I just updated my other blog LeftoverQueen.com with a post about our visit to Venice, Italy !!!

Venezia- gondolas-duomo-venetian masks

Highlights of course were Piazza di San Marco, the Gondoliers, and the amazing and thriving shops all over the city dedicated to the celebration of Carnivale – full of elaborate masks and costumes. Venice really is an enchanting and romantic city -made up of tiny canals where most people travel by foot or boat (no cars) full of tiny shops, cobblestone streets and the most amazing architecture.

The next day we headed to Tuscany and specifically to Torraccia di Chiusi right outside of the beautiful and medieval village of San Gimignano. The Torraccia di Chiusi is an amazing place. The accommodations are exceptionally beautiful and the views from the villa are stunning. All you foodies out there should go, just to experience Chef Bruno’s cooking. He is an absolute genius in the kitchen and of course prepares traditional Tuscan cuisine using fresh and seasonal ingredients that they produce right there on their farms. He also enjoys preparing Etruscan and Medieval cuisines if you are so inclined. He was a joy to spend time with each evening at dinner, hearing his food stories and about life in the Tuscan countryside.

San Gimignano- entrance to san gimignano – us with chef bruno – tuscan hills – view from our room

From the Torraccia di Chiusi we made several day trips. Our first was to Firenze, or Florence.

Firenze – duomo – motorini – duomo

It was a pretty cold and gray day when we went, which didn’t make it so enjoyable. Although our good friends Erin and Chris from The Olive Notes spent a year living in Firenze and so they had given us an extensive itinerary of things to do while in Florence – mostly involving food of course, and seeing some of the major sites. We weren’t able to do it all, but I will discuss the highlights in an upcoming post.

The next day we headed to the medieval city of Siena which is famous for the Pallio a horse race that is done in the center of town, that is a scene of not only sportsmanship, but also huge political rivalries. The Pallio really defines Sienese life in so many ways.

Siena – duomo – lions head detail – the campo

When we visited Siena it was a nice a quiet day. The city is very charming and was probably my favorite. It was easy to navigate and the architecture there was so unique. I really enjoyed traveling the ancient streets and stairs.

After five idyllic days in Tuscany we had to head south to Rome, for some family time. Roberto doesn’t make it home very often, and so we had to make sure to go to Rome where his family lives.

Roma – forum – colosseum – pantheon

What can you say about Bella Roma? It is an incredible place. Going from the more medieval towns of Tuscany to a truly ancient place, like Rome was an amazing chance. In Rome you have the ancient alongside the most modern. From the Pantheon, the Colosseum and the Forum to Via del Courso where Prada and Dolce Gabbana live.

Roma – trevi- bronze angel- piazza di spagna

The enormity of the buildings were breathtaking, and photos will never do justice to these ancient and modern buildings, fountains, and structures – everywhere you turn is a work of art, or some kind of major human accomplishment…and the FOOD. The food throughout the areas of Italy we traveled we all amazing, but in Rome, it is just abundant – markets, green grocers, cheese and meat shops. It is unending. Oh and did I mention the gelato and coffee? Those are whole posts to themselves.

Our final four days were spent in Ostia, Rome’s seaport.

Ostia – ostia antiqua – port of rome – il mare

Ostia Antiqua is nearby and again, everywhere you look are ruins. Ostia is reminiscent of Saint Augustine, on a much smaller scale. But it was nice to end our visit with a place that reminded us of home, and where we were surrounded by family.

Following story By Bahe Y. Katenay, Sheep Dog Nation Rocks

Sweet Water Stronghold, Big Mountain. February 9, 2009 – Dineh elder resister of the traditional lands of Sweet Water is bundled up for the chilly winds as she takes some hay out to her sheep and goats. The herds need a little extra feed before going out to graze. The non-Indian, volunteer supporter is dressed warm and ready to follow the sheep as he chops some wood for grandma, Pauline and while the herds nibble on the scattered hay on the ground. Not many non-Indian volunteers do occasionally make themselves available from their busy lives to come out for short stays and help traditional, elder resisters. Very few traditional elder residents are now left throughout such regions affected by the harsh relocation laws of 1974.

