19-7-12

Hi Folks!

We set off south again for St Augustine - the oldest city in the USA.

After a drive through the city we pick up the I95 - our wooded route of choice for this trip.

The countryside is changing as we go through the low country - as they call the marshland through which we are travelling. The radio stations are rather bizzare, especially the adverts - the music is stuck in 1970s soft rock - I've never heard so much Steve Miller Band, Fly Like an Eagle is played on the hour every hour on every station as far as I can figure.

Some of the trees are impossibly tall and straight - they must be a mast builders delight.

The skies are heavy and stayed heavy all day with spits and spots of rain.

We pitch up in St Augustine mid afternoon and park our car outside our room - the only time we have done this in our trip. After lunch in a Denny's - not a culinary triumph - we stroll into town.

The Spanish built the fort in 1562 - its the oldest structure in the USA, how about that? The high street is full of national monuments - the oldest wooden school house being just one. I found it really charming and quaint two words I never thought I'd use in America.

We strolled around the town and the fort - even took a drive over to the beach. On the return we were delayed by a schooner passing through the drawbridge - very fitting.

It remained a little gloomy but didn't dampen our spirits even if P found the whole place a little fake - actually - very fake!

That evening we had a fantastic meal - flounders and steaks - wonderful. A bunch of hedge fund managers were making a hash of a pitch to some money managers - P found it really amusing...

And then bed...