Savannah, Georgia

  

    In early November, Steve and I spent five days in Savannah on a lovely little getaway. We joined another couple, good friends of ours, and rented a home through VRBO. It was a lovely, renovated row house located in the historic district and only a couple of blocks away from LaFayette Square. I was awestruck by the beauty of the city, its vibrancy, and the twelve foot ceilings in the rental house! One couldn't help but feel grand in such a home or in such a city.

Buildings along River Street

     Savannah was a "planned" city, founded in 1733 by General James Edward Oglethorpe, a British philanthropist and Member of Parliament.  The city is laid out in carefully planned grids with lovely parks, twenty-two in all(!), every few blocks. We walked many blocks every day, exploring, shopping, and eating our way around the historic portion of the city. We drove out to Tybee Island one day and walked on the beach and lunched at a shack-type bar and restaurant that had excellent food.Along the waterfront area, we browsed an antique store with the most antique furniture that I have ever seen, jam packed under one roof. We walked  along River Street, stepping carefully on the cobblestone road, and watched a huge container ship maneuvering up the river. The shops along River Street were varied with something of interest for everyone. Steve found a cigar shop and even purchased an old coronet in one of the antique shops. I found a pretty shawl in one of the boutiques and it was fun to window shop in the more expensive places. Another day, we walked to the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist and wandered around the cathedral. It was breathtaking and beautiful beyond measure. We decided to go back and attend morning Mass a couple of days later. On our last day, we drove to Wormsloe and toured the little museum and walked to the old home site. The entrance road was grand beyond measure with its allée of Live Oaks. Descendants of the original settlers still live on the property so the main house is not open for touring. However, the crumbled walls of the original fort and home are still magical to see and it was easy to imagine the rustic life these early settlers endured. 

                                        Interior of Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist

                                                                            Antiques!!

     I think my favorite part of the city was the architecture and parks. I never tired of looking at the brick houses, mossy walls, iron fencing and all the parks shaded by Live Oaks draped in Spanish Moss. The parks were so inviting and it was common to see people sitting on benches, reading books, walking dogs and lounging around. 

                                                                The allée at Wormsloe

                    Walls made of tabby, built in the 1700's by mixing oyster shells with sand and lime

            Steve is standing on a mound of oyster shells along the marshland deposited by the natives. Oysters were a staple of their diet and the settlers made tabby for buildings from these since they were so plentiful.

      Although Savannah is bustling with traffic and eateries and wonderful coffee shops, it still gives one a desire to slow down. The buildings are too pretty to rush past and the parks too inviting not to stop and sit under the trees. If we ever go back, I think I will carry a book with me and spend more time sitting in those beautiful parks.   

   
          Tugboats were maneuvering this container ship in the Savannah River. If you look at the little                    rectangular opening in the middle right of the photo, you can see men standing on the ship.