Travels in the 2nd half

Old City Gates On Sept, 8 1565 a party of Spanish explorers led by Don Pedro Menedez de Aviles landed on an inlet and started a settlement. As Sept 8th is the saints day for St. Augustine, that is what they called their new town. Today St; Augustine Florida is the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the Americas. During that time St. Augustine has been part of Spain, England, The United States and the Confederate States of America. The center of the city today is The Plaza de la Constitución. Created in 1573, The plaza was the heart of the original settlement flanked on the west side by The Government House (built 1713)- home to Spanish colonial government and on the north side by the Cathedral Basilica de St. Augustine (built 1797). Government House from Plaza de la Constitución Side courtyard of the Government House Government House main entrance Main lobby of the Government House Government House Courtyard By Gillfoto (Own wor...

The African Crafts Fair - Brooklyn July 2014  Wow! This entry marks my 100 th blog piece. It was almost 2 years ago when I started this blog, and I was totally unsure about how it would go and where it would take me. But here I am, and 100 pieces is a time for reflection. A Fork in the Road - Pasadena July 2014 I started with a piece called “Why I travel” and I intended that this blog be a way for me to share my travels with old friends in a way that was better than social media. Along the way I have learned that writing the blog has given my a voice on the history of where I travel, but also on what it like to be a traveler, especially as I enter retirement and look forward to the changes in my life that will accompany having some extra free time. I have made some new friends by sharing my thoughts and photos, and I have learned as much about myself as I have about the places I visit. I also have learned how to slow down my writing to give a better picture of...

The origins of saté (or satay) is in Indonesia, Java to be exact, but its roots are in the kabobs brought from the Middle East by Muslim traders. The dish probably started as street food. Today saté can be found throughout Asia from the streets to the finest restaurants. The basics of the dish are pieces of meat that have been marinated, and then cooked on skewers, usually over coals. The meat is served with a sauce, which can be spicy, coconut based, curry based or often a combination of all three. In The New York Cookbook , Molly O'Neill has included a wonderful recipe from Dhanit Choladda. Today Dhanit is the head chef at Thai U.S.A. in Huntington NY. He can to the United States at the age of 19 from Thailand. His recipe uses coconut milk curry and Thai fish sauce as the base of an excellent sauce and marinade that keeps the chicken moist and flavorful. Chicken Saté skewers I made the dish as a welcome home lunch for The Amazing Ms. D , who was coming home after spen...

One of the highlights of a visit to St. Augustine is a trip to its iconic lighthouse. St. Augustine is the oldest continuously working port in the United States, dating back to its settlement in 1565. There has been some form of light house since that time. In the 1500's the wooden watchtower served as a beacon for sailors.  In 1824 the American Territorial government commissioned the building of first lighthouse at St. Augustine. It was a structure built from coquina stone - a strong limestone quarried in the area. Coquina is a sedimentary rock comprised of sea shells that have been cemented together over time.  Original St. Augustine Lighthouse - http://sar-cdn.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/superphoto/13832447.jpg  The lighthouse was built very close to the beach and by 1870 was threatened by erosion. So the U.S. government again had a new lighthouse built, much further from the shoreline. This time the building was mad from brick and cast iron. Today,...