Tue 17 Apr 2012
Mooring Ball at Bridge of Lions, St. Augustine, FL

When the wind died down several hours after dark, the anchorage became very comfortable and we slept soundly. After a week of eating whole grain cereal, low-fat milk, and fresh fruit, I made us a fried egg sandwich with a slice on bacon on top. It was quite good and not too caloric compared to many breakfasts one could have.

We talked about our next stop in St. Augustine and the fact that there is a much more extensive fort to visit there, so we decided to leave early for the short trek north. I had originally thought the ebbing tide would cause us, very near the inlet, to have a very foul current for a long time. It turned out to be a modestly foul current, but only for a short time. What I had not realized is that the ebbing tide at St. Augustine's inlet would be very powerful and it started carrying us along at great speed before long. At a power setting that might normally give us 5.3 knots, we were doing 6.6 to 7.0 knots much of the time. Needless to say, our short trip was even shorter than expected.

We picked up a mooring assignment and got settled in. We telephoned Adam, our friends' son, and he popped by in his runabout boat. We made plans to meet for dinner in town with his girlfriend, Renee, and then we got ready to go ashore with our bikes in the dinghy.

St. Augustine's downtown (at the W side of the Bridge of Lions) is extremely charming and beautiful, but it tough to get around by car or bike. This section of town is very old, so the streets and the sidewalks are extremely narrow. Walking or taking the trolley seems to be the best way to get around.

Nevertheless, we biked to the old fort, where we spent an hour enjoying the history and views from the ramparts. Then we biked/walked through much of the touristy shopping area concentrated near the marina/bridge, and eventually got away from the crowded narrow streets to areas where we could bike with less danger and apprehension.

It was quite hot in the sun, despite the strong breeze, so we stopped for a cold beer at an outside Cuban restaurant; it tasted very good! Our last mission was to find the local convenience store to get a quart of milk and some bread, and then it was back to the boat. We didn't get to rest long because we needed to leave again in an hour to go ashore with our "fancy" clothes and shower gear, get all cleaned up, and then meet Adam and Renee for dinner.

We have not been eating many meals out so far because it is expensive, and we realize that we eat healthier and less food when we cook on the boat. Tonight was an exception in that Renee (who works at that restaurant, Harry's) wanted us to try some really excellent (and rich) appetizers. Even sticking to a seafood soup and small entrees, we busted our calorie count for today. Come to think of it, though, we did not eat lunch at all, so we can't feel too guilty.

After a nice visit with our hosts, we left the restaurant and came back to Diva Di to relax, blog, and go to sleep.