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.
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!
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,
In our house we celebrate Birthday Week – not just one day. My birthday week began on my birthday – May 30. Having cocktails at our neighbor and friend James’ condo we came up with a great plan to start the celebrations. (Side note he is a great host and bartender!) The plan was to have lunch at the Alcazar as I have never been there and then do the tour of Flagler College – James is Flagler Alumini so he was arranging this. And then just play it by ear from there.
Pre Birthday Cocktails at James’
The Alcazar is in the Lightner Museum which was once a posh hotel in the Gilded Age of Henry Flagler. The Lightner is a beautiful museum and worth a trip just to explore the grounds and the exhibits. The Alcazar restaurant is actually located in what was once an indoor spring fed swimming pool. You can see pictures of the pool in all its glory at the museum. As one who loves to float, I can imagine floating there all day peacefully gazing at the skylight that provided natural light. You need to go see this for yourself.
Historic Pool at the Alcazar – courtesy of the St. Augustine Record
The Lightner Museum
Lunch was delicious and the service was attentive and impeccable. We started with wine: Phil had a glass of the Brunello Di Montalcino, James had the Redbreast Riesling—a lovely dry refreshing Riesling, and I had the Lafitte Rosé. To make you hungry we shared Classic Escargot in Garlic Herb Butter (done right, tender not ‘chewy’) with pita toast points. Phil started with the Avgolemono soup and James with the soup du jour: Cream of Asparagus. On James’ recommendation Phil had the Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich, James had his favorite the Cuban Panini, and I had the Asparagus Panini. For sides we chose the fresh made chips, Cajun Coleslaw and Yellow Rice. Everything was delicious. And since it was my Birthday, we had to have dessert (and more wine), so we shared a piece of the Flourless Chocolate Cake. Which was like eating a chocolate bar with a fork—dense, rich, chocolaty. While there I kept wishing Mother was still with us, she would have loved having lunch at the Alcazar.
After lunch we made a quick pit stop at our condo to drop off presents and then on to our next destination…the tour of Flagler College – formally the Ponce Hotel. (Stay tuned for A Birthday Celebration – Part 2.)
To give you a teaser…St. Augustine is full of beautiful architecture, history, and glamour of an age long gone. One can only imagine the lifestyle, guests, and soirées in that Gilded Age…if the walls could only talk.
Before moving back to America’s Europe we lived in a small ‘rural’ town. While it offered many things, it just wasn’t right for us. At night it was quiet; you heard owls, frogs, and crickets. On the weekend you could hear the bands that played at the waterfront restaurants.
In the city the sounds are different, and we are pretty much in the heart of the city—right off of the plaza surrounded by bars, restaurants, shops, galleries and B&B’s. Which means a lot of foot traffic.
Here we still hear the frogs at night, especially when it’s been raining, but no owls or crickets. Instead, we hear horse carriages on the cobble stone street. When the windows are open you can hear the guides pointing out the points of interest on the tour. The building next to us, was once the home of a Confederate Army General, it has a beautiful courtyard. Apparently, it is haunted as it is on one of the Ghost Tour’s. I have heard two different stories, one involves a woman ghost and one a little boy, the stories drift in and out. Perhaps we need to take the tour to get the scoop.
Bits and pieces of tourist’s conversations can be overheard: dinner reviews, tired kids, SIRI helping them find their parked cars, a restaurant or bar. Live music from local bars can be heard mixed with random musicians playing on the street or Plaza. On the weekends Bachelor or Bachelorette parties—always one person who still wants to stay out and party.
The night music of the city is a different jam; a beautiful cacophony of a city getting ready to sleep, and we like it.
This past weekend we took a little getaway to Jacksonville. We stayed at our friend’s house on the Trout River. He has a beautiful slice of paradise featuring gorgeous Sunsets! We arrived late afternoon on Saturday, had cocktails on the dock and watched the sunset. And then we headed out for dinner.
As the sun sets on the Trout River, Jax
For dinner we went down to Five Points to dine at Hawkers—an amazing Asian ‘Street Food Style’ restaurant. We shared several appetizers: Roti Canai which was served with a delicious curry dipping sauce, Spiced Lamb Street Skewers with a scallion ginger ‘mayo’ sauce, Kalbi Short Ribs with a Korean BBQ Bulgogi sauce and the Crispy Pork Belly with Hoisin dipping sauce. All paired with a cold non-filtered Sake! Then on to entrees: on recommendation I had the Curry Laska Ramen, and it was delicious. Phil had the Duck Fried Rice, and our friends had Pad Thai and the Bulgogi Steak. And we also had leftovers! Sorry/not sorry…but we were in the moment, and I don’t have one photo of our dining experience! You will have to go experience it yourself. Go with a group, order a lot, and share everything! (Share your pics in the comments.)
