Day 28 LA

Day 28 LA

Woke at 6, on my computer until Troy woke. School day today. Susan was already working online in the kitchen. Breakfast then I wrote some emails for a while. Then I prepared a slow cooked casserole for dinner. Teagan was working on her Minecraft building.

Before lunch Teagan. Churro and I walked to Walmart and then to Ralph’s. I was trying to replace my card reader which had died early in the holiday, but they only had really bulky ones. At Ralph’s I got some of the nice GF bread and some bananas for the family.

Baby formula behind locked doors.

Oscar left for work while we were gone.

We walked back home and met Susan who was out for a run. My foot was quite swollen by the time we returned so I sat with it up and put a cold pack while I listened to an interesting discussion on the radio about the push to make the Confederate side of the Civil War more acceptable by certain right wing elements.

Interesting because that’s what I felt was happening when I was down there.

Lunch then I unpicked a block I wasn’t happy with before resewing it. Troy returned from school and he and Teagan played online for a while. Susan was still working. I gave her the usb with her photos that I had made for her birthday. She spent some time looking at them then saving them to the cloud. I had been a bit concerned that there may be a glitch with the transfer, but it went very well and was well worth the effort it took to scan them all.

After dinner Susan drove down town to meet Oscar to attend a band concert. Teagan and I watched “Forensic Files” for a while until her bedtime. I thought that she too could become a world expert on identifying grass! We enjoyed that joke. Troy was already upstairs.

My brother Kevin sent me an email with the ad for Australia’s Ag Day. Great video so I put it on line. I went to bed about 10 but I’m sure I was snoozing before then.

Day 27 LA

Day 27 LA

Woke at 6 and my brain was clear for the first time in a few days. My foot was still sore. I worked on my computer until Troy woke at 7 and then it was downstairs, breakfast, computer, feed and walk the dog. Troy was online with his friends.  Oscar woke then Teagan and finally Susan.

In the meantime I sat outside and sewed for most of the day. Troy and Teagan were on their devices. Then Troy was helping her play an online game. Oscar went off to work. I finished all the basting of the shapes and then finally began to sew up the shapes into star formation.

We headed for Pasadena in the late afternoon. After parking, we found Santa at the top of the escalator and had our photos taken. He was great. No queues when we were there, Then we wandered through the Pasadena Antique Mall- what a treasure trove of all kinds of things. From here we went up the escalator to “Tokyo Wako” for some sushi.

Susan had her parking ticket validated and we set off for the Descanso Gardens “Enchanted Garden of Light”. A truly amazing experience. More than just a light and sound show. They had set out the garden in ten different themed garden areas. My personal favourites were the “Flower Power”, Starlight Garden” and “Garden of Good Fortune”. You definitely needed to rug up as t was cold in the gardens. I was wishing I had bought my hat and gloves.  I was wearing a long sleeve T-shirt, down vest and polar fleece jumper and was still cold. Luckily we had the first time slot and there was only a few people in front of us. We went through all the sections and then back to the car for the drive home.

When we got here it was time for a cuppa and some TV while I typed up today’s diary.

Day 26 LA

Day 26 LA

Woke early but went back to sleep. I got up when Troy did at 7, had breakfast and rested, catching up with emails, my blog and news. We all had a relaxing morning. The kids went to the movies with Jay at 10:20.

Susan and I went for a long walk around the block via the shops. We went in and out of shops. Often checking out the long line at the checkout before deciding to put back the items we thought we might buy. We stopped for a quick lunch at Mc Donald’s, before continuing to walk and “shop”. Although we came home with a few things, we left more behind.

When we returned we picked up Teagan and took her to Jo-Ann’s and Barnes and Nobles to spend some of her gift cards. The trees neat Jo- Ann’s were in full autumn colour. Very pretty. Troy was still playing with his friends online when we returned. A little rest before it was time to make dinner. I used last night’s mince meal as a basis and added even more vegetables.

After dinner we watched tv until it was bedtime and that was the end of a restful day. Susan is recovering from being overseas and the long flight home and I am just recovering. My foot is still problematic when walking down stairs or if I put too much weight on it.

Day 25 A quiet day in LA

Day 25   A restful day in LA

I woke briefly at 4 the again just before 6 when I heard Oscar return. Yesterday this would have been 9! My foot was sore, so I took some tablets. Made a cuppa and went back to bed with the intention of catching up. That didn’t happen. I made sure Troy was up for school. Teagan had the day off. Oscar was asleep on the couch.