When asked, “How is everything out here?” The well-outfitted supporter says, “Just a lot of babies, and that is why I’m carrying this!” He wears a large, hand-sewn canvas bag which he referred to is to be used in case any of the sheep or goats have “babies.” Soon the sheep and goats are done feeding and they head towards the great pristine canyon of Sweet Water, and the supporter suddenly quits all chit-chat, grabs his stick and runs off toward a herd that is disappearing into the juniper forest.

Each non-Indian supporter that make these short stays with traditional elders have unique and deep sense of passion that is more than just positive, but they have the understanding of the suffering from injustice and the presence of environmental destruction. Though these kind of ‘hardcore’ supporters are becoming rarer, they value the human connections to nature or to the eco-systems rather than connections to corporate entities and its policing/policies. They see and appreciate, more than most native Americanas, what still exist out here at Big Mountain especially where an elder like Pauline lives. Supporters like this one at Sweet Water do have ‘profound’ commitments to stay two weeks or more to learn and experience a glimpse of natural survival skills and maybe a very small bit of ancient human ritual ways. Within their profound commitments they know they may encounter at any moment the ‘terror-threats’ of the U.S. sponsored, BIA Indian Police Gestapo.

Grandma Pauline moves about slow as she closes the “hay barn” doors that are made from frames of a single-bed, and the barn’s roof is of tattered plastic tarps and the walls are of leaning juniper logs. She greets with a friendly and joyful hand shake as she adds a little sense of humor to her greeting. Grandma is still strong but age is still giving her a challenge, too. She is like a story teller as she makes numerous comments about things and about the conditions out there. She also knows that she is part of a situation which is the struggle for liberation at Big Mountain—her birth place.

A few supporters are very concerned and that is why this independent monitoring of human rights violation and religious intolerance is being carried out. The Arizona-based, Black Mesa Indigenous Support had received a phone message on behalf of Pauline in January about BIA Police personnel posing threats to demolish a traditional earth lodge. Because of the lack of resources, it took a while for the support network to finally establish contact and get the information. This situation with her re-building this sacred lodge should be a natural process but the regional BIA Hopi Agency saw it as a violation of U.S. Court decisions in the name of the federally-supported Hopi council. Grandma Pauline who still lives according to her ancestors’ ancient, cultural lifestyles completed the earth lodge and which is another, direct-action that is obviously missing in Indian country, true Native Resistance!

Grandma recalls what happened on January 20th as she also refers to a radio announcement, “It was about that time, 10 AM, when the radio said that in the east ‘the hand shall to be raised,’ when my grandson beckoned me outside because there were some visitors. It was those BIA-Hopi Police, again, and one officer got out of the vehicle followed by a female officer. I sat down on the bench against the house and they both sat on either side of us, the man who spoke Dineh sat next to me. As he said, ‘we hear you are out here sitting in the mud and we come to check on you,’ the third officer got out of the vehicle and started to walk over towards the newly rebuild lodge.

“My response to the officer next to me was, ‘I’m sitting in the mud out here? You say that as if you spoke with someone that lives with me and knows about my situation.’ Then we all noticed that the third officer was taking more pictures of the earth lodge like (they) do not have enough pictures of it by now.

“I begin to ask the officer sitting with us, why do you all need more pictures and you all should just stop these picture-taking of my home? The officers both ignored my request but the third officer came over and took a couple pictures of me and my grandchildren. The police said nothing more to us but left to return and drive by my resident again, and they drove slowly like they were still up to something. About a week ago, (they) did not come here but (they) again drove by very slowly like they were making some intense observations. I believe these (BIA) police are going to start doing as they please because the actual Hopi council is in defunct…”

The Call to Action for Support Continues

The protests in the American streets where Starbuck, Bank of American and GE own the concrete-n-steel sidewalks are hopeless! Come to the place of opportunity to show the American Police State that you support the natural humans pay homage to, not control, the Mother Earth. At Big Mountain, you will see and understand what real resistance is and experience being part of defending the profound ancient ways of life that are threaten into extinction. Come out, rough it, have patience, find that humbleness within you, and you will be in the human circle for revolution. Help, Save the Microcosm of the Universe at Big Mountain, the Whitesinger Earth Lodge!

