repertoire. He really enhanced the relaxed vibe. I believe he is there Friday and Saturday’s.
Later that day we headed down to Aviles Street for First Friday Artwalk—Phil is June’s Featured Artist at Jensen Pottery. It was a beautiful night with a balmy breeze, a good crowd, Ken Jensen and his band jamming on the street, free wine, and an almost full moon. What more could you ask for.
Day 3 found us at Sainte George Restaurant at the top of St George Street, near the city gates. Their Facebook page stated live music from 5-6:30 but there was no live music when we got there. Well not 100% true…the bartender Charles is an Opera Singer—a Dramatic Tenor and since no one else was upstairs at the bar he sang a beautiful Aria for us. He had an amazing voice and range, almost Baritone…and that soft quiet final note…spectacular. So technically we did hear live music. And it was fantastic.
Charles the Opera Singer/Bartender
Happy Hour was 5-6:30 with $3.00 off Beer, Wine, and Cocktails. I had one of their specialty drinks—God Save the Bees; a gin based cocktail with Earl Grey Tea, Lemon, Honey and Cardamon Bitters and it was light and refreshing. Phil had his go to Double Vodka Tonic. We shared a few appetizers: Grilled Lamb Lollipops (one of Phil’s favorites), Orzo Pasta Salad (great for a veggie lover like myself), and a side order of the Baked Orzo Mac ‘N’ Cheese made with my guess of Aged White Cheddar… sooooo good
On our way out we stopped by the open concept kitchen to thank the Chef. Sous Chef Jared was working that night, we complimented on the food and just to confirm, my tastebuds were spot on – it was an Aged White Cheddar. I LOVE cheese! And while I love Brie, Chevre, Manchego, Stilton, the list goes on; one of my childhood favorites is Aged White Cheddar—particularly Cracker Barrel…. memories of afterschool snacks consisting of a nice chunk of it, with or without a cracker, sigh. But, back to the Orzo Mac ‘N’ Cheese, that, and a glass of red wine with their Simple Salad would be dinner enough for me.
Heading back towards our apartment we still had the desire for some live music, so we stopped by the patio lounge at Casa Maya. The patio lounge is great, it is basically an outdoor living room (patio sofas, chairs, cocktail tables) with live music and great cocktails. They have live music every night so it’s always a fun time for music and dancing if you want. I had my favorite cocktail there, the Del Mar and Phil stuck with his go to Double Vodka Tonic. We enjoyed two sets and resumed our walk back home.
But we got sidetracked by the first evening of Summer Concerts in the Plaza; Thursday’s thru 8-31-23.
The Concert Line Up
Str8up was playing that night and we stayed for their final set. Set a Thursday reminder on your phone, bring a chair, a picnic, the kids if you have them, and plan a nice ‘free’ evening at the plaza. Heads up, Dewey Via Ban is there 6-29-23, and personally I’m looking forward to ZaZa Flamenca on 8-3-23.
And since it is my birthday week, and since we were having such a good night, we really weren’t quite ready to go home. So, we stopped at the Chatsworth for a nightcap. If you haven’t been there yet, you need to check it out. Typical of StA they have a very friendly staff, and its comfortable like being in your living room—leather sofas, wingback chairs, lots of pillows. It is the quintessential British Pub. Phil loves to go there during Football Season because a) they have the best sliders and b) they have 3 TV’s playing (probably not in that order). They also have a room for private events and ‘High Tea’.
And then it was time to head home…all in all it was a great evening out in America’s Europe.
Back home, in bed, we held hands and talked about our night,
Living in America's Europe 