We spent two great days in St. Augustine enjoying this pretty and historic town. Our marina is right downtown. The only complaint about the marina is that ii is located right past a bridge called "bridge of Lions" which is being restored. They build a temporary lift bridge while they undergo the multi-million dollar restoration of the Lion's bridge. I mention this because we are in a slip very close to the restoration and there is considerable construction din; some of which goes through the night.

Notwithstanding, St. Augustine is a marvellous place. Being here around Christmas time, we are lucky to behold the Festival of Lights where they claim that more than two and a half million lights adorn the downtown. Our first night here, we roam around the downtown and it is impressive and tasteful. We sup at a great restaurant called collage. This is a city steeped in history and they are determined to maintain the authenticity while supporting the tourist trade. I'll spare a travelogue but suffice it to say that it claims to be the oldest city in the US!

Next morning we get up with a full day in store. We go into town for breakfast after which I get a long-needed haircut. We decide to take a trolley tour in the afternoon and it's well worth it as they give you a very informative account of the history of this place. There are too many interesting things to convey I this forum but we were amazed at the historical significance of this place. As we complete our trolley ride, Judy and Carolyn plot a carriage ride at dusk. So, after a bit of relaxation and showers, we head downtown again for the next chapter in our adventure.

Our carriage driver was Connie and the horse was Felix. While Felix was quite lethargic, it was a great way to leisurely tour the downtown at night. Both Connie and Felix were tolerant was we enjoyed champagne and took in the sights. After the ride we retried to a restaurant called Harry's where we had pre-arranged to meet fellow boaters on our dock. John and Rejeanne on board Bilbo from Quebec joined us and they were delightful people. We dined outside; the first time in a long while that it's been warm enough. There is a very pleasant male singer entertaining and we have a couple of dances and Judy sings a song with him. We then adjourned to Sea Sharp for more chat and merriment.

We expect to leave the next morning but this will be challenging given the tidal current situation. But we'll worry about that tomorrow; tonight we revel in the magic of this wonderful town, decked out for Christmas!