© Sheep Dog Nation Rocks, 2009

>>>>
For more information about how you can help, contact: blackmesais@riseup.net or visit www.blackmesais.org and / or leave a voice message @ 928-773-8086.

“Once social change begins, it cannot be reversed. You cannot uneducated the person who learned to read. You cannot humiliate the person who feels pride. You cannot oppress the people who are not afraid anymore. We have seen the future, and the future is ours!”

–Cesar Chavez, (activist & educator)

Well my birthday was about a month ago and whenever I get to have a “Jenn Day”, meaning I get to pick what we do that day from top to bottom it always involves my two favorite things – good food, and animals. We started the day by having lunch at Mango Mangos which is a delicious place to get quick, flavorful and often healthy choices. Our next destination was the Alligator farm.

We pass the Alligator farm here in Saint Augustine at least twice a week, on the way to the beach or the farmers market and I have always wondered what was behind those tall white walls. I have seen signs advertising the farm all over town as well, and when a few months ago I saw that they had now added a Komodo Dragon to their collection of reptiles, I was sold. I love Komodo Dragons, not in the sense that I want to kiss them,

No, thanks, really.

But I find them to be one of the world’s most fascinating creatures. I wouldn’t want to come across one in the wild, and at the same time I feel bad to see one behind glass, so far away from the Indonesian islands they come from. But I also feel a certain sense of awe to be able to look at one, so close up, close enough to see the texture of its scaly skin.

Well there really was no shortage of scaly creatures at the Alligator Farm. They start you off slow, by having a live show near the entrance. We watched one about exotic birds.

At the end, a rainbow python was brought out, and we could go up and touch it. So of course, it being my birthday and all, I didn’t want to miss anything (doesn’t my mom look thrilled in the background?).

Then you move on to turtles – big, snarky, crabby turtles, but hey, they get angry in slow motion too, so nothing to worry about there.

There are also lots of different varieties of birds at the farm too, and of course, what the place in named after – Alligators. Now when I say there are a TON of alligators there, I mean there really are a TON.

And when you take into account how short the guard rails are along the bridge that spans hundreds of feet water teaming with gators, it is a little un-nerving. I mean, that isn’t even really waist high….

Just because you are at an attraction, doesn’t mean you are safe – and don’t listen to the gators, they lie. Also beware if you just had an argument with your significant other and all of a sudden they want to talk it over at the Alligator Farm, you know to do it in a “public place”… just one push, and well…you know the rest.

Perhaps my favorite part about the Alligator Farm (like most other attraction I have been to) is the section for children. Maybe it is the kid in me, but I love it! So what if I am into my 30’s, I still feel like a little girl sometimes, and animals certainly bring that out in me even more!

Like here, we are enjoying our new turtle friend – taking rides and feeling like kids again! It is good to be a goofy adult.

And if you want to get up close and personal with an alligator that can’t hurt you, there is one that you can check out. He’s pretty friendly…

Just don’t make him mad!

I thought that it would be fun to write a different sort of post today about a fun place to go with your best four legged friend in Saint Augustine – a dog park. Roberto and I got a puppy back in September, Pepino and in November we started taking him to Puppy School. Well this past weekend, his trainers at Good Dog decided to host a “Santa Paws Party” for all the Good Dogs at the gazebo at Joe Pomar Park, a large recreational facility in Saint Augustine, FL.

Near the gazebo there is a large fenced in area just for dogs. The dog runs are double gated, and there are two sections, one for small dogs and one for larger dogs (yeah that is a husky there with Pep, but that is his friend Jax, and Jax only came in after his mom asked everyone if it was okay). It really is a great place to take your dog. Pepino loved meeting some new friends and running like crazy. He has some hound in him (either Italian Greyhound or Whippet) and so he loves fast running. Even when we go to the beach, he has to be on his leash, and we don’t have a fenced in yard, so it is difficult finding opportunities to let him go as fast as he can.

