Spanish style
Perhaps St. Augustine's biggest draw, at least for me, is its Spanish heritage. So unlike New England! Much of the architecture may be re-creations, but who cares? It's wonderful! Even the cannon on display at the Castillo are beautiful. This week the city is celebrating the birthday of Pedro Menendez, the city's founder. The Encyclopedia Britannica sums up our Pedro as "a classic example of the conquistador--intrepid, energetic, loyal, and brutal." His job was to stop the French from securing a foothold in this part of the world, and to provide a secure refueling stop for the Spanish treasure ships on their way home from pillaging Central and South America. He did the job well. (And yes, I have to wonder why we're celebrating a man who included the slaughter of Huguenots on his resume.) This week's festivities are mostly high-end banquets and such which we aren't attending, but we certainly took in the "History saunter,