Continuing on from my last post in which i introduced you to my American brother (Mike) and his Florida holiday home i would like now to show you a few more of our experiences around this extraordinary piece of land the children loving refer to as the kiki (penis) of America.
Mike wanted to treat Luna by taking her to Build-a-Bear, apparently a common thing in America. One chooses their unstuffed 'bear' and the clothes they would like it to wear.
Then one heads over to the stuffing machine where they can control exactly how much fluff goes in with their foot.
Here you can see Luna's cat getting stuffed!
Then the lady gave Luna a small red heart which she was instructed to hold between her hands and rub life into it.
After which the lady sewed the heart inside the teddy and handed it to a very satisfied Luna.
There were loads of extras she could have gone for like sounds or smells coming from inside the bear or even a 'beating' heart, but Luna didn't want these.
After this we left Mike to practice his golf shots while we went on the Ferris wheel. Second biggest in the world apparently.
Sabrina didn't think to mention it before this moment but she does in fact suffer from vertigo and suddenly made this realisation when it was too late.
Personally i quite enjoy these situations high up in the air.
Wouldn't have minded going on this other ride i could see!
Lots of development going on below.
Here we are getting close to the top now.
Around which point Sabrina really needed support.
So we handed her Luna's freshly stuffed cat and hoped for the best!
In truth Luna herself was very good at looking after Sabrina while she was freaking out.
And it wasn't long before we were heading back down again.
This ride looked fun pinging up and down between these poles. They really make things BIG in America.
Next we were dragged by the children to this arcade.
Zombie babies i call them when they are like this.
Though they are at least still able to play like children did in the 'old days'.
Here they are on the baby train from which we waved at every single person we saw :)
Wanted to mention that the cat (think that's what it is!) barely left Luna's side for the remainder of the holiday.
Everywhere she went the cat followed.
Instead of a teddy bear from Mike, Esteban opted for this bubble gun instead and he was very happy with his choice.
Here's me posing with Mike's Trump mug and cap! Just for fun ;) There were a few Trump mugs in the house and Sabrina, like me, was strangely drawn towards them for her morning tea.
We had one last dinner with all the family that night.
Sabrina & I here.
The following day all of them except Mike flew back to Virginia, leaving us with some time to explore Florida.
Mike suggested St Augustine for three days and kindly offered us a very fancy hotel there, so how could we say no?
It was just a few hours drive away yet it felt like a totally different world.
St Augustine
Named after St Augustine of Hippo who looks like an interesting guy in this image, channeling veritas (truth) as sunlight through his eyes into a flaming heart. Bet this guy was a sungazer!
One is struck straight away in St Augustine by the old world architecture which has somehow endured the test of time here.
And also by the enormous oak trees everywhere.
They lined the streets outside our hotel alongside super tall palm trees.
Every open space, like this graveyard, had a massive tree complete with Spanish moss hanging down from its branches.
Beautiful gate design.
The colonial quarter looked like this with tons of quaint shops and restaurants.
I assume this thing used to be a fountain? Lovely geometric design.
The massive trees really were everywhere!
We ate lunch at number 33, not because this is my birth number but because it had a wonderful view of a tree.
Seen here in all its glory.
Luna kindly snapped this one of us waiting for our food.
We felt as if we had to go give the tree a hug once we were done eating.
Truly a thing of beauty.
I asked one of the staff and he told us this tree was 560 years old!
The signs on the road were all leading us to the main attraction of St Augustine, the star fort.
We wouldn't want to miss a national monument of course, so off we went to see it.
I include this aerial shot so that you may see the Castillo de San Marcos in its full glory. Supposedly built in 1672, at that time with a moat of water around it.
In this one you can see how it sits right on the ocean, making it quite a test to construct.
From the ground it was still very impressive.
Even the children just stood in silence for a while and contemplated how the people here were able to build this 350 years ago.
Naturally the public propaganda around the site alludes consistently to the military uses for this star formation.