He also really enjoyed playing with the other dogs and making them chase him (although they never quite caught up!!!). As every dog owner knows, a tired dog is a happy dog!

Joe Pomar Park is located off Master Drive, just south of the intersection with State Road 16. The park is open daily.

**In the future I may post about other dog friendly places to take your dog in Saint Augustine. Saint Augustine is a very dog friendly town. Dogs are permitted (on leash) at the beaches, and at many eating establishments that have outdoor seating. There is even a treat shop downtown, that is a great pit stop for your furry friend when visiting our beautiful town.**

One thing about living in Florida after living for many years in New England previously is that after a while you begin to miss the woods. You miss the maples, oaks, poplars and birches.

You miss the little streams, rivers and waterfalls.

You miss the earthy and robust smell of the Northern forests. Forests in Florida are full of reptiles, snakes, bugs, arachnids and swamps. Not really somewhere I want to be for pleasure. So Roberto and I decided that we needed to reconnect with one of our favorite parts of New England – the forest.

At this time of year the leaves are at their peak of fall foliage color – bright reds, burnt oranges and sunny yellows, the air is cool and brisk and it is perfect hiking weather.

We spent a few days up in Northern, VT and that is where we chose to take a beautiful hike on our own, just to reconnect with each other and the earth. We had spent the night in Middlebury, VT, (where we want to have our second home when we are rich a famous!) and took our hike on the Abbey Pond Trail in the heart of the Green Mountains.

The trail was described as being for “beginners”, but as we soon found out it was all up hill. The hike is four miles from the trailhead to Abbey Pond and it took us about 3 hours roundtrip. Although we did make a few stops to take pictures and just sit and enjoy the view. In less than a mile you make it to a beautiful wooden bridge that spans the first junction. As you continue on, you have to cross the small river at one point to stay on the trail. There are gorgeous views of the mountains as well as huge boulders that crop up all along the trail. The canopy of trees keeps things cool and we did not run into a single other soul while we were out there that day (it was a Monday).

It was just gorgeous! I recommend it to anyone visiting the Middlebury area, something I also highly recommend – more on that later, likely on my Leftover Queen blog .

We were exhausted by the end of it, being out of shape when it comes to hiking but feeling really invigorated!

On a personal note, I will be traveling to New England through the end of October, and will not be updating the site while away! But look forward to more articles in November!

Madeira – Tropical, Mountainous and Lovely

Article and Photos BY: KARI HOEL

The trip to Madeira was decided during a conversation between my husband and I sometime in June, when the holiday was coming closer. “Kari, I have been thinking: What if the weather in Norway this summer turns out as terrible as it was last summer? It would be nice to go away somewhere warm and nice for a week or so – what about Madeira?” I smiled, turned on the computer, checked out some facts about Madeira (all very promising), booked tickets and said: “Yes, that is a wonderful idea, we are leaving 6 am. on July 7th. !“

Madeira is an island in the Atlantic ocean (600 kms off the west of Morocco) and an autonomous region of Portugal. The climate is comfortable all year around, and there is plenty of sunshine. The scenery is very diverse: It is rocky, but there are also hills, colorful flowers and sub-tropical forests. Madeira does not really have nice beaches, but Porto Santo – an island northwest of Madeira – apparently has a wonderful 9 km long beach. There are several seawater pools along the coastline of Madeira, so it is not hard to find places to swim and sunbathe. The Rough Guide Directions Madeira and Porto Santo contains lots of information about Madeira, and we used it a lot during our holiday.

We stayed in Funchal, the capital, and most hotels in Funchal are situated in the western part of the city, the “hotel zone”. Our hotel, Terrace Mar, had big rooms, a great pool area on the roof, and it was very clean. However, the street had a lot of traffic, so it was quite noisy. Fortunately, the room had air conditioning, so we were able to shut the noise out while still maintaining a comfortable temperature indoors.

Uphill and downhill things to do

We rented a car to get easy access to the mountains and get around at our own pace. Some of the roads are very, very steep. I live in Norway, a country with ice and snow several months a year, but I still have no problems driving up hills. In Madeira, the rental car stopped several times because the (stupid little) engine could not handle the hills. Fortunately, all it needed was more speed, and it got us up every time.