After breakfast I started the laundry, went through the cupboards to see what we could have for dinner and decided on pasta sauce with lots of vegetables. Amazingly I found empty packets and boxes in the pantry? (Susan had been gone for a week.) 

When I opened my emails I found one from Maureen to tell me about my success at this year’s Lilydale Show. So I wrote to Deb, my quilter, telling her the good news and then a short speech for Maureen to read on Sunday at the presentation. Apparently I got “Best of” in two categories which was really surprising. And I will miss it!

Oscar drove Teagan, I and Churro to the shops. Teagan and Churro waited outside while I got a few items. It took longer than expected, because of a long wait at the deli section. I put items into my back pack and fold up shopping bag and then we all walked home. Churro had lots of fun sniffing everything.

We arrived home just as Oscar was leaving. He had some jobs to do before work. But I found that he had rewashed the clothes that I had just taken out of the dryer before we left. Extra clean? Shopping away. I folded the laundry, sorted my bag for this part of the trip, did a bit of cleaning and then it was lunch time.

By the afternoon I finally had enough thinking space to sit down and download photos, answer a few emails and wrap a cold pack around my foot, which seem to help a little bit. Teagan played with her Minecraft game. Churro was resting after his long walk. Troy home from school. I made dinner for the family, washed the dishes and we settled back to wait for Susan. She arrived at 9:15, ate some dinner. The kids went to bed and I followed soon after. 

Day 24 Charleston to LA

Day 24 Charleston to LA

As per typically before a flight, I woke a few times during the night, but was eventually wide awake at 4:30. (old time) I was lucky enough to pretend to snooze for a while before getting up at 5 so  I could send birthday wishes to Amelia- obviously via Sarah.

Out of bed at 5:30 and out the door of the hotel at 6:15, complete with my lunch makings and some snacks for the long haul back to LA. The taxi drove through the dark streets just as the dawn sky was beginning. At the entrance to the airport there was a huge Boeing factory where they are making the Dreamliner’s. At the airport by 6:45. The AA staff was very helpful in checking in my bag (all the way to LAX) for which you have to pay $25 US. The airport was fresh and clean and very modern. I had a cup of tea and they even had GF biscuits for sale on the counter! The armed forced must share the facilities at Charleston, which you could see in the distance.

Boarding began at 7:30. A full flight on what appeared to be as new plane. Luckily I had seat 7A so I boarded in group 5 and had a space for my bag. By the time they got to group 6 all lockers were full. We didn’t take off until 8:10, but amazingly landed 15 minutes early in Dallas. It was an excellent flight, with no turbulence. No TV’s on this one, so I sewed. From clear skies over Charleston we flew into more clouds as we got closer to Dallas.

When we landed, I lost one hour in time.  I took the sky rail to Terminal A, which was an easy process with no additional security points. I made an attempt at buying a cup of tea, which resulted in a cup of hot water and my tea bag (at no cost). I ate my lunch and then they announced a change in gate for the flight. It was right back at the start of the concourse. This time my seat was 31 D and in group 7. Needless to say by the time I was boarding, the lockers were again. Luckily my back pack fits under the seats or it would have had to be checked in. This was a bigger plane and another full load. Nice staff. A bonus of free movies to watch. However this flight was far more turbulent. Eventually we landed at LAX on time and by the time I got to the carousel there was my bag- always a bonus. 

Oscar was caught in traffic, but that gave me the opportunity to rest in a comfortable seat, have another cup of tea and some biscuits. I’d lost another two hours. In the sky for 7 hours, lost 3 hours and most of my thinking brain in the process?

I met Oscar outside the terminal and we drove back to their house in heavy traffic. It wasn’t too bad because we could use the car pool lane. My first task after greeting the kids and Churro, was to have a shower, a few rice cakes and then to sit. It had been a really tiring day. There were a few, very few, spots of rain and it got dark early. Oscar drove Troy to his grading in light sabres and came home with some grocery supplies. I was typing my diary. I was too tired to even think about downloading the few photos I had taken during the day. Troy returned and I managed to “stay awake” until 9 loosing game after game of solitaire. Finally it was bed time and sleep came instantaneously. Oscar went out to meet with friends.

Day 23 Last day in Charleston

Up at 7 to upload from last night and a late breakfast (8am). Packed my back pack and off I set for the last day. Four items on the list. It was cold enough to need my jacket and coat. Tomorrow the first thing that is going to be in that washing machine is my poor jacket. It definitely got more wear than I anticipated.

I walked down to the carriage tours and booked in for 10:30. Then a fast walk back to the Old Exchange. On the way back as I was balancing across the cobblestones my foot started to get really sore. So I slowed down for the walk back. By the time I was at the carriage rides, it was really sore when I put weight on it. Same one I twisted last week. 

