breakfast room st augustine st francis limited time
Day 2 in St. Augustine
Knowing that we had to maximize our limited time in St. Augustine, we were in the St. Francis Inn breakfast room by 7:30. The buffet was so far beyond anything we could have expected. The presentation was quite grand with lots of brightly polished silver pieces and sparkling cut-glass bowls holding freshly cut fruit. The two hot entrees were spectacular. Jim chose the citrus pancakes with Mandarin orange sauce and Ginny the frescatta Italian strada. They had various cereals, several types of yogurt, bagels, English and traditional muffins, pitchers of fruit juices as well as four varieties of Barney’s coffee (breakfast blend, decaf and two flavored) along with a dozen teas and hot chocolate. Wow, we hated to get up from the table. Unlike a typical B&B, this dining room had separate tables for parties of two, four or six so you could socialize with fellow travelers or not. Being sleepyheads by nature, we appreciated not having to make happy talk in the a.m.
Our first destination was the Lightner Museum located in what was the Alcazar Hotel at the corner of Cordova and King Streets, without doubt, the most interesting architectural corner in St. Augustine. The Alcazar was built in 1888 in the Spanish Revival style by oil and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler. Flagler was an equal partner with John D. Rockefeller in Standard Oil of New Jersey but his love and his eventual financial undoing was building hotels. He initially built deluxe hotels along the rail route in order to increase the number of riders but soon discovered he loved being an hotelier. He had such extravagant taste that no matter how much he charged his guests, he lost money. In St. Augustine, he built the ultra luxurious Ponce de Leon, now a part of Flagler College, on King Street. Directly across the street, he built the Alcazar for travelers of lesser but very amply means. To quote Professor Thomas Graham of Flagler College, “one reason for the popularity of the Alcazar was its less stuffy atmosphere than the ‘high tone’ Ponce de Leon, where formal dress was required at evening meals.†It was said that the people of St. Augustine were proud of the Ponce but they loved the Alcazar. Next to the Lightner Museum across Cordova Street, is Casa Monica, the city’s most exclusive hotel. It was designed and built by a competitor of Flagler’s, Franklin Smith, who Flagler managed to push into bankruptcy so that he could purchase this third hotel at the bargain price of $325,000, far less than the cost of construction.
After being closed for 17 years, Otto C. Lightner purchased the once glorious Alcazar hotel in 1948 to house his antiques, art and his numerous collections. Lightner was the Chicago editor and publisher of Hobbies magazine. His magazines prospered during the depression enabling him to buy fine art, furnishings and priceless antiques at bargain prices from once wealthy Chicago socialites. Furnishings, Victorian art, magnificent cut-glass pieces, oriental art, art nouveau works and natural history specimens are displayed on three floors. One large room is devoted to a collection of Tiffany stained glass. More than a dozen large 19th century mechanical musical instruments are in another area and are demonstrated by one of the volunteer docents twice daily, 11 and 2 pm. The lower level of the building and site of the former massive swimming pool is now a mall with craft and antique shops as well as a small restaurant. The word “eclectic†is most appropriate for this museum. We had a wonderful morning wandering from room to room viewing Lightner’s diverse collections which included cigar labels, buttons, embroidery samplers, match book covers, walking canes as well as the above-mentioned traditional art museum pieces. Among museums, it is truly unique and worth going out of one’s way to visit.
After tearing ourselves away from the Lightner Museum, we rushed across the street to take a one-hour, student-led tour of the former Hotel Ponce de Leon (now Flagler College’s signature building). The tour took us to the beautifully landscaped front courtyard with elaborate center fountain, the parlor with its many murals and paintings, the spectacular rotunda with its mosaic tiles and hand-craved columns and into the huge, lavish dining room ringed by Louis Comfort Tiffany windows.
Both hungry and in need of a break, we headed to the Fiesta pedestrian mall on St. George Street. We had a quick but delightful lunch at the Columbia restaurant. The cuisine is Spanish as is the sunny décor. We gazed at their bubbling fountain as we sipped a refreshing glass of sangria before ordering a bowl of their Spanish bean soup and the Columbia’s signature “1905†salad. The salad was tossed tableside with great flair by Juan our handsome waiter. After 37 years of wedded bliss, we seem to often order the same meals. We really are boring.