But it makes no mention of the other story in which the star formation was discovered by baffled westerners in the 15th century who did not understand what it was and adopted it for military purposes. IMG_1219.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EptabLNBxnvHa7WuQM43yardtyes72e1NkcR9KYjpzux8tZBZHJYhsVWsZ5UkQzTjzY.jpeg)
Be under no illusion my friends, these beautiful star forts are on every continent, all of them built with the same principles in mind, ranging from tiny to enormous.
The city of Geneva seen here in its heyday.
image.png (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/23wMoVBXjy5D8q5sWRQ28kWP89Gjx5d8EvnuKgarYh95XhYPkaH7UyWskgTDnAeQgz1b6.png)
The majority of European cities were originally built on massive star formations, only fractions of which still exist today. Our local city Perpignan looked incredible in 1703 as you can see. image.png (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/48Kcbtij4ZxskPGDLDWqKrX4GVYuzMc8KkNG55AFBRimHATXvNobdDUv8Vdo29Hoxi.png)
See how the citadel of Perpignan is so similar to Florida's star fort in its design. It even has the same moat of water around it but unlike the Castillo de San Marcos, the citadel of Perpignan has six points rather than four. plan-de-la-citadelle-de-perpignan-1642-50072f.jpg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/23wMmVTb65xwoKBnGh4WjbMFaHGpxV3uUiFxAXSLJEL9DTLnC5yShN5Sgtv1gLRYVkrJb.jpg)
There is in fact very little logic from a military perspective to build defensive enclosures with such an elegant design which always looks majestic from the air, so to imagine that all countries of the world had the same idea to defend themselves using this design is just too much for me. IMG_1221.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EpA2wsT44yuqZnLXDC39Mt31R5vdfreAdKf7nz9sx43RAnJEdfdjksXZRByNsmn4P2Y.jpeg)
Rather these structures were created by an older civilisation who were working together on a worldwide scale to build them, understanding much better than us the importance of physical form in relation to the benefit of all living things. IMG_1223.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EptaVBoFn9nKXKprGADTJjDa88PqNkuoxY6SKoQjC5s572o4RaCqgACqe3RabUEeRQb.jpeg)
True to the nature of all star forts this one is built from local rock, in this case a limestone composed of millions of tiny ancient shells known as coquina. IMG_1224.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EpNoTaSvYQs9SijFhSw2oCoeA5ovcCyxMnb5nzhbRWbCZKts8nQ3FgwoBSHqqUvZApV.jpeg)
Everything around us appeared to be built from it. IMG_1222.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EokdAzRGuDQnAGfwcTeLscNSLqg7z4ioPpzssGcSRk4HNB12vFVvyxzypdHreLW9iWp.jpeg)
And the evidence of cannon balls pounding into the walls years ago was plain to see.
IMG_1226.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EoiWgadQJPUz91UkmRno5oDZQS2TNTUVgsuymQZWs6FUM8DQPj3jcbYrer9YWASUrwV.jpeg)
But this doesn't mean the structures were originally built for military purposes! The military propagandists actually love this story and tell us coquina was used exclusively because it is good at absorbing the shock of cannon balls.
IMG_1227.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/242hHmJmA2ZxdjdMLcFWdusaVuPouS7NtLXNSCQRCu2VpfTV6TMVkQKy6UsF7Fr4Rve1R.jpeg)
While the truth is that all star forts are built with local materials known to stand the test of time. Nothing more complicated than that.
