Florida 2012 - Charleston SC (Day 2)

Our second day in Charleston was spent wandering in the historic district.

We took the free trolley to Broad Street and strolled to Waterfront Park and the famous Pineapple Fountain - unfortunately the water was turned off.

We then strolled the Battery where there are some truly beautiful houses.

A carved owl was supposed to keep smaller "pest" birds away

Houses were taxed on frontage, so most of the homes are narrow and deep

On Rainbow Row, all the houses are different colors. Unfortunately, the best view was totally blocked by trucks and construction equipment

A popular way to see the city is in a horse drawn carriages

The battery is so named because of the battery where artillery guarded the city

This monument is dedicated to those who fought for the Confederacy in Charleston  

We wanted to visit the Edmonston-Alston House,  but it was closed for maintenance. Instead we walked to the Calhoun Mansion, once occupied by John C. Calhoun.

The house is beautiful inside and out but was not always so. During World War II, the Navy commandeered the house for officer housing. They made many alterations and when the war ended, the house was in very  rough condition. It remained so until much later when it was bought and rehabilitated. 

The gardens are lovely

We wait on the porch for the tour inside

The inside is lovely but is crowded with many, many items

We then walked to the Cathedral

The brickwork on the Cathedral is unusual

We happened on a mass in progress!

The Cathedra or bishop's chair from which the Cathedral gets it's name

The stations of the cross are lovely paintings framed in decorative frames

After mass, we walked down Broad Street to Gaulart & Maliclet French Cafe

Inside G&M, the patrons sit shoulder to shoulder along a slate gray counter.

The food is very good! Theresa had carrot & ginger soup & baguette slices with Brie cheese

Bob had gazpacho accompanied by smoked salmon & goat cheese on thin rye toast

We wanted a sweetgrass basket to be a companion to one we bought years ago. Every vendor we encountered wanted $200 or more! So we went to the Market, a structure several blocks long. The main building alone has a second floor which houses a Museum to the Confederacy.

The lower level goes on for blocks! About half way through, we found a man who sold us a sweetgrass basket at a price we could afford

Near the end of the market is the US Custom House! Charleston is the port for many imports.

Across the street from the Charleston Visitor's Center is the Charleston Museum where a fll scale model of CSS Hunley. When we visited the restoration site for the raised Hunley, we discovered they had some details wrong on this model.

The day ended with a drive out to Sullivan's Island to visit Ft Moultrie followed by a nice meal at Locklear's Low Country Grill where we had some wonderful she crab soup and shrimp & grits!