Doing touristy things. We'll go see the fort, but I've been to too many big ones in the Caribbean (e.g., El Morro, Jefferson) to be impressed, at least gauging by the exterior. Posting will be sparse/intermittent until tomorrow night.

I've seen a couple of the ones in the islands. The difference at St. Augustine is the style of architecture. Stand on the lip of the ditch (the covered way) and look around. Think small arms cross-fire. Think of cannons belching grape and cannister, and look for cover. You won't find any, and you'll be getting shot at from multiple directions.

This is known as a Vauban style fortification, and they're still pretty effective places. In WW2 heavy artillery didn't suffice to break them open. In 1918 Montmirail had to be taken by making a breach in the wall with direct fire and a storming party risking the cross-fire to capture the place.

Well, one has to admit that San Marcos was never taken by force.

When I was a kid we lived in Jacksonville, Fl for a few years. My mother's favorite day trip was to St Aug. It was totally cool running all over the fort and imagining the way the Spaniards lived back in their time.

I dare say, young boys now wouldn't enjoy that place. No buttons, joysticks or 3-D images. They know not the pleasures of a vivid imagination.