Understanding as i do now that form creates frequency i would argue this beautiful form has aided the growth of all those incredible trees. And likely extended the lives of the inhabitants of St Augustine. IMG_1232.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/Eq5C4WpMptaEyZ9b8cFD2cuS2yja7A7Re5LeaEzSvZQS1qGt8Cbay9SXYxzJYtZHD4u.jpeg)
Esteban & Luna felt as if they had enough once we circumnavigated the fort (this is our third star fort as a family) so we headed off back into town. IMG_1234.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EqFrYwmvLfvSgtbF7QSvb71WhibxgWVifETreivoBUvQZ63sjzq3WXWCQJHpXMvvnzH.jpeg)
Captivated by these incredible trees i couldn't help but continue photographing them. IMG_1253.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/Ep3cPsdqQ2jyr3tCmGuRz64gWSGHd2jaiNNSBMsd5VTWb9me72mWGvu9UGDA4YUhgvc.jpeg)
Overhanging the roads in such a wonderful way. IMG_1249.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/Eoryq8GfBXXjvxBPvq3WyiXrhHzzHgsZqovwuxqCZutqNjbzbihKWQwh8bSs7Gu6TSh.jpeg)
There were old world parks still in existence too, all of them created with intelligent design taking symmetry, mathematics & sacred geometry into consideration. IMG_1250.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EpEGtLYH8VRbofErXJd1bYsyXo6cEoV5Hvyjz1AEUjqNRtmQuwd8v2Rnq1ubfje6175.jpeg)
Here we are at our hotel pool. It was a little bit cold outside and this apparently put the other guests off. Which was fine by us! IMG_1254.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/Ep5mkkXXUCdvSLExKCxSLg6RVW336xcGX24ehDEASqA6WBtn8FHdAemnBF6M4QqYZz5.jpeg)
Sabrina enjoying a sunset beer with me in her hotel robe. IMG_1257.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/23y94Ufn3HLvgRmvsAZRAQn1rdWUEdcjc5NxsZjwhfAyADBFaynpPWqHNdScm7YdHK165.jpeg)
Felt like we were inside our very own castle. IMG_1261.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EpXHUxr8vm1BRudnJveNoE265Ev6bziP6GWe75vvvMbppLJ5mbcu75sJevKdMf1xtax.jpeg)
There was a hot tup at the other end of the courtyard. IMG_1281.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EpEHJpGk2iJPYKt8NZcN3oamy2CsGGSDmngCVKta687v7hPLRQs8RyRzagXvbAmZpQq.jpeg)
Where the children used this plastic tube to create a fountain from the jets in the walls. IMG_1269.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/Ep7u5UFiEf3wYYECsTyEMvRwTAn2xzivNwyaVgUDcmAFZixUDgpqeNtaW4veKfJQxzk.jpeg)
Quite inventive i thought! IMG_1277.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EoptKhLi8AMh6rN4LCRsEKssrstCeo1Ku5E75DB61Qnjos2oJnnYMJo7HifrsrjU9pd.jpeg)
After our swim we ignored the sign which said you have to be over 18 and checked out the hotel gym. IMG_1283.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EoiVHYGQAMnQ2N8Lh11XY2j7WurBXzZHUaZTjxKju4uFimTmkzgqA1WQ6dKmR9oWdD5.jpeg)
While the children were playing I noticed this old photograph on the wall in which the style of clothes tell us it was taken a long time ago, so the star fort should look younger right? Yet it doesn't look any different to how it does today.
IMG_1287.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EpGScyjMH8hLH7GumPijzeEYbxZpc9Uh7e3VakqY1pJcttB2TQQUdtAAw1h5qTyjJx8.jpeg)
This is because it has been here much longer than we are told and rather like the Great pyramid of Egypt, was already old when we found it. IMG_1288.jpeg (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EpQxDkactQdt2rndHX9FHtaEUmy9vNn7RQAzAPpLWajWFSvaxeKmdhxgJonwdFPKg4P.jpeg)
The only pictorial evidence i could find of the building work in progress was this image. [Screenshot 2025-03-05 at 12.24.08.png (https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/samstonehill/EprXRRk7idMy3vnAMgXKih9SbVcQPM56SoKALa43z52TfkqAmAz1ru31dAVtNG9Ggz9.png)](https://www.nps.gov/casa/learn/historyculture/who-built-t