Great carriage ride by Yamasee and Gabby. Each carriage ride must check in at a central point and they are allocated an area. Lots of rules. If the horse urinates on the journey the guide has to ring a cleaning company (Equine Sanitation I kid you not). They leave a marker behind to indicate the exact location. Each carriage company pays into this fund. $1200 fine if they hold up 3 cars for more than one minute and these streets are not wide. $1500 if the horse eats foliage along the journey!

A kit home.

Gabby pointed out the highest point in the town – 144 inches above sea level! On the journey we saw St Philip’s church and finally I discovered it has a 3 degree tilt courtesy of the 1886 earthquake. I thought it was an optical illusion? The carriage ride was so informative, but not really the best option for taking photos.

All the original churches were on Church St- how original! However the Anglican church was considered the only real church. All other faiths met in Meeting St. The Catholics were eventually let in many years later, for the same reasons as Savannah. They didn't even get a space on Meeting St. 

A one room facing the road type costs from $875,000 to $2.5 million depending on the area and condition. There are a few on the market for about $2.7 million at the moment- not facing the water naturally. And other thing to mention is that the cypress ones have to be repainted every 18 months to 2 years and are highly flammable. The reason for the narrow homes was not a land tax, but an effort to catch any wind in hot weather. Porches face South or West to catch that breeze. This answered one of my questions regarding the strange placement of homes on the blocks.

Gabby was a great tour guide. When we completed the tour, I “caught” a bike taxi back to the St John’s Cathedral to take photos inside- made it just before mass and then back to St Phillip’s for photos.

The bike taxi guy waited patiently. I wasn’t very long at either place. He dropped me off at the Powder Magazine, which was closer to my hotel. Interesting display in there, about the various wars or insurrections. From here I walked slowly up to the Confederate Museum. Lots of steps up and a very small room crammed with amazing memorabilia, if that was your passion. There were some original quilts and children’s wear on display, but no photos allowed. 

Hobbled down the steps and along the road to the hotel at 1:30. I made my lunch in my room then bought my things down to the lounge to check-in online. Sat with my foot up downloading and typing. Then washed my hair and come back to keep my foot up. The lovely sunny day we experienced disappeared behind small clouds. I had thought I’d sit outside for a while, but it was cool out there.

Savannah or Charleston? After being in both and seeing the sites, my personal favourite was Savannah. It was definitely a town for me. It's a bit like comparing Melbourne and Sydney. Both have lots to offer and lots to see, but Melbourne is the city of my choice.

Day 22 More of Charleston

Slept in till 7! Breakfast. Same as always. My bread/ their eggs and hot tea. After breakfast I set off down to the tip of Charleston, which is called “White Point Gardens” and a list of places to see on the way back. 

First unplanned stop was the Court House. Fully restored, glorious and free. The only issue is you have to go through a security screening to get in. The two guards ended up chatting to me about Australia, places to visit, the education system, etc and how to cook roast lamb. (I am sure that the Australian Government should have me on their payroll.) Instead of a ten minute stop, I was there for 45 minutes. 

From here I crossed the road to the Postal Museum, which was not open, but you could still see some amazing architectural features inside. On the other side of the road I found an entrance into St. Michael’s quite by chance. They are doing huge renovations outside. Inside you see examples of Tiffany stain glass windows. Once again families paid for their seat. Rich up the front and poor upstairs. More photos of amazing homes along Meeting St.

I stopped to do a tour at the Calhoun Mansion. No photographs inside, but the treasures inside were amazing. It was worth paying $16 to see SO MUCH and so many quality antiques in one house. Lots of famous artists represented. Possibly my favourites were the Louis Tiffany chandelier and the ceiling he created. 

Then I walked to the end of the street to White Point Gardens. From here you could just see Fort Sumter.  I walked along East Bay St, which overlooks the Cooper River. (So wide you would think it was ocean.) The Cooper River joins the Ashley River at White Point and becomes Charleston Harbour, before flowing out into the Atlantic Ocean.

Next was a tour of the Heyward- Washington house.( Washington stayed here for 8 days in 1791) Thomas Heyward was a signature to the Declaration of Independence. The tour led by a very knowledgeable docent. I was the only person in the tour. Some lovely inlaid furniture made in Charleston. The 1740’s outside kitchen was interesting, as was the garden set out as an exact historical replica. This house, like many others had seen good and bad times including a variety of owners and had been rebuilt in 1772 after one of the fires in the city. It survived the earthquake of 1886, with only minor damage.

