119 Gordon Row

I was listening to the slow summer rain fall on the roof as I read the story.  It  was a warm afternoon in Savannah, and we had just checked into Savannah's Bed and Breakfast Inn. The Inn is housed in joined houses which form Gordon Row and was built 1853-54. It features wrought iron banisters leading to the parlor floor of the four story structure. On this shady street off Chatham Square, the inn exudes the charm of the old South with treelined streets, hanging Spanish moss, and blooming flowers. We had enjoyed lunch with friends soon after arriving in this city, on the banks of the river for which it was named, before checking into the Inn. The drumming of the rain on the roof gave more life to the story I was reading about the war in Afghanistan. It echoed the gunfire from the war zone. Claudette was catching up with her Facebook friends on her iPad at a nearby table. The overhead fans moved the warm humid air in a futile effort to cool things off. The story I was reading about American soldiers collecting the corpses of Afghani war victims was in stark contrast to my surroundings. A semi-calico cat brushed against my leg and brought me back to reality, as a young couple entered the porch from the parlor. Both were dressed in shorts and flip-flops. She wore the shorter shorts, but both had on long-sleeved shirts, untucked. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders, and he had the fashionable facial stubble.  I would have put their age at mid to late twenties. They were very much engrossed in each other.  Newlyweds?  Perhaps. I finished reading the story

before Claudette was ready for tea, and I busied myself looking at the patio gardens below.  From my second story porch vantage point I got a good view. Several had fountains.  One particular fountain of note was an ugly creature spewing water from its mouth. Ceramic or stone stone animals were quite common too. I took a few photos including some of angels or "garden angels", as I referred to them. 
Soon she had finished catching up with her daily emails, and we ventured inside for tea. For some reason, after visiting the British Isles several times, afternoon tea has become a part or our daily lives. There was a variety of teas available, but I usually prefer a standard English breakfast tea with two lumps of sugar. I let others enjoy the various and sundry flavors. The necessary items for tea were on an elegantly carved sideboard with tiny pastries under glass. The parlor extended from the front to the back of the house and had matching carved black marble fireplaces along one side. Art framed in carved gilded frames hung on the walls. Some were botanical prints and others original oils or watercolors, and there were some reproductions on canvas also. All were very tastily hung on an off-white wall.  Of course everything was well illuminated by overhead chandeliers. 

We retired to our room to relax a bit before dinner. Our ground level room was spacious with private bath. There were two queen-size beds with matching carved headboards and were truly beautiful pieces of furniture. There was an upholstered chair by the window with end table. The flat screen TV was on a chest of drawers beside the fireplace. I kicked back on the bed and was going to watch television when I spied a stack of books on a shelf behind the room door. I selected a book reviewing a recent film festival in the city. 

We walked a few blocks to the Crystal Beer Parlor to dine. As you would imagine it had a storied past dating back to the early 1900s. I had the shrimp scampi pita pizza and it was delicious. It was a white pizza and the shrimp were surprisingly tender. Claudette had the bison burger which she enjoyed. 

Breakfast was all you could ask for. We had the classic breakfasts of eggs, bacon, toast and fresh fruit. I ordered strawberry jam for my toast. Yogurt parfaits, and waffles were also available. We had placed our orders for breakfast when we checked in. The parlor had spaces at the tables for 20 guests, but we did not see that many there at once. The waitress was very courteous and efficient.

But alas it was time to check out and leave to travel north to our home. I hope that the next time we visit Savannah it doesn't rain every day. We did find a nice place to stay even though it rained.