On a side note, while waiting for our table, we took a walk around Five Points, the streets were closed that evening, and there were three Police officers on horseback, I just need to share I don’t know what breed of horses they ride, but they were huge! Maybe a Percheron…
Sunday started with coffee on the dock, a late breakfast made by ‘moi’, and then swimming/floating in the pool. It was so relaxing. And then came the rain; even in the rain it is still a beautiful slice of paradise. Later that day we finished off those leftovers.
On the way home Monday, we stopped at Jerry’s Artarama for a few canvases and portfolios. Whenever we go up for art supplies, we always stop at Cooper’s Hawk to pick up our member’s wine. We had 4 bottles waiting for us! And since we were there, we had lunch at the bar. I am normally not a fan of chain restaurants, but I have to say I have never had a bad meal at Cooper’s Hawk and Monday’s lunch was no different. We shared the Ahi Tuna Cruda appetizer special, Phil had his favorite, Ellie’s Chicken Picatta with Capellini pasta and I had the Gnocchi with Roasted Butternut Squash…and once again sorry/not sorry no pics!
Santé from Copper’s Hawk – Bin 92 Petite Sirah
It was a great weekend getaway, and it is also good to be back home in America’s Europe.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year already. But we recently renewed our lease on our FABULOUS apartment…so it must be true. And simultaneously it feels like we just got here and that we never left. We love living here.
Literally we love everything about living here: The fabulous artistic vibe, the abundance of great restaurants: our local bar/gastro pub, our local Trattoria, our favorite Sunday brunch spot – shout out to Forgotten Tonic; Nonna’s; and Roosevelt Room; our local wine bars, coffee shops, gift shops, art galleries, pastry shops, the beaches, our cool small Publix on Vilano Beach, the Saturday Farmer’s Market, the music scene, the beach bars, the Amphitheater, the festivals, the holiday parades, First Friday Artwalk….you see the list is endless. Always something going on and always something to do.
But more important than that is the people we have met and the friendships and relationships we are building. We are now closer to family, so we have been able to share some holiday celebrations together. We have reconnected with good friends that we maybe saw once a year, and now we see several times a month.
A few weeks ago, my nephew came to visit for a weekend. He is at college at Embry Riddle studying to be a Rocket Scientist (seriously!!!). He was overwhelmed with schoolwork and finals and wanted to get away for a weekend. So we picked him up in Daytona and came back to StA. We had a great time hanging out, walking Lincolnville, showing him around, and eating and drinking. But the funny part is he told my sister he had a great time and “Phil and Dee are famous.” LOL We are not famous, we just know those in our neighborhood; we our locals with our local hangouts, and there ‘everyone knows our name’. He also told her we took him to ‘fancy’ restaurants. Ok, maybe one was fancy!
Sometimes, late in the evening, when we have our windows open and our lights are still on, an employee from one of our local hangouts – better called a friend – walking past our apartment will shout up to us, “good night Phil and Dee, love you”. It’s sweet and genuine like a ‘Walton’s’ moment. It’s home for us. It makes our hearts happy.
Phil just had an art opening and is at Jensen Pottery gallery for May and June. Which is very exciting for him, he had a great turnout. It was also our 16th wedding anniversary making it a double celebration.
Phil at his opening. A beautiful installation.
I still take my morning walk along the bayfront and over the bridge. Every day is different, and I never get tired of that view. I love when I see something on my walk that I never noticed before. I love when I find small hidden side streets I didn’t know were there, or secret garden courtyards in the middle of the city. I love the smell of gardenias and night blooming jasmine in the early morning hours. I love the sunrises and the cloudy days equally. I love the briny smell along the bayfront at low tide, and the salt air aroma at high tide. On non-work days I love to stop at ChocoLattes at the end of my walk and have a Mimosa while I wait for my croissant and Phil’s bagel, egg, bacon, and cheese sammie to go.
Rose Mimosa at ChocoLattes
This is the life we are building. I’m so happy to be back here. Did I mention we love living here?
America’s Europe, one year later, we are ‘still’ here, and we ‘still’ feel alive.
Living in America's Europe 
