Saint Malo
But First the Secret Saint Malo
At the far southern end of Oceanside, California there is a beach and a gated community called Saint Malo. Twenty-eight oceanfront acres were developed by an architect from Pasadena in the 1920s. Most of the people who live here have handed down the property from generation to generation. They are old-money Los Angelenos and a few movie stars.
Zodiac Killer
It is called Saint Malo because the architect built the houses to look like houses that one could find in the original Saint Malo in Brittany. One reason why so few know about this place may be because at high tide the waves crash onto rocks lined up along the beach. You cannot walk on the beach at high tide, only low tide. The infamous, American Zodiac Killer also claimed his first victim in Saint Malo.
The Original Saint Malo
There is a big, beautiful modern town built around the old city, however, we only had time to see the Medieval “Intra-Muros” or “within the walls.”
The first thing that stands out is the L’etoile du Roy (King’s Star) made in the United Kingdom.
It is an exquisite example of a Corsair (a polite word for pirate) ship and warship that prowled the seas from the 16th to 19th century, Those were heady times.
The Pirate Queen
France, England, and Spain were the main players. Privateers, a cross between a pirate and a legitimate business were given permission by their governments to attack and loot a foreign ship if they suspected it might be carrying gold and silver, for example, brought over from the Americas. Elizabeth I of England was the first monarch to let slip her sea dogs on the unsuspecting but extremely wealthy Spaniards. Spain called her The Pirate Queen. She had no choice really. However, the purpose of this post is not to discuss 16th-century Elizabethan politics.
Candy Store in Saint Malo
Leave it to the French to put a scantily clad (almost unclad) female pirate in a candy store. You wouldn’t see that on Amelia Island which is also famous for its pirate heritage.
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