Pico Ruivo is the highest mountain, at 1862 m. It is possible to get to it the easy way or the hard way. We chose the hard way, going from Pico do Areiro (1811 m), where we parked the car. One might think that the altitude difference of only 51 meters made this an easy walk. It was not. Imagine walking up and down the stairs of skyscrapers, and you get an idea of how the walk was: The path between the mountains consisted of a large part of stair steps. It was a hard walk, but it was also spectacular. The scenery was diverse, and the view from Pico Ruivo was incredible. The view of the island from above the clouds was definitely worth the effort.

Hiking (or driving) is not the only way to experience heights in Madeira. From Funchal, we caught a cable car to Monte, a hilltop town overlooking Funchal. Monte has s a great botanical garden with a museum (Jardins Tropicais do Monte Palace). Walking around here is a peaceful way to spend a couple of hours.

And a quick way to get out of the peaceful mode is to catch the toboggan run down from Monte. You sit in a basket car while two “drivers” jump on and off the back of the toboggan in order to control speed (the “brakes” are the rubber soles of their shoes). It looks scarier than it is… The ride takes about ten minutes, and is well worth doing if you are in Madeira. I am pretty sure that you cannot experience this anywhere else!

A flat walk into a lush forest was a nice change to the experiences mentioned above. There are several levadas (mini-channels) on Madeira, and we walked along the Ribeira da Janela, north-west on the island. The Ribeira da Janela is a river in the valley below, and the trip offers great views of the valley and the forest, apparently UNESCO-protected.

Food and Madeira

The selection of bars and restaurants in Funchal is huge, which is not so strange, provided that this is a popular place for tourists. We were able to find some great places to eat and drink, and the Rough Guide did not let us down this time either. Unfortunately, none of the places we visited have websites.

Golden Gate (Avenida Arriaga 27-29) is a restaurant/bar in the centre of Funchal, open from early morning until late at night. The restaurant is spacious, with a high ceiling, a wonderful balcony on the first floor, and attentive staff. For lunch on the day we arrived, my husband had a salmon and pasta dish and I had a caesar salad. The food was good, but not fantastic. However, the atmosphere of the place made us return a couple of days later for dinner. My husband had a steak and I had chicken cordon bleu. This time, the food was a bit better, but it was still the atmosphere that made it a great experience.

The Quashbah Oriental Caffe is in the “hotel zone” west of Funchal. It is situated on the promenade close to a big saltwater pool (Lido), and it serves Middle-Eastern inspired cuisine, but it is also the kind of place where you can have a coffee or a drink. The food is good and reasonable, and the vegetables that came with my dish were wonderful!

Doca do Cavacas is my most memorable dining experience from Madeira. The lovely building with a big terrace is right over the sea, and the view is spectacular. This restaurant is about 5 km from Funchal, but well worth the trip. We both had scabbard fish with vegetables, and it was delicious. On top of that, the soothing sound of waves and the fresh air made this evening even more wonderful.

Bernini is a small (wannabe) Italian restaurant close to a big casino complex. It was supposedly Italian, but the pizza was American-style pan pizza with lots of cheese, not the thin crust that Italian pizzas are known for. It also had some local twists on the menu (pizzas with banana, for instance). I had a vegetarian pizza, and it was really good… in fact, we went back to this place because good American pizzas are hard to find in Norway, and I like American-style pan pizza just as much as Italian pizza (even though that is a very “untrendy” preference for young and semi-young Europeans these days).

When in Madeira, it is almost compulsory to drink Madeira Some of the restaurants served it before the meal, other restaurants served it after the meal. We also went to a place that produces and sells Madeira, Pereira d’Oliveira located on Rua dos Ferreiros in Funchal. Fortunately we had read about this place in a newspaper just before we went to Madeira, and this was a good place to taste and buy Madeira – it was not a tourist trap that sold overpriced stuff. We tried several types before we went for a Madeira from 1984 that was the second sweetest category (the types are dry, medium dry, medium sweet and sweet). The price was about EUR 35, which was not bad.

