Friday, August 5, 2016

The South: Nashville to Savannah

We spent two weeks in the South this summer. Crossed three things off my bucket list. To see Nashville, to see Savannah, the homeplace of the book Midnight In The Garden of Good and Evil. And best of all, to see the wonderful New Canaan, Connecticut family who hosted me for a year when I was 17. They'd moved to Hilton Head.


Savannah is everything you ever thought it would be; drippy with vines, muggy with heat and wet, knobbly old bars and very friendly people. Charmant, but not at all slick, despite the thousands of clattering tourist buses that run along the streets.


Lines around the block all day long
Three of the best restaurants there are owned by an Australian!






These old bombs were in a decor store

Everyone embraces color

And lounging around...

Apparently someone thought Jesus was a Republican?
We saw loads of For Sale signs. Apparently many city folk come to live down here, then realize there are many trams and other vehicles outside their home all day gazing in their windows.




You could spend a whole day at the cemetery. The statue of the girl which was on the cover of the book "Midnight..." was removed to a museum. The family were concerned that people were climbing all over her whilst taking photos.




 Make sure you go to the town of Beaufort too.




We dropped Cy off at an old fashioned camp (no screens!) in North Carolina, his first sleepaway camp --and it was four weeks. We were worried and there were a few wobbly lips on the drop-off, but he loved it. Story for another day.



 Nashville is just one street really but great fun.


 We stepped onto the stage at the Grand Old Opry.



The food is tasty white and fried carbs, my kind of stuff. FF asked me: biscuits and gravy-- is that the same thing as scones and bechamel? Yes it kind of is!The sauce uses bacon drippings or lard instead of butter.

Biscuits and Gravy, Hermitage Cafe in Nashville, their slogan, "sobering up the wildlife since 1972"

In Hilton Head I saw the half of the family who hosted me for a whole year when I was 17. Back then they lived up in New Canaan, Ct. and it really was the best year. Quite incredible to think a couple with four kids would take on another teen!




We saw the Biltmore Mansion which was overwhelmingly huge and not at all human sized. The rooms that most interested me was the kitchen and the underground pool, which they had to fill for each use because they didn't have chlorine in those days.




The pool was kind of creepy

Nashville has become the second most popular destination in America for bachelorette parties, so we found ourselves in a giggling sea of women wearing loads of pink ribbons and feathers.

We also got to see the most bizarre thing in Savannah and Nashville. It's the open air traveling bar. You know when you've had a few choice margaritas or bubbles and you think of some really wild contraption and you think: This is the coolest idea ever! And in the morning you realize it was stupid and dangerous and no one would ever manufacture it? One idea that did make it is the traveling bar. Drunk people all sit around a bar with wheels and pedal through the streets, hooting, yelling and drinking. And I haven't told you the best part--it's all open air!  Someone could fall off drunk and be smooshed by a car. Not only has this traveling bar taken off, they are veritably crowding the streets.



So you see, there's hope for cocktail-inspired ideas after all...







21 comments:

  1. SAVANNAH cemetery holds my GREAT times 4 I think GRAND DADDY........GENERAL NATHANAEL GREENE!!!There is a round about with a statue of him also!He was GEORGE WASHINGTON'S BEST BUDDY!!!!They rode together in the REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
    I would LOVE to go back.......I was there in the 80's.
    I COULD NOT GET INTO THAT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!I TRIED THREE TIMES!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They say its much changed here since 80's. I def would go back. U r well connected!!!

      Delete
  2. Never considered Nashville a destination spot...just a trek we had to make to see our kids volleyball, softball, football, and baseball games. Kinda glad those years are over, just kinda. Those touring bars are everywhere. So my first in Louisville, KY three years ago except they had their own driver. Everybody hates cyclists down here so I am surprised about the pedaling.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could see that would take all the joy out of Nashville! How close r u to Nashville?

      Delete
  3. I've always wanted to go to Savannah since reading Midnight... loved all your pics of it!! Also you have educated me that gravy is in fact not brown but a bechemal sauce. I never knew that. But I have to say that scones and bechemal sounds awful. Give me jam and cream with the scones and bechemal on the vegetables thanks.
    I dream of camps that last 4 weeks over the long holiday breaks. Sadly it's one American concept that hasn't had any traction here....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We resisted for years and now ii could kick myself. Its such a freeing amazing thing

      Delete
  4. What a wonderful trip! The Travelling Bar, well that's really wild. I'd fall off probably. We're going to Hilton Head this winter and I cannot wait, so excited. I love the South 11/10, my Dad lives in Georgia and I often think I should live there too.
    Would love to hear about Cy's camp, we've always sent our kids to sleep away camp in the summer for a few weeks up in Algonquin Park, it's so great for them but the drop-off is brutal. xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes for sure, will post when i get home. Its a whole other world...

      Delete
  5. So you've been in our neck of the woods. We love Savannah, it's not like any other place we've ever lived and we're always finding something new. Glad you enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh blow! I wish i knew. We could have met up and got some tips from a local. Are you living right in the town?

      Delete
  6. What a fun trip. I'm a southerner at heart: charm mixed with broodiness. Great to hear from you. xo

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your photos are fabulous - you've captured the colour and quirkiness of the place superbly.
    I've seen one of those travelling bars before and can't think where. Will ask my husband - he remembers these things - and get back to you. It was in Europe, I know that much.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Have just remembered - it was in Amsterdam (what a surprise!) and was called the Beer-Bike Bar.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'd forgotten what a great book it is, ta for the travelogue and the reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  10. LOL Reagan / Bush shirts. That is definitely the south :) I know this since I am a native Kentuckian.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the idea of the travelling bar. Crazy but fab!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I did Hilton Head and Savannah 5 years ago. For an English family as we are it was not a typical holiday destination for us. I wanted to show my daughters that there was more to America than Florida. We had a week in Vegas too. All fab. Yes I remember the humidity and the cycling.

    ReplyDelete
  13. That was very interesting. One of my blog buddies lives in Savannah and I've often wondered what it is like. You look happy and lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  14. beautiful family times. i came by to see of you'd posted recently. i miss you here. hope everyone is thriving. xo

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...