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Melding words with art as travel writer Norm Goldman
and his by Norm Goldman Artwork by Lily Azerad-Goldman There is nothing more romantic then staying in a B&B that can boast of dating back to the city's second Spanish Colonial period and being one the prides of St. Augustine, Florida. Located in the heart of the historic district of a city known as the first permanent settlement in the USA, the charming and elegant Casa de Solana is probably one of the most fascinating inns we have come across in our world travels. And "wow," I utter, it is one of those inns you walk past and say, this must be historic; I would like to stop in and take a look around. In fact, while we were sitting in the inn's courtyard, there were several passer- bys who did peek in and one exclaimed: "this is a wonderful historic home fingerprints of Spanish settlers are all over with the architecture, verandahs and narrow streets." An added feature is that the inn is only minutes away from the The Oldest House (The Gonzalez-Alvarez) in the USA, (note- inn's guests receive a 50% discount on admission), as well as various other historical attractions. History is all around you, and its innkeeper, Joe Finnigan, indicated to us that its roots could be traced back to its original owner, Don Manuel Lorenzo Solana, who owned the land and the house during the mid 1700s. Adding another romantic dimension to the inn's eclectic historical personality is that many of St. Augustine's natives can trace their lineage back to Don Manuel and other members of his family. Don Manuel was one of only eight men of the Spanish Army who were permitted to continue residing in St. Augustine when Spain traded Florida to Great Britain for Havana in 1763. It would be an understatement to say that the English were not very fond of the Spanish, and for the most part, forced them out of Florida. Don Manuel met an English woman by the name of Mary Mitchell, whom he married, and the couple had a daughter and one or two sons. Eventually, the couple separated and Don Manuel remarried Mary Mestre (Masters) who was born in the small Spanish Island of Minorca. From this marriage, eleven children were born. Making the inn a treasure is the various sections of the building that can be traced back to its original construction such as, the pegged beams, colonial widow panes, double-cross doors and handmade bricks. However, once inside the inn's ten unique rooms, guests enjoy modern conveniences as televisions, modem hook-ups, and writing desks, while at the same time experience the atmosphere when the original house was built. For creating that special romantic ambiance, many of the rooms even have fireplaces and whirlpool tubs.  We
were fortunate to stay in the Segui Room located on the second floor
with its private balcony overlooking the cobble-stone Charlotte
Street and the St. Augustine waterfront.Sitting on the balcony reminded me of some the inns we visited in Spain with its antique furniture and stained glass window. At times, I felt as if one of the Solana family was about to knock on our door and greet us. Continued with details on destination weddings, dining, contact information |
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