A Christmas Walk Around Savannah

Hi all -- Dianne here.   Christmas Day was certainly different from any Christmas Day we've ever experienced.  It was sunny and warm, 80 degrees.  I made egg casserole for breakfast (to give Roger just a hint of Christmases past).  For supper we grilled some fresh Georgia shrimp and I made a "fake" key lime pie.

The day started off 

great when I logged onto the computer and found an e-mail from Robyn.   She explained they have been very busy the first couple of cruises with rehearsals and that their internet connection is slow on the ship.   She had only been on the computer twice since she'd been gone.   She said she has seen the Pyramids in Egypt and the Colosseum in Rome.   Her life at age 32 is certainly different than mine was!  We are thrilled that she has this opportunity to see the world, and get paid for doing it!   (She's on the Norwegian Jade performing improv comedy with Second City, in case there's anyone in the world we missed telling!).  

We also spoke with Amanda by phone while we were walking around Savannah.   I joked with her that she was missing the Juliette Gordon Low birthplace (she HATED girl scouts).   I feel badly leaving my baby girl alone for the first time at Christmas, but she seemed to be coping pretty well and spent the day with her boyfriend, Eric.

Early in the day, we packed up the dogs and drove into the historic district of Savannah.   There was method to our madness:  we figured on Christmas Day there would be both free parking at the meters and very little traffic to contend with.   We were right on both counts.  

The Savannah squares were beautiful - just as I'd pictured them in my mind, only even more!   Roger and I had both just re-read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.  For those of you who have read and remember the book, here is a photo of the infamous Mercer House:

The squares and parks were beautifully landscaped, with flowers and fountains, monuments and statues.  We passed by a holly branch along one street that was just COVERED with berries. 

  Many of the homes had lovely holiday decorations.   One of the homes (the one with Roger and Jasper) had the best curb landscaping I've ever seen!   

There were other folks out walking around, many with their dogs.   Walking dogs always seems to "break the ice,"  and we had some nice conversations with people along the way.  Now that we have scoped out the town, we plan to go back without the dogs next week sometime, visit some places that were of course closed on Christmas Day, and eat lunch at one of the places that have been recommended to us.   

I hope our photos give you a taste of how lovely Savannah is!

Sunday evening, after our grilled shrimp supper, we took our Ipod + its speaker docking station (whatever those things are called) outside and sat and listened to the Christmas music playlist I had compiled last summer.   It seemed a little odd to be sitting outside and looking at palm trees in the woods, but somehow it made the music even better.  

Roger here.   It was without a doubt the most peaceful Christmas I can ever remember.  Savannah may well be the most beautiful American city I have ever seen.  However, it was certainly bittersweet.  As we listened to songs from my favorite Christmas album, John Denver and the Muppets, it brought back memories of past Christmases with Robyn, Amanda, Mom & Dad, my brother Dick and his family, and of course our beautiful granddaughter Kaia.  We miss them terribly, but we know that we will always have the wonderful memories of Mom and Dad, and that we will see everyone else in the near future.  

Enough of the sentimental stuff....  During our Savannah walk, while Dianne was talking to Amanda on the phone, we entered Chippewa Square.  I told Dianne to tell Amanda that I was looking at the bench that Forrest Gump sat on during the "box of chocolates" moment.  I was not really sure if I was right until this guy came running into the Square saying, "This is it!  This was my favorite movie!"  He created quite a commotion before he left as he asked the other walkers exactly which bench was THE BENCH.  He was laughing and running around.  Before he left, everyone else in the square was also smiling.