Images of Castillo de San Marcos National Monument – Northeastern Florida, taken in October 2019.

Construction of the fort built by the Spanish, on the ground now protected by Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, began in 1672 and was completed in 1695. With its signature Garita (Sentry Boxes) it is the oldest masonry fort and the most well-preserved Spanish colonial fortification in the US. It was built to protect the city of St. Augustine from pirates and Great Britton.

The fort was very impressive and its location on Matanzas Bay on the edge of St. Augustine, the oldest permanent European settlement in the continental United States, helped bring into focus the impact of early European colonizers on the east coast of Florida.

I visited this National Monument with childhood friend David and his wife Deb and Atlanta friend Beth who you might remember I freed from the stockade at Ft. Pulaski in Georgia. You would think she would be eternally indebted to me for gaining her freedom but her response was actually less than anticipated. I do believe that the next time she finds herself in prison she can call someone else!