castle

Jamestown, Virginia.
Colony of Roanoke, North Carolina.
St. Augustine, Florida.
Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts.

Saint Augustine, Florida, 1565, and it is definitely worth the visit. Paradoxically, it is not even in the top 10 most visited places in Florida. Miami is first because of all the tourists that go on cruises from there and Spring Break students. Orlando is second because of a certain mouse (and other attractions). Fort Lauderdale because of more cruises and Spring Break university students… and so on. Apparently, people do not go to Florida to learn about history. But I finally managed an excursion, and I loved it.

After a boring 4-hour drive -Florida has no elevation and most roads are as close to straight as you could imagine. I arrived in North Florida, which has different vegetation and feel from Southern Florida, and its endless suburban sprawl.

I stayed at the 1001 Nights, a Victorian Bed and Breakfast downtown. This old Luddite was a bit troubled that I never spoke to a person when I made my reservation, and when I got there, I had a code for the front door and one for my room door, so I did not see anyone until breakfast the next morning. But the place was really cute, and my room was great! Highly recommended, with a great breakfast included!

After dumping my bag, I did one of my favorite things in the world: I went exploring.

First, the Castillo de San Marcos, later called Fort Marion by the Americans. Obviously as defensive technology improved, so did this castle, so what we see today is the 18^th C. Spanish construction, which resembles other Spanish castles like the one in Jaca, the one in Pamplona and San Felipe del Morro in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This whole castle is built of coquina stone -literally seashells crushed and pressed into stone through millennia!

Then I walked to Nuestra Señora de la Leche, the oldest church in the US and the site of the first mass on US soil. The original chapel is not there anymore, but the whole site is a wonderful garden with a supernatural spiritual feel to it, a lovely old Chapel and a mundane modern one.

The old village with all the old Spanish houses has fallen victim to that most vulgar American capitalist disease: tourism i.e.: gaudy shops, bad and overpriced restaurants, $7 ice cream cones, etc. Surprisingly, the narrow streets try hard to maintain their historic dignity despite this transgression. Certain corners fight unbreeched: the Plaza de la Constitución holds its ground, celebrating “La Pepa” Spain’s first Constitution signed in Cadiz in 1812 after kicking out Napoleon. It is a charming square. Right on that square is the Cathedral, where I went to the ordination of two of my students, it has a lovely wooden ceiling!

Yes, there are museums, beaches, breweries, and many other attractions, making St. Augustine a perfect weekend getaway destination. If you like history and don’t mind paying $7 for an ice cream.

Recommendations:

Avoiding tourist traps, I had dinner at Ann O’Malley’s, an old Irish pub just outside St. George Street, the main strip. The sandwich was outstanding, the beer perfect, the staff friendly and professional.

I also had coffee next to the Cathedral at The Kookaburra Downtown, fantastic!

Answers:

A. Jamestown, Virginia. 1607.

B. Colony of Roanoke, North Carolina. 1585

D. Plymouth Colony 1620.

Florida destinations

Miami – 2,759,000 visitors

Orlando – 1,223,000 visitors

Fort Lauderdale – 506,000 visitors

Tampa – 190,000 visitors

West Palm Beach – 169,000 visitors

Naples – 84,000 visitors

Jacksonville – 70,000 visitors

North Port – 56,000 visitors

Cape Coral – 53,000 visitors

Key West – 47,000 visitors

https://www.wfla.com/news/florida/these-are-the-top-10-cities-to-visit-in-florida-report/

A bit over an hour north-east of Madrid lies the town of Sigüenza. I remember going there for an excursion for lunch once with my father when I was a teenager, and again with my family in my twenties, but I had not gone back since. In early January I went with my girlfriend. What a great town it is for a quick week-end getaway!

There are two main highlights to the town but many interesting bits to fill in between those two bookends. And bookends they are as they are situated on each side of town: The castle sits at the top of the hill, and the cathedral at the bottom. They are connected by the medieval wall. Within those walls are a handful of old churches, from Romanesque like Santiago and San Vicente to 19^th C Santa Maria. There is a Renaissance town square, monasteries and convents, and like any good Spanish town a bunch of bars and restaurants!

The medieval castle, where queen Blanca de Borbón was kept prisoner for a few years since her dad King Jean II le Bon did not pay the dowry, became the bishops’ palace and eventually was turned into a gorgeous Parador hotel in the 70s. Imagine staying in a medieval castle but with awesome water pressure, great food and Wi-Fi!! We got a great deal, so we stayed there!

The town is perfect for walking around. Although we went in early January and it was freezing, there are plenty of places to check out and warm up!

The highlight is the Cathedral, originally Romanesque and then modified in Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque and eventually Neo-Classic styles. The main attraction in the cathedral is the tomb of “El doncel”. This fellow, Martín Vázquez de Arce was a local nobleman who was killed fighting for Ferdinand and Isabelle against the Moors in Granada in 1482. What is extraordinary is his tomb: he is not lying down like every other bishop and nobleman in every other cathedral… he is reclining, reading a book in his suit of armour, waiting for his eternal rest. The detail in the carving of the alabaster is exquisite to the point of whimsical: his page carefully holding his foot, his eyes open, etc. it is a gorgeous sculpture –funerary art at its best!

The rest of the cathedral is no slouch: a Greco painting, an outstanding collection of tapestries, amazing architecture, two pulpits: a Romanesque and a Renaissance one, etc., etc.

The Clarisas convent just happens to have an ancient burying ground outside their doors which is simply covered with a glass for you to appreciate the architecture and human bones! The nuns make the best chocolate truffles you can imagine. Since these nuns do not allow you to see them you have to buy the sweets via a rotating door. As a certified chocaholic, I can attest to the quality of the truffles! I did not bother tasting anything else.

As in any good Spanish town, food is the soul of the place. Sigüenza lies pretty much along the dividing line between Old and New Castille – so called as Castille progressed on the expulsion of the aforementioned Moors… So you get both cuisines, North and South.

The surrounding villages are obviously much smaller than Sigüenza,but are very rich in history and culture. Make sure you check out Atienza and Medinacelli.