For people who seek beach life or a wild nightlife, Madeira is not a good holiday destination. Anyone besides that will probably have a wonderful time on Madeira. We certainly did!

***************************************

On a personal note, I will be travelng to New England through the end of October, and will not be updating the site while away! But look forward to more articles in November!

Hug a sheep Today!

Here is an opportunity to travel to Black Mesa/ Big Mountain and do the type of work I did back in 1998 – something that made a lasting impression on my life, as it allowed me to do something for others and to work for a cause I believe in with all my heart. A way to help preserve indigenous sovereignty in this country and to help protect our natural resources!
*******************************************************************************

Greetings from Black Mesa Indigenous Support,

We are excited to inform you that we are currently putting together efforts to bring a caravan of work crews that will be converging from across the country to support residents of the Big Mountain regions of Black Mesa who, on behalf of their peoples, their sacred ancestral lands, and future generations, continue to carry out their staunch resistance to the efforts of the US Government, which is acting in the interests of the Peabody Coal Company to devastate whole communities & ecosystems, and greatly de-stabilize our planet’s climate for the profit of an elite few.

At this moment the decision makers in Washington D.C. are planning ways to expand their occupation of tribal lands to extract mineral & other resources. The coal companies have a long history of and continue to fund both the Republican and Democratic parties because they have huge interests at stake. Peabody Coal, the world’s largest coal company, is currently pushing through plans to massively expand dirty coal strip-mining operations which has destroyed land and water aquifers, completely dug up burials, sacred areas, and shrines designated specifically for offerings, preventing religious practices.

By assisting with direct, on-land projects with these Sovereign communities, you are helping families resist an illegal occupation and to stay on their lands, who serve as the very blockade to coal mining! “The Big Mountain matriarchal leaders always believed that resisting forced relocation will eventually benefit all ecological systems, including the human race.” Bahe Keediniihii, Dineh organizer and translator states. “Continued residency by families throughout the Big Mountain region has a significant role in the intervention of Peabody’s future plan for Black Mesa coal to be the major source of unsustainable energy, the growing dependency on fossil fuel, and escalating green house gas emissions. We will continue to fight to defend our homelands.”

With the guidance of Black Mesa residents, the aim of this caravan is to bring support to their communities before the approaching cold winter months. We expect volunteer work parties to help with firewood chopping & hauling, do minor repair work, provide holistic health care, and a few days of herding sheep. Volunteer work crews are expected to be adequately prepared and self-sufficient prior to your visit on Black Mesa, which is a very remote area in a high desert terrain! (Be prepared for extreme weather, it will be cold!) Each participant will need outdoor camping equipment, food, water, and have appropriate attire for hands-on manual work. Please visit the BMIS website for an in-depth guide on how to prepare for your stay and what supplies are needed for work projects.

Host or attend regional organizational meetings in your area! The Caravans’ coordinators are located in Prescott, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Tuba City, Colorado, Portland, Ohio, New York, and San Francisco’s Bay Area. The meeting locations and dates are being posted at the BMIS website as coordinators set them up. This caravan will be in addition to the annual Clan Dyken Fall Food & Supply Run. We strongly urge participants to attend regional meetings & to pre-register to help us estimate how many people to expect as well as to help us make necessary accommodations. You can download a registration form off of our website.

Ways you can help in the weeks leading up to the caravan:

- share information about the caravan & request materials from us and help spread the word in your area.

- arrange/organize outreach events and/or fundraisers for gathering supplies in your town or city with BMIS supporting you.

Ways you can help during the caravan:

- A number of volunteers are needed to help with shifts to be covered for the opening & closing circles with a variety of different responsibilities such as pre-setup, kitchen shifts, fire-wood duty at main camp, and cleanup.

Please contact BMIS at blackmesais@riseup.net

We are at a critical juncture and must take a stand in support of communities on the front lines of resistance now! Indigenous & land-based peoples have maintained the understanding that our collective survival is deeply dependent on our relationship to Mother Earth. Victory in protecting and reclaiming the Earth will require a broad movement that can help bridge cultures, issues, & nations.

