Russians in St. Augustine

Adagio docked in St. Augustine yesterday (3/17) for a trolley tour of the oldest continuously inhabited settlement in the US, notwithstanding local Indian tribes, of course. Although the city was founded by the Spanish in 1565, its claim as the first settlement in the New World is not entirely true. French Huguenots actually founded La Caroline and built Ft. Caroline near Jacksonville in 1564, but the settlement was destroyed within the year by the Spanish. The Spanish fort, Castillo de San Marcos, sits imposingly on the Matanzas River in downtown St. Augustine, and the city was filled with tourists and revelers celebrating St. Patrick's Day during our visit.

Pausing for libations at a local rooftop restaurant overlooking the fort, we met a group of ladies celebrating the signing of one of their sons as a linebacker with the Pittsburgh Steelers. When they heard about our Loop, the proud football mama bought our drinks, and her friend on the far left below, whose father was a pastor in Illinois, offered a blessing for our journey. Grace abounds.

Back at the marina, just a few dozen yards away from Adagio, sat a large yacht that we later learned belongs to Igor Makarov, a Russian billionaire with close ties to President Putin. Registered in the Cayman Islands, the 128-foot Areti I has been docked in St. Augustine for several years, and, we hope, has now been seized by the US government. Dock access to the Areti was prohibited, but we were able to get a few photos. The boat was a grim reminder of the heartbreaking war in Ukraine, which we pray will be over soon. For more information on the Areti I and other Russian yachts facing similar fates around the world, see Forbes Magazine's article on March 1, 2022. (Sorry, I'm unable to attach the link).