I walked to the Old Slave Market on Chalmers St. There used to be 40 slave markets in the town. Originally the enslaved were sold in the open, but this was changed in an effort to “gentrify the town”. There was a huge amount of information. The conditions they suffered on the ships was appalling. Nathaniel Hayward owned the most slaves- 1,843 on three plantations. But it was interesting to note that only 3% of the white population owned 95% of the enslaved. 

From here I back tracked to The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon on East Bay Street. This huge building was originally built on the water front. It is now two blocks away. (40% of the city is land fill, some from ship ballast) I did a tour in here too, which was also interesting. The city was originally a walled city. In the dungeon you get a good indication of original construction and they have a great display down there of historic events about the city. Upstairs there was information about Washington’s visit and lots of paintings and photos about the Civil War. No need to ask where Charleston stands on that issue!

Now it was time to head back to the hotel via the huge supermarket – “Harris Teeter Grocery” -on the site of the original train station. And they had not only GF, but LF as well and everything in between. I stocked up on some supplies, mindful I only have one full day to go, but a half a day of plane travelling on Thursday. I will definitely need lots for those trips as the planes have nothing and even the airports can be bare. I’l be leaving here before breakfast.

I walked back just as the sun was setting.  I needed fat and carbs. Lunch today was an apple and a fruit bar. “Stickyfingers” was next door and had  a gluten free menu and two whole columns of great choices. I chose smoked pulled beef brisket and fries. It came on a roll and the beef was delicious, with a pile a delicious fries. 

Then it was time to return and begin the marathon downloading/ typing. Again I was interrupted by people walking past and wanting to know about the tea and cookies… to the left at the end of the corridor. (I could be employed by the hotel too.) But then they might charge me for using their light out in this section. The bedrooms are incredibly dark and no desk to write at.

Day 21 Fort Sumter and Boone Hall

Day 21

I prepared my back pack last night. Everything warm that I had was in the bag. Same breakfast as yesterday, with me supplying the bread. The eggs were better today.

The tour bus took me to the port to catch the ferry over to Sumter Fort. The Parks Service has a great display in the building while you are waiting. We were the first ferry for the day. So the day’s staff came over with us. The boat commentary was excellent and there was only about 60 people on board. It was cold when we boarded but as we moved across the water it became progressively colder. Soon I was wearing everything and only my glasses showing.

The “cruise” lasts for half an hour.

We landed at the fort, which is much reduced from its original 3 tier /54 foot height and five foot thick walls. It was originally built in 1861, as one of the many new forts on the coast to protect America after the 1812 War. In 1863 it was shelled by the Union for 20 months, marking the first shots fired in that war and was subsequently decimated. It was partially restored for the Spanish/ American War in 1898, The Parks Service took it over in 1947. Many artifacts are under tons of soil used by the army to bury the “rubbish” and to prepare it for WW1/2. Because we were first for the day we helped raise the flag.  I did learn that it goes up fast to symbolise the rise of America and down slowly to remember all those who have served their country. Not sure if that is the same for all countries?

We had about an hour on the manmade island. Mostly created by enslaved people and using locally made bricks. The information over there was interesting for the history buffs too. However a word of caution the gift shop is minimal. The boat had some snacks for sale, but my lunch consisted of a packet of chips, yoghurt I had bought with me and an apple. We went past the USS Yorktown an aircraft carrier now a museum which saw service and is possibly most famous as the pickup ship for the crew on Apollo 8 mission.

We went back to Charleston and I caught the tour bus to go to Boone Hall. It took half an hour to get there and while the original plantation was huge, it is much smaller now. At one stage it was 4500 acres, now 738 acres. Over history it has been a famous for indigo, cotton, pecans and brick works. A hurricane wiped out the majority of pecan trees. The boll weevil infestation wiped out the cotton. The indigo export was destroyed during the Revolution when England found India could produce the crop. The production of up to 4 million bricks a year by 85 slaves was destroyed with emancipation.

While this house is relatively modern, 1954, it was built in an antebellum style on the site of previous homes. The gardens would be lovely in season. Today it had butterflies settling on many of the flowers. It is the surviving slave homes and other sundry buildings which had more interest for me. Originally there were 27 slave homes, now just 9 remain each with a special theme inside telling the story of the enslaved people over time. The “Gullah” demonstration was a highlight. She was brilliant in telling the story of the Gullah (many of the enslaved from this area came from Angola). The Gullah were especially chosen to work in the rice production because they had rice in Africa. This plantation quickly moved into cotton. 