BMIS wishes for this caravan to be an important opportunity for people of all backgrounds to listen & work with the families of Black Mesa to generate more awareness that relocation laws & coal mining need to stop, that these communities deserve to be free on their ancestral homelands, & to come together to strengthen our solidarity and find ways to work together to protect Black Mesa & our Mother Earth for all life.

We can’t wait to see you in November!

Give Back To Mother Earth! Give Back To Future Generations!

In Solidarity,

Black Mesa Indigenous Support

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact us:

P.O. Box 23501, Flagstaff, Arizona 86002

Message Voice Mail: 928.773.8086

Email: blackmesais@riseup.net

Web: www.blackmesais.org

Black Mesa Indigenous Support (BMIS) is a grassroots, all-volunteer organization dedicated to working with and supporting the indigenous peoples of Black Mesa in their Struggle for Life and Land who are targeted by & resisting unjust large-scale coal mining operations and forced relocation policies of the US government.

Today I am going to share with you some of my favorite places in Saint Augustine to dine, eat and drink and also enjoy treats! Some of these establishments in Saint Augustine, may be a little off the beaten path, but are always great places (in my opinion) to get some good food and well worth the little effort it takes to walk there. For several of these places, I have already written a full review. So please check those out! Hopefully in the future I will be able to do actual reviews of each place, but in the meantime, here is the list. If you are looking for a best of category that you have not seen here, please feel free to ask and I will give you my opinion.

Best Breakfast: Athena’s
Need to get your day started with a nice honest breakfast? Then you want to check out Athena’s right off the square downtown. They have very large portions, great omelets, and nice big fluffy pancakes, all for a reasonable price. Great service too.
14 Cathedral Pl, Saint Augustine, FL 32084-4417
(904) 823-9076

Best Unique Breakfast: Casa Maya
If you want a nice, organic breakfast, you have got to checkout Cafe Maya. I had the Poblano Eggs and they were delicious – sunny side up eggs cooked to perfection and covered in Mole Poblano. My husband had a Cuban sandwich (which he loves) and says this was one of the best. They have great organic, free trade coffee and delicious smoothies! Inexpensive and great great quality!
See my dinner review
17 Hypolita St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 823-1739

Best Lunch: Gaufres and Good
This place is run by a wonderful Polish couple who used to live in Greece as well. We went here for lunch one day and the food was incredible – freshly made, and out of this world good. We got home made pirogies (they have 3 different fillings) that you can get cooked in several different ways. We also got a huge and perfect Greek salad. I also got a Greek frappe (a type of Greek Iced Coffee drink) that is one of the best I have ever had! So going back for their awesome looking European waffles!
9 Aviles Street, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 829-5770

Best Diner: Georgies Diner
Looks just like an old time diner, but run by the same people as Athena’s – and so they have delicious Greek food there – gyros, souvlaki, Greek Salads and really good French fries! The people that work here are super nice and the food comes out hot and delicious! They also serve beer and wine.
100 Malaga St St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 819-9006

Best Gelato: Cafe de Hidalgo
They make all their gelato in house and have all the authentic Italian flavors as well as some more cosmopolitan and American flavors, but the quality is always great! Their flavors rotate, but some of our favorites have been coconut, banana, pistachio, fig, hazelnut and marscapone. Make sure to stand in line to pay first (they give you a ticket for the gelato counter)
See my full review
35 Hypolita Street
St. Augustine, FL
904-823-1196/1198

Best Sandwiches: JP Henley’s
Our friends told us about this one! Go to the back room! It is less noisy there! This place is known for its beer (over 80 international and domestic beers ON TAP – as well as many many more bottled). But you know what? Their sandwiches are awesome and cheap. So be sure to bring your appetite too! Plus you can get 3 different sizes of most of their beers, so you can taste a lot or you can get a big one if you already know your favorite.
10 Marine St, St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 829-3337

Best English Pub: Prince of Wales
This is a true English Pub – run by an Englishman and his wife! They have the best fish and chips there! It is cute and quaint and they even have some limited outdoor seating if you don’t want to sit inside. They also have lots of great traditional British and Scottish desserts. Yum!
See my full review
54 Cuna St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 810-5725

