Charleston

Today I am in a rush as the masses are urging me to remove myself from this computer and get thee to the beach.....But knowing my loyal fans are hanging on my every update , I have ignored their pleadings......

We wandered the streets of Charleston yesterday. The air was balmy and delightful and it was a short 21 mile drive from Kiawah. Altho I learned a great deal of very early history, early history and later early history, I won't detail it here...... mostly because I can't remember all the wars and invasions and disasters that have befallen this magnificent area.

This is a close up of a woman making a sweetgrass basket. This is a skill passed down since the days of rice plantations when they made the baskets from local grasses to winnow the rice. On many street corners, these are displayed for sale. I wanted to take a picture of this women but she declined so I snapped a quick one of her working. The picture below is a googled picture since I forgot to take one on the many we saw. They are not cheap but very labor intensive so I am glad they are popular and valued. The woman did say that she liked my purse.....my big lime green one. I offered a trade for a basket but guess she didn't like it that much.

We did take a carriage ride thru the streets.......here is a cobblestone road that are prevalent in the older parts.. The stones were used for ballast by the English ships and then either dumped or made into streets.
A view from the ride shows the Slave Market up ahead. It was a place to buy and sell slaves altho their history is rather vague and more politically correct these days when discussing this. On a smaller scale, it reminds me a bit of Pike's market in Seattle or Fanueil Hall in Boston in that it is a long, multi block open air building with stalls for selling assorted goods. Pike's market is more upscale, Boston's is more permanent and this one had mostly forgettable shopping. It is also an area of frequent floods so all looks temporary.

Here is our guide and horse, Bandit. Some of stories told may or maynot be historically accurate but it was a pleasant ride thru history for an hour.

Later we walked and walked and walked. I took few pictures but this is a view of Rainbow Row where they narrow houses are each painted a different colors. There are 40 'approved paints' in Charleston and most of the city looks like a Historical district so not much can be changed without lengthy bureacratic decisions.

Not sure of the history, if any, of this house but it is somewhat typical of the narrow tiny row houses.

Later, we met the rest of the family for some libation. We met at the world renowned Hyman Seafood restaurant downtown. We ate well and of course, I have pictures to prove it.

Laca has been raised a true southerner. She ordered Fried Okra and Fried Green Tomatoes........note, I said this was a SEAFOOD restaurant. !!

Kevin took the plunge and ordered the Fried Calamari po-boy sandwich. This picture does not begin to show the true size of this whopper..........he declared it delicious and most of us declined a taste.

Jan and I had shrimp appetizers with really fresh and delicious hush puppies. Curt also had the fried green tomatoes and the shrimp.

Paul had the fried flounder. It was massive but he gave it a 10 for freshness and taste.


BEFORE

AFTER

And then we were too full and satiated to do anything but go home and take a nap.

Charleston is just lovely and would need many many trips to enjoy it all. We'd like to go back.

And now we're off to the beach.............................................