(A horse drawn carriage on the streets reflects the spirit of the Old South in America)

Our need to visit to Columbia, South Carolina, was the catalyst that triggered off a multi-state travel reaction!  Pearl Fernandes, a relative, was to wed Markus Reiter. This happy occasion became the springboard for our vacation.

All went well, on a glorious day, at the mass and reception where we danced the evening away. The gracious charm of the American South was not lost on us as we mingled with local residents at this happy event. The bride was radiant in a sari, the groom in a tux. I was given the privilege of conducting the Indian style Wedding March (the Bridal Special, as we call it in India) as Pearl was eager to re-live some of the fun of our Bombay-style celebrations. The buffet table was laden with delicious finger foods and the wedding cake was a mouthwatering confection with its cascades of fresh fruit.

When the excitement of the wedding had passed, the next day, we attempted to discover the city on a walking tour. Arriving in “Downtown Columbia”, we discovered it to be a beautifully laid-out city constructed in a perfect grid pattern. If one has a map, it is difficult to get lost.

Our itinerary allowed us to reserve a few hours to take in a tour of the State Capitol, a fittingly grand building whose dome dominates the city’s skyline. Beautifully moving sculptures on the front lawn brilliantly detail the troubled history of the State and the suffering of the days of slavery. Inside, the superb marble interiors were engulfed by students from the various local schools, out on field-trips. The day was gorgeous and they could not have lucked out better with the weather. Joining a conducted tour, we were taken through the various public rooms that comprise the administrative hub of the building.

Our next stop was  Trinity Church, the oldest Episcopalian Church in the South. We thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the church conducted by an old-fashioned Southern gentleman, the very epitome of the legendary graciousness of the Old South. In showing us the lovely stained glass windows of his church, he also exposed us to Jim Crow laws that prevailed prior to the Civil Rights Movement in America when Blacks were allowed to worship only from the gallery of the church. We realized just how difficult life must have been in the Old South for African-Americans and we were grateful that we no longer live in such an era of blatant raical discrimination.

We also visited the courtyard of the historic Baptist Church where the Ordinance of Secession (that triggered off “the War for the Rights of the Southern States” as the American Civil War is euphemistically called in the South) was signed. Peppered by granite and marble gravestones of eminent South Carolina lineage, the graveyard is a quiet, peaceful spot in the midst of the bustling traffic on the main streets.  All of Columbia’s main tourist landmarks are within walking distance of each other which makes it very convenient to explore the mian sights in a single morning. Walking through the streets, we realized just how wide they are. Indeed, Columbia’s neat grid has some of the widest streets in the country—constructed, we discovered, in accordance with a contemporary belief that such urban planning would discourage the spread of respiratory diseases such as consumption!

Apart from these historic buildings, however, the city could be Anywhere, USA. There is little distinctive character to make the city unqiue. In fact, there is nothing to hold the interest of younger tourists, not even a mall at which to hang out over a cup of Starbucks! Not surprisingly, Menaka and Chriselle were quickly bored by its banal urban ambience.

A day later, we were making our way further south on our crowded itinerary and driving towards Savannah, Georgia. But not before we stopped to visit relatives en route.

(The South is full of beautiful courtyard gardens such as this one attached to a gracious manion in Charleston) 

Gilbert, South Carolina

Forty-five minutes away, in Gilbert, South Carolina, live Llew’s nephew David Almeida, his wife Sherri and their daughter, Elyse. Their home, a simple farmhouse, was moved about five years ago from its original location about five miles down the road on the payment of a dollar to the original owner! David and Sherri have spent the better part of half a decade refurbishing and renovating their home.

We arrived at their home in mid-afternoon after a huge brunch held at Pearl and Markus’ new home in Columbia. The drive took us over highways that cut through extensive southern plantations.  Over lemonade and cookies and several photo albums, the Almeidas took us on a pictorial tour of their fascinating home from barest shell to the lived-in habitation it has become. Located in the midst of soybean fields and peach orchards, the Almeidas live in the heart of rural South Carolina, Sherri’s family having made their living as farmers for generations. After we had marveled at their unique home and the many renovations they have made since moving in a few years ago, it was time to bid them goodbye.

Leaving Gilbert behind us, we drove about three hours further south to Savannah, Georgia, passing by sweet grass swamps, and endless cotton plantations, to arrive in the Peach State with enough time to take showers and settle down to a comedy on TV.

Bon Voyage!