We were picked up at 3:40 and came back over the bridge. Below you could see reclaimed land. The river is constantly dredged and the silt is spread over the area and allowed to settle creating new islands or enlarging the mainland.

Back at the hotel, I did the usual downloading but this time I was being “interrupted” by people wanting to talk. Dinner was at a local Chinese restaurant- the only Gf item on the entire menu was steamed chicken and vegetables, with no sauce and plain boiled rice. But at only $9, it tasted fine, just a little bland. Definitely filled up the gap left by today’s lack of substance.

Back to the hotel and chatted to two different couples while trying to type. 

Day 20 Walking around Charleston- Lots of churches and graveyards

Day 20 Walking around Charleston- Lots of churches and graveyards

I have a two dip bed- one dip on each side of the middle. So my dip was slightly uncomfortable at times. I’ll try the other dip tonight.

This time I had to climb out of bed at 7 to get to breakfast and I took my own bread – just in case. And it was just as well because this is a menu breakfast restaurant, without one item that is GF! Given that I was the only customer, I gave the waitress my bread and asked if the chef could toast it and give me two eggs on top. I got warm bread back with two eggs on the side of the plate. At least the tea was hot. Tea was free and the eggs only cost $5.

I went to mass at St Mary’s nearby after breakfast. Another Pre-Vatican experience. The altar was facing the people, they did the sign of peace, a great sermon by the priest who had children. There was more Latin than English, which was a bit of a stretch for my memory. The same issue for communion- host only which is dipped into the chalice for special ministers? And the recipients knelt at the altar rail. Beautiful choir. Very little participation by the congregation. St Mary’s also has some beautiful stain glass windows. However two of them have pictures that I have never seen before, so I asked four people including the deacon and priest and no one knew what the pictures were about. These two windows are the oldest in the church. The message must have been lost over time?

I stopped after mass to chat to the man over the road at the Jewish Synagogue, who was married to a Jewess but was a Christian. Two of his children have remained Jews and four are Christians. Must make for interesting celebrations? It was lovely chatting to him and his friend.  The police block off all entrances to King St twice a month and they create a pedestrian mall. While I might have been concerned about public safety given the latest atrocities on pedestrians, in this town the police meant business. Their cars blocked all entrances. You could only squeeze a pram through and there were two police staff at each blockade.

I went on yet another walk, trying to find churches that might be open on a Sunday. It was interesting to see how many of the old ones had their own graveyards. Then there was the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church where 9 had been shot dead in 2015. All of them were huge in size and generally built in a classic colonial style. Some needing a bit of maintenance.

At 12o'clock, I was at the Museum when it opened. Not a soul to be seen, unlike yesterday. I went up to the Textile exhibition area which had a display of pieced quilts and tops. The rest of the Museum was amazing. So many great exhibits. I enjoyed walking through the history of Charleston, which had lots of information on the American Revolution and the Civil War. What did surprise me was the number of times Charleston has been decimated by war/ fire/ hurricane/ earthquake. I also didn’t realise that this area was famous for rice growing and indigo production prior to emancipation. A great museum for kids too.

Then it was over the road to the Manigault House. Only issue was that they open the doors every half hour, so I had to wait for 20 minutes. Promptly at 2 the doors opened and we were allowed in. The docent was very knowledgeable. This house is in the process of restoration and while it was impressive, it wasn’t as ostentatious as some of the homes in Savannah. It had a very tumultuous past: rich > loss of wealth> rescued> turned into tenement housing> USO/ Red Cross usage during WW2> Restoration.

Back to King Street to find some yoghurt and a cuppa. The street was filled with people and their dogs all walking and shopping. I got my supplies and came back to the hotel to charge up batteries and put my yoghurt in the fridge. I downloaded photos and by then it was time to go to the Lebanese restaurant for dinner. Delicious lamb cutlets and vegetables, followed by rice pudding with a strawberry and apricot drizzle. All GF. Today on my walking I found a pizza place that had GF crusts. 

Day 19 Savannah to Charleston

Day 19 Savannah to Charleston

The blasted Friday night revellers didn’t stop making noise until 2 am and then there was the odd, but equally unknown noises until 4 am. So I was very tired having to get up at 6.

Breakfast by myself, bag down at 7:10, checked out and taxi exactly at 7:30. Cost $11.20 and took ten minutes because some of the roads were blocked with the Veteran’s parade today. Checked in my luggage- free. Sat and sewed for a while to stay awake.

The passengers were called to train 90 at 8:10. The three huge steps up would be a challenge for a fit person. Thankfully no heavy bag to lug up.