Relaxed and happy with full stomachs, we wandered into the many shops along St. George Street before visiting the Spanish Colonial Quarter, a recreation of 1780s St. Augustine. Our last stop was a visit to the St. Photios Greek Orthodox National Shrine. It’s a living memorial to the first Greek settlers on the American continent who came to St. Augustine in 1768. The shrine consists of exhibits depicting the story of the first Greek colony in the New World as well as a film documenting their plight. The shine is filled with exquisite Byzantine style frescoes, many highlighted with 22 carat gold leaf, depicting scenes from the life of Christ.
Our last stop was to be the Gonzalez-Alvarez (the oldest) house, located just around the corner from our St. Francis Inn home but when we arrived at 4:45, the gate was locked. St. Augustine’s oldest house was built in the early 1700s of conquina and hand-hewn, cedar beams. As guests of the inn, we had been given complimentary admission tickets. This house is on every guide books must-see list. Another time.
That evening we treated ourselves to a more elaborate dinner at the Raintree Restaurant and Steakhouse so it worked out well to have a little extra time to shower and change into more formal attire. The restaurant provides its dinner guests with complimentary car service. We were picked up by Heather and driver-trainee Britney in a large black Lincoln town car and chauffeured to and fro. The St. Francis Inn also has a large luxury car available to chauffeur guests to local restaurants on the weekends. The Raintree, surrounded by lots of blossoms and lush bushes lit by a multitude of tiny twinkling white lights, is located in a vintage 1879 Victorian home right on the main thoroughfare, San Marco Avenue, about a half mile north of the fort. It’s about a mile away from the St. Francis, an easy walk if we were not in fancy footwear. Jim chose the New Zealand Rack of Lamb and Ginny tried the house specialty of Beef Wellington. Both entrees were delicious and by New England standards, pretty inexpensive. Though no longer hungry, we could not resist ordering another house specialty, the luscious warm chocolate dome cake with banana ice cream and macadamia nut brittle which we split. Needless to say, we did not sample the desserts of the evening at the St. Francis. After being chauffeured home, we happily waddled up to “Miss Emily’s†room fat, happy and sleepy.
Suzie Cheelon 07 Aug 2008 at 6:38 pm 1
Wow Carole,
This is awesome, I know Lindel, we taught together at Tafe, both did a Master of applied Science at the same time. Here I come to read anout you monthly giveaway and get an up date on Lindel. I knew she was doing readings at the Observatory. The Tea site is wonderful
Thank you- I just love the online world, what a way to catch up with what your friends are up to.
Looks like I need to bury my tea bags. Have you tried the wonderful Zen and The Art of fine loose tea- Lime and Raspberry from Zentfelds at Byron
Bay.
Namaste
Suzie
PS I”ll put my hat in the pot for the book.
Mayon 07 Aug 2008 at 11:43 pm 2
Sounds very cool! I know absolutely nothing about tea leaves, but maybe it’s time to learn
Megan from Imaginifon 08 Aug 2008 at 11:30 am 3
Oh yes please, love a cuppa and love a read.
Carol, please be sure to enter me in the tea draw.
Mxx
Katrinaon 10 Aug 2008 at 3:10 pm 4
Well even if I don’t win this it is something I might need to request for a Christmas present. I have slowly started to get into tea, I have been drinking peppermint tea for a few years now (my parents bulk grow herbs that go to Southern Light Herbs ) and have been enjoying it and someone has recently introduced me to a lemon style tea. I know there is so much more to learn and try and I can’t wait
Megan from Imaginifon 25 Sep 2008 at 11:57 am 5
Hey Carole
I have received the book and I simply LOVE it. I have read it many times over and have devoured more pots of tea than ever before in an endeavour to read my tea leaves. What a blast I am having.
An amazing little book full of facts and insights, I will do a positive review within the next few days - will link back to you so that you know when it’s up.
I think I feel a new therapy coming on - Thera Tea: a combination of symbol work and tea leaf reading
Thank you for running the competition Carole and thank you universe for having Carole pull my name.
Megan from Imaginifon 26 Sep 2008 at 2:31 pm 6
Hi Carole
have done not a review, but a positive learning experience from reading the book and exercising the process of reading: http://www.imaginif.com.au/time-for-tea-kids-and-a-thera-tea-leaf-reading/
Can you please pass on my gratefulness to Lindel. It is a truly wonderful little book.