Charleston on my Mind

Dear Knitty Friends,
I just realized that I refer to my cats as "Kitty Friends" although they certainly aren't friendly with each other. The both seemed glad to see me after my 9-day excursion to Charleston, and I was happy to get back to them, but Charleston was waaaay cool. Gary's apartment is within walking distance of everything, and there is so much to see and do (and eat!) Here are some random comments:

Fort Sumter - I think the Nat'l Park Service has lost its way on this, and is too "respectful" of local sentiment. The interpretation of history presented here makes it look like the American Civil War was a difference of opinion that got out of hand, and that both sides had equal claims as to the "rightness" of their positions. In particular, it implied that slavery was an institution about which reasonable people could disagree, since it really did work out well for the slave owners and supported the local economy. We discussed this with a colleague of Gary's who independently arrived at the same conclusion, so I don't think I'm overreacting.

Church Street - A residential area in the oldest part of the city with so many examples of the Charleston single house. Great for walking around with a guidebook, and plenty of gardening inspiration.

Charleston Churches - This is a city of churches, and several are open to visitors. The most distinctive feature is the churchyards which are just full of tombstones and vaults. I have never seen so many churches with graves right up to the church walls on 4 sides. Gary and I did get locked in a graveyard, but the caretaker let us out. (The gate was climbable, though.)

Charleston Fashion - Charlestonians pay attention to the way they are dressed. People in the restaurants and on the streets tended to be carefully dressed, including jewelry! Of course there were tourists dressed like tourists everywhere, but there was a noticeable difference between what I am used to seeing in Tallahassee and what I saw in Charleston. There are also some very nice stores to buy these fashionable duds!

Charleston Food - The downtown has few franchise restaurants, and the local places were great.
There is plenty of sweet tea and seafood, but the vegetables tended to be less seasoned (read salty). A lot of restaurants sell small plates of the entrees and these portions are more realistic for anyone except an NFL lineman.

Tomorrow I'll get back to you with pictures of a Charleston knitting shop, and maybe some progress on Da Capo.

I'd love to see project pictures!

Ellen