Travelling business class by Amtrak train to Charleston cost $38 US. No airport queues. No security checks. Free bag under 50 lbs. Free tea/ coffee/ soda (and chips I think) And you get to see the country. Heaps of leg room, a foot rest and space around you. Café next carriage and free Wi-Fi. However filthy dirty windows not exactly conducive to taking photos

Mile after mile after mile of swampy country, growing mostly cypress pines, interspersed with rivers and tiny little “towns”. Some very impoverished homes The trip was over at 10 am. Bag delivered to me at the baggage claim. Mine was the only one. Taxi across the road.

The taxi driver was very nice and gave me some tips on places to see. What he failed to say was that Charleston was absolutely packed. Apparently three cruise boats a week pull up. The hotel accepted my bags because my room was not ready- any wonder at 10:30 am. Lovely concierge. I grabbed what I would need for a short walk and off I set reading the map. 

First impressions were that the historic buildings were not as in as good condition as in Savannah. Not the same lovely overhanging trees or parks. Every footpath was full to overflowing and this is what it is like apparently until January when it is slightly less frenetic.

I was really lucky to find St Matthew’s Lutheran church open and a lovely docent. Beautiful stain glass windows. The blue was phenomenal. This church had to be restored after burning down in 1965. Luckily the altar windows were saved.

I found a café “Black Bean Co” with only a small queue for lunch that had GF options.I walked for a bit more until not only my legs were tired, so was my whole body. The lack of quality sleep last night had drained my reserves. Shower and unpacked. I went down to the desk to book a tour, which has to be on Monday. 

I went to the hotel bar for happy hour with cheese. (Ted refused to budge) I took my own crackers and basically had a few grapes and my own crackers with a ginger ale. Free drinks and the owner was doing the rounds and chatting to groups. I asked her about any GF café/ restaurants. She gave me a list. However from listening to her previous conversations, the odds of finding anything not requiring a month’s reservation at a restaurant are slim. My next plan was to find some food.

I asked the trainee doorman. He looked like he didn’t frequent restaurants and he suggested  King St. Actually his directions were hopeless but I just walked and eventually found a Lebanese restaurant called “Leyla”. Of course you needed a booking, but they weren’t full at 5:30, so I ordered the lentil soup. Delicious. A meal for under $10. I made a booking for tomorrow night- I want that Australian lamb I saw on the menu. I was out of there in 20 minutes and very happy. Walked back to the hotel. It was so cold even with my thermal pants on. The people at the desk said it was unseasonably cold.

Usual diary and downloading. But it was a bit scary there a while back when someone tried to open my door. Then they knocked but when I asked who it was, they didn’t answer. Once I’m in my room the door is locked and bolted. Got news tonight that Bob Hunter died. I feel so sorry for Jeanie.

Day 18. Last night in Savannah

Day18 Savannah- a wonderful sunny day, but very cold wind.

Another glorious sleep disturbed at 5 AM!!!!! by someone banging into metal not once but repeatedly. I did go back to snooze for a bit longer once they stopped. Breakfast- same as always. 

After breakfast off to see if I could find a card reader. The answer is “no” after three shops. Luckily I always carry the cords- just in case.

Extendable octagonal table

Then it was off to the Telfair Museum- once an old historic home transformed into a museum. The original home was lovely, but was extended when they turned it into a museum. A really unusual octagon room and octagon dining table that could be extended with additional leaves. Great docent again. Nothing shattering on the walls, but some interesting traditional ones. After Telfair I walked across the square to the Jepsom Art Centre- linked to the Telfair- but containing modern works over there. Lovely modern building too. A nice exhibition of Rodin’s works plus a few others.

From here it was a quick walk up to the river to book a ticket for this afternoon’s river cruise. I got a chance to sit down and have a cup of tea. I did laugh however when the girl gave me a glass of ice first. I wondered, “What did I just ask for?” But she said that tea was so hot I might need the ice to cool it down. Hmm. Or maybe not. 

On board at 12:30 and we set off at 1:05 up the Savannah River first, then turned around and back down to Fort Jackson where we were ”lucky” to be in time for the cannon blast. (For those who know me well- I nearly jumped overboard with fright) I was so glad I had thought to put my coat, gloves and hat into my backpack. It was cold on the water unless you were facing into the sun.