Best Pizza: Kosmic Bluz
We know a thing or two about pizza in this household and are picky about it – one of us being from Rome and the other generally not liking pizza. But this place is awesome! The crust is thin and the toppings fresh, and you can chose white or whole wheat crust! They also have some interesting microbrews on tap and a cute outdoor dining area.
48 Spanish St, Saint Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 825-4805

Best Place for Upscale Drinks: Tini Martini
This place has the best view of the water! You can sit on their nice porch (all light up with tiki torches at night) or inside the bar. It is attached to The Casablanca Inn, a B&B, so if you go during happy hour, they have cheese and crackers and olives. Be sure to get some, as the drinks are pricey (but really good and unique!) and having the snacks kind of makes up for it! They also have live music on the weekends.
24 Avenida Menendez Saint Augustine, FL 32084
1-800-826-2626

Best Coffee: Crucial Coffee
I love this place! It is an adorable little coffee shack on the corner of Cuna and Charlotte. You can go inside to order, or order from the window. Unique coffee drinks that are addictive and delicious. Nice garden area to sit in as well, or you can take it on the go.
See my full review
26 Charlotte St
St Augustine, FL 32084
(904) 810-2080

Best Unique Date Idea: Claude’s Chocolate
My husband and I were just walking around downtown one day and came across Claude’s. We saw that they did a chocolate tasting – you get a choice of 4 different chocolates and either wine or champagne to drink. I can’t remember the price, but it was very inexpensive to have a nice glass of wine and enjoy handmade chocolates made with Belgian chocolate. Be sure to try the coconut and the Spicy Mayan! Also delicious is the chocolate covered caramel with French sea salt.
15 Hypolita St , Saint Augustine, FL
904-829-5790

Sometimes when you live in such a beautiful and historic town, such as Saint Augustine, you need to be a tourist in your own town to really understand what the place is all about. Especially when some of the most historic homes in the city are literally steps from your front door. So one Saturday, instead of going to the beach, we decided to be just like the majority of people in this town, which at this time of year are tourists, and see the sights.

Our first stop was the Old St. Augustine Village, after we had tried going to The Oldest House, and the workers there were closing for lunch (closing for lunch, on a Saturday, during one of the biggest tourist seasons???). Anyway, Roberto and I are both history geeks. We like being in the places where so many other people have been throughout the years. Historic places, especially homes, have a certain energy and vibe to them – they are a very real and living part of history and we are privileged to be able to walk the same stairs and floors as people did so long ago.

Old Saint Augustine Village is a collection of nine historic homes that date from 1790 to 1910. There are also housed archaeological records from a 16th century hospital and cemetery, an 18th century Spanish defense line. Its grounds are also filled with some of the most beautiful courtyards and gardens in the city.

One of our favorite houses on the property was the Carpenter’s House which is tilted. The tilt does not come from poor construction, but from the house literally being detached from its foundation, likely during a hurricane and flood that struck the city in 1944. You cannot enter the building itself, but you can have a look inside through the open doorway.

Another favorite was the Prince Murat House named for its most famous occupant – Prince Achille Murat, a nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte and the crown prince of Naples, Italy. He lived here, in Saint Augustine in 1824 for several months.

I don’t know if he actually slept in this bed…but man is it small!
Later when he moved to Tallahassee he married Catherine Gray, the grand niece of George Washington and through her marriage to the prince became the first American born princess. The house is furnished with Napoleonic antiques and artifacts.

Another house, the Canova House, the third oldest structure on the property was built in 1840 to protect the builder’s family from the on-going Seminole wars. It is furnished with pre-civil war items. One of the newer houses on the property ( Rose House or Spear House, I believe) has an upstairs that is not being used as studios for local artists. You can go upstairs and enjoy their paintings as well as speak to the artists. It is quite interesting and informative.

Old Saint Augustine Village is a bit off the beaten path by foot, however it is a stop on the city’s trolley bus tours. So be sure to check it out. It is one way to really enjoy some of the oldest pieces of history in Saint Augustine.