Sultry and seductive Savannah

We're staying in a very comfortable two story wooden heritage home just one block from Forsyth Park.  It sits in a picturesque, tree-lined street, and gives us a really good idea of what it might be like to actually live here. The very first thing we noticed about the historic district of Savannah is that it’s squirrel central. J thinks they're the cutest things, and they are. This city is pack jammed full of crepe myrtles with fuscia pink flowers and loads and loads of live oak trees: Heavenly.

Yesterday morning we went straight out to buy coffee, as this is the first AirBnB we've stayed at that does not supply it. Fortunately there’s a coffee bean providore and café just a few blocks away, facing the lower end of Forsyth Park. It’s a hippy trippy sort of place, and a bit too feral for me frankly. The crowd there reminded me of the scene in Newtown & Enmore in Sydney. You’re expected to half do your own dishes, which I found revolting. I felt this put a certain tarnished edge on our first impressions of Savannah, which wasn't necessarily a fair representation.

J & I had oatmeal with pecans and cranberries for brekkie, and my hub had a cheese and egg croissant. Being seated by the window, we noticed that lots of people had cute dogs. Another cool thing about the place was that they gave my hub a trophy (as an order token) when he came back to our bench by the window. I thought that was hilarious, given it was Father's Day in the U.S. yesterday. It must have been a trophy store before it was a café, coz when I looked up high I saw dozens of old 1970s trophies up on the mezzanine which they were using as junk storage.

We walked through part of Forsyth Park, which was lovely. It’s been a dream of mine to come here for twenty years now. The whole park, although large, is quite a bit smaller overall than I imagined. Next we grabbed our rental car and drove downtown to visit the First African Baptist Church on Franklin Square. Yes, believe it or not, we went to Church! Just for a look, because we’ve always wanted to witness the place that gospel came from and the blues grew out of. It was a big deal for me to get my hub in there. He’s 54 and says he would have been 7 when he last went to an actual service, other than for a wedding or funeral. I was about 12. We stayed about half an hour, just listening and watching. Heard two great songs, and found it entertaining listening to the preacher for a while, and observing the congregation, but then we had to leave. It was special though and one of those boxes in life we’ve now ticked.

Next we walked around a bit, through the City Market to Ellis Square and then over to Telfair Square. This section feels very ‘downtown’ and it’s OK, but it’s not that special, so we drove in search of a supermarket, found one and bought ourselves lunch to eat in, so as to save money. The funniest thing is that every time Laurie buys wine, he gets asked for ID. He’s 54!!! We’ve asked around and it’s a Low Country thing – Everyone get’s asked – ‘It’s the law’… When you leave a store, people say things to us like "Y'all be blessed." Classic.

J was asking why the only music on the radio is either country, reggae or God Rock, and I had to say that’s because that’s where we are… We discovered another category this afternoon ‘70s Guitar’.. .They love old rockers here. So much more to add about our adventures at Bonaventure Cemetery yesterday, on our completely absorbing 2.5 hour guided tour, which I really need to write a small essay on. It was way beyond impressive.

Then there were all of our adventures today, which began with us jumping on the free bus downtown, which poor locals seem to use. We had brunch at a great eatery on Bay Street, the walked home, as per our plan, via as many city parks as we could squeeze into the two hour time allowance. We walked from city square to city square, zigzagging in fact, all the way trying to work out which ones were our favourites. I chose a first and a second, but with so many to choose from… The fact is they are all good in their own way, if only by virtue of the fact that they are there – The lungs of this little city. It’s so wonderful. On our way we explored the oldest cemetery in Savannah, the Colonial, which was rather lovely, and a few blocks on we came across a gourmet food mini-mart as well as a very impressive bookstore. We purchased several items at each stop.


We absolutely loved visiting Charleston, in all aspects. It's very grown up, polished and pretty. However, the wealth of public parks in Savannah really do it for us. It's a highly seductive lifestyle city.  Having spent three nights in both Charleston and Savannah, that is the minimum we would recommend, but it was adequate. If I had my time again, within the same budget, I would probably add in one night in Beaufort, in-between these two big cities, just to take the heat off, on a whole lot of levels.

This afternoon my loved ones wanted to go to the beach, so we asked around and found out where the locals go. We were told North Beach of Tybee Island, 40 minutes away. Today it was 26 degrees in the water, apparently. Me? I spent my time on a wooden beach swing, and after half an hour there in the bold sun, I went to a communal wooden rotunda for a short while, and then finally found myself some privacy in the shade on the verandah of a coastal heritage museum called 'Summer Cottage', where I could peruse Architectural digest without glare.

After that, we went to a rough edged place called the 'Crab Shack', which my loved ones enjoyed immensely. Reminded me of Australia's Top End. Not quite my scene, but it was memorable, and I was there for them. It's such a relaxed place overall, I really didn't mind the side trip.

Visas, house sitters and climate change

I've been wondering what had become of our application to visit the U.S., so just went into our online data, and found that it's now marked 'Authorization Approved', followed by "Have a nice trip. Welcome to the United States." So glad!