Great cruise and saw lots and I heard even more history. The river is 600 m/y wide near Savannah and at the moment 42 feet deep at low tide, but is being dredged to deepen it for all the super ships. Savannah is America’s 4^th busiest port because it is the last deep water port on the east coast before the Panama Canal. It takes in more than 1 million dollars of trade per day. On the docks was machinery bound for NZ and Australia. (I gave the solitary cheer for that piece of information.) We saw two huge ships coming up the river. One went past and one was further downstream. The little tug boats are so small, but really important. It was fascinating watching them work. The really big ones have to currently wait until high tide to come up the river. The old bridge only gave them a draft of 124 feet and after a ship ran into the deck, they had the option to fix or rebuild. They chose to build a new one or lose the trade. The new one gives them 154 feet and the dredging will give them even more. The dredging material is used to reclaim land. 

It was also interesting learning about what each of the flags meant on the ships. They always fly the flag of the port of call and their own, but I remember that the yellow flag means do not board/ sickness on board/ has not been processed by customs. Red means the cargo is dangerous e.g .fuel/ gas- sort of obvious when there was a HUGE sign saying “no smoking” painted on the ship. Downstream were important ship yards in WW2 where they were able to make a Liberty ship in four weeks using a conveyor type construction technique. They had 8 docks working nonstop and built 88. These ships were only designed to last 5 years.

We came back to the dock and I walked up to Kayak Kafe for another late lunch 3:15. This time I opted for the small Cesar salad with avocados and chicken and two hot cups of tea.  (Small just gets lost in translation over here but it was very nice and fresh) While I was enjoying my cup of tea a lady sat at the next table and ordered GF in “Australian”. So I asked her to join me and we had one of those mindless chats that you do with strangers. She was from Brisbane.

Another Sanders. Found one yesterday too.

I walked back to the hotel at the very reasonable time of 4:15, washed my hair.,went downstairs to ask for a hair drier which was on the top shelf apparently. And if I was six foot tall I would know that. Found it. then came downloading and diary. Next comes packing to move tomorrow to Charleston.

Day 17 Lots of walking

After breakfast I set off in my raincoat wearing my hat and gloves to walk along the top section of the Savannah map- along the river. A very light mist and you could barely see the bridge or downstream. I did walk through a few shops down there and made the mistake of buying some praline and chocolate covered nuts. Both were not up to Australian standard! (horrid)

I stopped for a cup of tea at 11 at a lovely little French café up on the plateau, after once again nearly coming to grief on some of the wonky old steps. Delicious hot tea. After that was finished I set off for St John’s Episcopal Church. The stain glass windows were worth the long walk. I had a long ecumenical chat with the guide. 

From here I continued my long walk to the Savannah History Museum, past even more movie people- what a surprise? What was a surprise was the fabulous “Loyalty and Liberty Tour”.  The young man who was the character actor was just brilliant and made the whole “Battle of Savannah” in 1779 come to life. 800 dead from ‘our’ side- an absolute slaughter. But from this and preceding defeats came eventual victory over the British 4 years later. The interactive tour which alone took one hour, just not sure there were Australians on the field fighting?

They also had a small exhibition of coverlets and quilts. Next to that was an exhibition on Juliette Gordon Low- one of the founders of the girl guides. 

Then for the long walk back via the SCAD museum because I was told they had a textile section- “No they don’t”, but it was on the way home. By now the mist was rain and umbrella time. 

I went via the main shopping area and stopped for a very late lunch at 3:30 at “Flying Monk” noodle shop. A mountain of fried rice and chicken with tons of coriander and onions. Needless to say the coriander and onion were hauled out and left behind. Half of the meal had to be boxed up. 

The rain was much heavier, so it was a direct walk back to the hotel. Arriving at 4:30 I thought I was going to be super early tonight until I spent 20 minutes looking for my hotel internet card > desk for another> and up again. Then I had a long battle with my camera cards. Mid way my card reader died! Luckily I had the camera cord. Then I couldn’t find the photos from the battle tour. Eventually found that I had picked up the wrong card out of my bag. All solved, but it took so much extra time, that it is back to normal downloading time!

Only one day left. I’m hoping today’s rain clears so I can get on the paddle steamer tomorrow? Actually running slightly ahead of the usual dreadfully late, but my eyeballs are having a hard time.

Day 16 Walking around Savannah

After breakfast I caught the transfer bus at the corner and headed off for another day on the trolleys. I had a list of things to see. This time there would be a lot of walking, which my foot managed quite well.

 I had a long visit at the Colonial Park Cemetery. The grave stones were so old, many could not be read. Some were stacked up along the back wall (moved to make space for the soldiers camped there in the Civil War.) Possibly the most unusual was the section for those killed when duelling! The duelling green was just outside the boundary of the cemetery.

From here I made my way through the streets taking many photos of the most lovely buildings until I reached the Pirate House” Famously visited by Robert Louis Stevenson and the fact that it is one of the oldest remaining buildings in Savannah.

