We had an easy motor sailing day down the Matanzas River and as we neared St Augustine we could see that the restoration work on the elderly Bridge of Lions was finally complete. The project had been underway for at least two years, involving the building of a temporary bridge whilst this one was taken apart, revamped and reinstalled at a budget cost of $89 million!!

It did look magnificient - the lions had been given a makeover that made them look almost new instead of their actual age of 83 years. The bridge still has a closed clearance height of 25' but the new bascule arms were a great improvement on the old lifting bridge which always took ages to reach a height where most boats could safely get under.

Once ashore you see the real beauty of old St Augustine - red brick lanes, centuries old churches, ancient forts and horsedrawn carriage transport - the charm of Europe on the coast of Florida - settled by the Spanish 450 years ago, with the arrival of explorer Juan Ponce de Leon, it is the oldest town in the US.

Walking around the old town is much like strolling the meandering streets of a small Spanish town. The wonderful preservation of the old buildings and sympathetic restoration of others displays the care with which St Augustine keeps its city 'traditional'.