One of the things I love about St. Augustine is that it really is a small town.
When the hub and I walk somewhere, we invariably see people we know (a shout out here to Jim and Teresa at Pop N’ Off–if we walk past their shop at 59 Cuna without saying “hi”, Jim runs out and yells “No love for the popcorn guy!!??). When we see people we don’t know, we say “Hello” and they usually respond.
It’s a small town wrapped up in some big stuff to see–like the fort, amazing museums (the Lightner, the Pirate, the Lighthouse), beautiful buildings, one of the prettiest colleges ever built, the oldest street in the country, and on and on and on. (I deliberately didn’t mention the beautiful bed and breakfast over on the bay!!)
In addition to all the big-time stuff listed above, there’s now a new attraction in our little small town.
Pablo Picasso is coming to St. Augustine. Well, not him of course (he died in 1973), but his work. A brand new display at the Visitors Center (10 S. Castillo Drive, right next to the large parking garage) highlights 11 of his lithographs, a sequence of pieces that showcase his fascination with bulls and bullfighting. The display area is actually set up in a ring-shape, and shows how his process evolved, as his drawings became less literal and more evocative. In all, 39 works will be highlighted in the show.
If you’re coming to town in the next few months, you owe it to yourself to check it out. Smile and say hello to the people that you pass as you’re walking there!
The Picasso show starts February 1 and runs through May 11. Tickets for adults are $10, and seniors are $8.