Pirate house

I caught the trolley just outside, down to Davenport House and was just in time for a tour. Great tour of a great house. Their restoration work is wonderful, especially the wallpaper. Beautifully built in 1820 by Isaiah Davenport. Well worth a visit and more restoration planned. The heart of pine floor boards were amazing. The length of the room and no joins in the lengths! Great docent who grilled me about Australia after the tour.

From here I walked up to Broughton Street and tried to find a shop selling GF. Lots of asking and looking until I finally found lunch at “Kayak Kafe”. Really nice GF turkey bun, which was a little bland, but the side order of coleslaw had a sprinkling of cayenne!  However disappointedly the tea was barely lukewarm.

I walked back to the hotel to grab my rain coat. It was getting darker by the minute and the temperature had dropped. I re-joined the trolley to get to the health food shop, but there was still a lot of walking past film crews.

Found the shop and bingo not only frozen bread but biscuits too. Paid and ran up the road to catch the last trolley back, otherwise it was going to be a long walk back. Managed with minutes to spare. I was glad I’d got my coat because it was cold by now. Fog over the river and mist falling.

Shower, wash clothes, downloading process, while cooking up several cups of tea using my immerser. (Only a coffee machine in this hotel.) Finally using my long sleeve T-shirt and track pants. The usual hours went by until photos and diary were done.

Filming everywhere.

Day 15 Savannah- Old Savannah tours

Planter’s Inn originally built in 1748

Woke at 7 am new time and went down to breakfast. Luckily I had taken my own bread because they had a toaster. A hot water urn that was just for hot water and never had coffee in it! Always a bonus. Fruit and powdered scrambled eggs and my toast. The rest of the spread was full of gluten.

After breakfast I bought a ticket to go on the tour of Savannah- well I actually bought a ticket that got me on the shuttle bus to get to the tour trolleys where they sold the tickets and I was overcharged for mine.

The hop on hop off trolley, with commentary, was a great way to see the historic section of Savannah.  I got off at every stop and walked around the area. They left space in the town plan for 24 parks/ squares and there are still 22 left. And film crew and trucks everywhere. They are filming at least 2 major films in the town. One is Ant Man 2

I did learn not to touch the Spanish Moss- or you get “chiggers”(mites)  burrowing into your skin. Yuk! I made sure my hat was glued to me head and I didn’t get closer to the lovely moss than a camera distance. The beautiful live oaks do shed in March when the new growth comes.  The town was created to stop any threat of the Spanish coming further up the coast. The town was founded with four rules: 1.no slaves, 2. no lawyers, 3. no alcohol and 4. no Catholics. No Catholics because  they were afraid Catholics would try to help the Spanish.   And they did use slaves but borrowed them from over the river in South Carolina.   

I did a tour of Jim Mercer’s House – overpriced, no photographs and unless you were fascinated by his story I didn’t think it was worth it. I did learn about “Shriners” a kind of Masons.

Torah written on deerskin.

Next was the Jewish Synagogue. Now this was fascinating. The third Jewish settlement in America, second oldest religion in Georgia. They came via Spain > Portugal > England then five months on the boat to settle here. This synagogue was originally built in 1820, but it burnt down in 1829. It was re-built in 1878 in a cross like shape (like a Christian church), with a pipe organ and choir loft. The architecture was specifically done this way to fit into the narrow 60’ blocks and in keeping with other buildings of the time.  They have two original Torah written on deerskin now in the museum upstairs.  

The Cathedral of St John was amazing. The stain glass and painted surfaces are so incredibly beautiful. Even the water font was so lovely.

Lunch at a small café called “Hitch“ .A deliciously fresh salad. Then back on the trolley for more!

My next tour was of Owens- Thomas House. Great tour and an incredible house. The tour guide was really good at giving both perspectives from the slave and owner’s perspectives. Lots of things to photograph. I walked back to the hotel from there, stopping for a sorbet and asked the hotel desk staff about the morning ticket situation. By now it was 4:30. We worked out that I’d been sold two tickets for the same day? So they suggested I go to the office to organise a refund.

This was very difficult, but I managed to get down there and get a pass for tomorrow. Then began the long walk back, only to be saved by a pedibike. He dropped me off at the hotel for $5.

Shower and change of clothes. My left ankle now had a slightly large bump on one side, so I used an  elastic bandage on it. I went back downstairs to listen to the piano and then some lovely jazz while I typed- finishing yesterday and today. Then upstairs and transfer over all the earlier photos to make enough space to download today. It was a very late night.