These days, Australians travelling to Canada and the United States do not need Visas, as such. Not of the old fashioned type anyway, but we do need ETAs (Electronic Travel Authorizations). These are not expensive: They cost CAN$7 p.p. and US$14 p.p. respectively. You just fill out all the basic info required online, which takes about 15-20 minutes p.p. and pay the money. Usually they notify you to say, yes, you're in! But as I just found, sometimes they forget, so best you make sure you double check how things are going, and not just wait anxiously.

So, anyway, we're good to go now. Just have to think about packing now, and getting our teeth, eyes and general health checked, so as to hopefully avoid any costly, unanticipated surprises while away. We also need to prep our home for our house sitters who arrive the day before we leave. They're a nice American couple of grey nomads. Having sold their life-long home they've spent the past year or more roaming around the US and Canada, then New Zealand, and now Australia. We hope they enjoy their time in our neck of the woods, or green fields, as the case may be. They're here for the whole time we're away, which should be good for them, as they've been hopping around Australia at an exhausting pace. 

It is somewhat disconcerting that they've spent the last month or so in the tropics though. It is certainly not at all tropical down here! It is mild now, as we're experiencing later Summers due to climate change, and thus much warmer Autumns than ever before, but come June it will start dipping to below ten degrees celcius for daily highs. Laurie has been putting in extra effort to ensure our wood stocks are high, so they can easily stack the fireplaces with custom cut wood, light the fires and make things toasty and warm. It's a real treat to live with authentic home fires burning. Admittedly June is not too bad, and by July the cold is so clear and still novel that it's almost enjoyable. It's August that is the truly hideous month in our parts. That's when the cold has gone on for far too long. It feels bitter and damp and almost everyone's mood and outlook becomes negatively impacted, to some degree. In an ideal world, I think most of us would go away each August. I should remind myself of this thought for next year!

Where we're going it'll be the beginning of Summer, so again quite lovely, at least in Quebec. I'm expecting it to be high twenties in Montreal and QC, and low to mid thirties in the South. But I know it will be sultry heat down South, and maybe a bit sticky. Time will tell. I'm looking forward to that slow Southern sensuality. And all those mansions and droopy, drippy trees. I started reading Berendt again, for the first time since 1998, but soon decided it's best read on the plane down there, to introduce the mood, once we leave Quebec. That's 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' for those of you unfamiliar with the novel. It placed Savannah firmly on the map of readers at the time, and for many years thereafter.

Going back to that topic of ETA's. The 'Department of Homeland Security' always ask what your address will be in the U.S., which strikes me as a non-sensical question, as anyone going as a tourist is likely to be tripping about from place to place.If there was space to list everywhere we're going I would, as that's the type of gal I am, but they don't allow that fuller explanation. So I always choose the first destination. In this case I was somewhat surprised to realise that Charleston, South Carolina, is our first stop in the U.S. That's the Airport where we leave the terminal, collect our car and drive off in the dark, on the wrong side of the road!  So that's the address I gave them. I told our host, so she's in the loop. She's so lovely. But again, there was no opportunity to state what type of accommodation that is, or offer any context whatsoever. Seems weird to me that they don't require context. For a detail pedant like me I find it hard to understand why they don't want to know. Just sayin'...

Going Deeper...

I'm conscious that I left my last post hanging in Charleston, South Carolina...

When we drive out of there, we're intending to stop off at a big old plantation, called Drayton Hall, to see an unrestored space, preserved just as it was left in the cruel times of old - nasty stuff, but as an A grade student of American slave history, I think it should be looked at, and reflected upon.

Thereafter we drive for an hour to visit Beaufort, utterly unlike our local Beaufort here in regional Victoria, I presume. The classic 1980s film 'The Big Chill' was set in the American Beaufort. It's said to be an old and slightly spooky little town on the windy coast. After that, on the way out, we'll visit the Old Sheldon Church ruins, which are meant to be magic, before we drive on down to Savannah.

It's going to be very hot and sultry, which is an unknown for us. I know what that means in Darwinian terms, but... I also know that I've wanted to visit Savannah ever since I sold umpteen copies of the novel 'Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil' at the Bookshop I worked for in Sydney, back in the mid 90s. I've booked us a classic two story house, a short stroll from Forsyth Park (the focus of the novel). Our place looks like something out of a Steve Martin 'Father of the Bride' movie and is a bit over the top, but hey, why not? It costs no more than many far less ambient places across the town. Again, this is an Air B'n'B find. The trick is to study the online details. I'm very good at that.

I've also booked us a guided tour of the Bonaventure Cemetery for our first day in Savannah, because I feel that's just what one has to do.  We've only got two full days in Savannah, before we fly again. I am sure this is not enough time for a 'go slow' destination like this, but we do what we do on a budget. And we'll wander. The fact is that I know that any time any where is better than none at all, so I am not complaining.  You can capture a whole lot visually, and hold the experience vividly for years, if you're that sort of person.


At 2.30pm on a Tuesday we fly North again. We're travelling to Boston, via Washington. I am worried about that connection. I don't think we have enough time, but the airlines claim we do, all being well... 40 minutes between connections... Huh! United Airlines are notorious for delayed flights, botched connections and lost luggage. I have flown with them before, with no troubles, but not on flights involving change-overs, so I am nervous. Nothing I can do about it though. Will just have to wait with baited breath, and see what happens...