A pirate gathering

   We made it to St. Augustine in time for The Pirate Gathering, a festival of sorts, celebrating the pirate way of life.  It coincided with Halloween, so the streets were abuzz with feather plumes and tight bodices... a lot of women dressed up as well.  I sure did!

   I was able to finagle a costume out of my closet; for Jay's we patroned a nice little thrift store & coughed up a whopping $6.00 for his threads.  After making our purchases, we asked the little old ladies who run the shop if we could borrow their scissors, & got to shredding his new pants.  They got a kick out of watching us transform from  nicely dressed kids, to a couple of wayward buccaneers.

   On St. George Street, there is a little dark bar called the Taberna del Gallo, or the Rooster Tavern.  If you are ever in St. Augustine, FL, GO to the Tavern!! It is hands down the best bar experience I have ever had.  They serve beer, wine, and sangria.  Get the sangria (3 different kinds, a red, a white, and a blush.  All are yummy!).  The joint has no electricity, the bartenders dress in period costumes and have a ridiculous amount of knowledge about St. Augustine.  Then, the coolest thing happened... we got to participate in the Bilge Rats' rehearsal.  The Bilge Rats are a group of awesome men and women who sing sea shanties at the Tavern.  A shanty is a shipboard work song, a lead singer will start the tune and the fellow crooners will call back to the lead.  It Was So Fun!  The Bilge Rats sound great (their lead, Katherine Younger is fantastic!!), and they let us sing along, so they must have a lovely sense of humor. 

   We are headed back to the Tavern tonight, stopping by a pizza place first with 2 for 1 beers and a free slice of pizza for happy hour. Loving St. Augustine!!  And leaving her tomorrow for our next destination, Fort Pierce... but we will definitely return to this amazing city; let the winds return us to the St. Augustine shores (just when it is warmer!).