HARD HEARTED HANNAH

. . . the vamp from Savannah, G-A.  We didn’t see Hannah, but we certainly felt at home.

Old Savannah, founded in 1733,   is basically a grid layout, but punctuated every two blocks in all directions by these squares (not all so famously named).  The north/south streets intersect the squares in the middle, and the street then makes a big square “roundabout” around the square.  Every square is covered with these huge trees that you see in the background, dripping with Spanish Moss.  Big old mansions and 19th century buildings front each square on all sides.

   Many have fountains or statues in the center.

Many of the period houses have gaslamps on 24/7.  Look hard and you can see the flame over the door.

Very genteel.  Note the date plaque.  This would be casual ho-hum stuff in Europe, but coming from L.A., where history is measured in pre-and-post Technicolor, this is a cool step into the past.  Loni also loved the little walled gardens that many of the houses had.

European atmosphere is provided by numerous cathedrals and churches, like this Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, one of the largest in the country.

Colonial Park Cemetery sits in the middle of the town

and sports some interesting markers, like this one of the duelists:

The woman who runs the campground we were staying at said one of the “must-do’s” is to have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes.’  It’s only open M-F from 11:00 to 2:00, serves your basic Southern cuisine, family style (at a table for 10) with strangers.  She said it was much better than Paula Deen’s, and cheaper to boot.  Well, all righty.  The downside is that people start lining up at 10:00 and keep on doing so until closing time.  She was right.

Looks nice and pleasant there in the shade, eh?  NOT.  Ambient temperature was in the 90’s, humidity 93%, and we stood there for an hour and ten minutes.  Was it worth it?  Well, hell yes!

As soon as one bowl is empty, they bring a replacement.  We had fried chicken, barbequed beef, and a zillion sides.  Southern Thanksgiving.  And, a rhubarb crumble with ice cream for dessert.  Oye.  We were severely hurting for the rest of the day and night.  Note the two-handed porker at the other end of the table.  He did the place justice.  We tried to walk it off in the park

but ended up taking the scoot out to see Fort Pulaski, named for Count Casimir Pulaski, a Polish hero of the American Revolution who lost his life in the siege of Savannah in 1779.  It was built as one of a series of coastal fortifications commenced after the War of 1812, completed after 18 years of construction in 1847.  It was considered invincible.  It’s built in a pentagon, with a moat going around:

Unfortunately for the Union, it never got garrisoned, and was seized by the Confederate troops a week after Sumter fell.  With its thick walls

and many cannon,

the Rebs weren’t concerned when the Union blockade allowed the North to set up position nearby and proceed to pound the daylights out of the fort.  What the Rebs didn’t know was that the Federal armament included 10 new, experimental “rifled” guns that were much more effective than cannonballs.  The new armament opened huge holes in the walls and threatened the powder magazine, so Col. Olmstead surrendered.  This fort is in beautiful restored condition, almost exactly as it was 150 years ago, and was much more interesting than Sumter (more on that later).

Woozy from the huge lunch, tired and sweaty from walking around Fort Pulaski, there was only one thing to do. 

A coffee malted at Leopolds, in business since 1919, and still making their own ice cream.  I’m really giving my Lipitor a run for its money.  So long, Savannah.