Savannah Catching Up (photo heavy, fair warning!)

Savannah is one of my favorite cities, even if I think of it as a town. Spending time there with two of my favorite people, who love the same things I love (example: oysters, funk and old graveyards - and just to tell you, if you don't like old graveyards, you should skip this post) always makes it even better. This time was no different. 

Me and Robin in our 30's
(that's a guess - after over 50 years of friendship, it's hard to remember)

Robin's Aunt Joanie is more like our big sister these days and meeting up at her place in Savannah was a good time out for some heartjoy time. 

We went to the markets, came home and feasted.

This girl showed us how they make garlic butter.

We had missions, our first one being find some oysters. We found Sorry Charlie's. We weren't sorry at all. 

First we tried the sampler plate. The really big oysters were bland, but the ones right next to the lemons? Another dozen please!

Robin enjoying

A very cool bar made from oyster shells and some composite material. 

There were churches and antique stores and floral beauty in abundance. As usual, we only scratched the surface but it was a fine surface. If you go to Savannah, March is a glorious time to be there. The first day and night were cold, really cold. But then it warmed up in the low 70's in the day and 60's at night. Perfect for under the covers sleeping. Especially when the dog and cat decided to join me.

For my Spanish moss loving friends

I have no idea what this is from or for, but there it was

I snapped this on the fly, but it's the real deal of a diner. I heard the food is good.

In front of a great antique store called Two Women and a Warehouse.
We'd read about it and then didn't go, but later, on our way to somewhere else, we ran across it and had to stop. Serendipitiy! It was a good thing I wasn't anywhere near home, the prices were fantastic on some really beautiful things. 

The front and back of Joanie's invites sitting and renewing.
 

Joanie's yard is full of things that make me happy. Here are two of many. 

Wisteria tree

Emerging lily

Being Spring, everything is coming back to life. But then there are things man-made that have been around a really long time as well.

Like all old cities, there are so many neighborhoods! Small and large homes and parks, simple, elegant and lots of in-between. 

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist. 

For a lot more photos, if you are into it, check out their website. 

During our random stop at the antique store, we saw this place across the street. The guy who owned it was weird in the way of his tribe,  maybe he's been sniffing old things a little too long. 

Need a cool door?

It was hard to tell if this was a hoarder's house or a store, but it was a store.
I think.

There was order of a sort here, if you care about that sort of thing.

Random stop #3 (these places were all in one little area and this next place was the 2nd original choice). We thought we were going to River Street, not a group popular choice because it was a Saturday and in March, on Saturday, River Street would be teeming with tourists, but it is a place we like so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. But the Universe had different plans. Next time though, on a week day, I'm absolutely going to check out the oyster bars on River Street. Anytime I see the words dive and oysters in one sentence, it's required experience. 

Instead, we were looking for oysters at El Coyote. This place has three restaurants in an old warehouse. One is Mexican, one is Ramen and one is an oyster bar. I'd read the opening time as noon but my bad, the oyster bar didn't open until 5. Hunger was ruling so we checked out the  ramen place, tasting the broths and considering the menu, but we ended up at the Mexican place. The food was good, the service was great, though the wait time considering the number of patrons was pretty long. Oh well, we didn't have a schedule anyway. We thought we might go back for the oysters but we didn't. 

Any long time reader of this now very randomly done blog has seen plenty of old gravesite. This one was a good one, with one of the highlights being the grave of Johnny Mercer and members of his family. There was nothing sad about this area, instead, music filled my head. 

There are way too many photos (and these are the ones that didn't get the heave-ho), but that's how that is. 

Every grave in the Mercer section has some song lyric of his on it, including his mother's.

This monument had the sculpture's name engraved on it.
Either it or he was from Florence. 

The back

"Allured to brighter worlds and led the way"

Looking more like a road salt depot than a mausoleum, it still had a great door. 

After lots of looking, I still couldn't figure out what this was made from

For his wife. It's hard to tell but there is a lovely lamp in the center of this. 

"How many hopes lie buried here"
There are some stories we'll never get to hear. 

It was the color of the rose sculpted at the top that intrigued me.
How'd they do that??

This is apparently a big favorite in the graveyard.
I thought it was just really sad. 

Gracie's story

There is a lot going on here!

Tree gazing

This was about the tree

Not a bad thought at all

Not a bad thought part II

"This was her Georgia, this her share of pine and river and sleepy air"
I love this one

A good resting place

I know the feeling

Back when there was room to do these family memorials,
plus, I really like the gate and fence

I'm just taking a crazy guess here but...

She was loved

Runner, beauty queen and apparently just a really good woman

The doors caught my eye but there was a great surprise. 

The vaults are on the sides but you can see through to this gorgeous
stained glass window at the back.
Beauty and function. Well done, Herman's.

Wow.

I thought this was going to be too sad but it was the children's tribute to their mother,
which was way more beautiful than sad. 

The engraving on this was too worn away to read, a disappointment because it's
such a cool monument and probably my favorite.
Come have a picnic and celebrate this life!

I thought I was heading south to Florida and a Francie time, but that is on hold when instead I came back with Robin in the Panhandle, to see if I can do a little Panama City post-hurricane help. 

We made it! Now only lots more hours to go.

Spring, stateside style

And onward we go!

Have a moveable Monday. Do something mesmerizing.