As promised, here are the photos from the amazing excursion my Servas host Stacy and her daughter took me on the other day, to a state historic park called Charles Towne Landing. The Lowcountry botanical aesthetic was on full display, with live oaks and Spanish moss in abundance, among other wonders. I had been looking forward to experiencing these sorts of views in this area, and this park did not disappoint. What did surprise and delight me, though, was how autumnal some of the trees were. The reflections in the pond were like nothing I had seen; it felt like entering another world.
We strolled the park from mid-afternoon until the light began to fade, and the views kept pace. What a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Meanwhile, I thoroughly enjoyed my two-night stay with Stacy (pictured in the tree above.) She has been a Servas traveler and host for decades, and has traveled extensively in Europe—especially France—and other places around the globe. She is a French and Montessori teacher, but perhaps the most amazing thing about her life at the moment is that she shares her home with eleven cats(!!) This all happened in the course of the past year, when her three rescue cats were joined by two more… both of whom turned out to be pregnant with three kittens each.
We had actually discussed the possibility of my staying to sit for the cats over the holiday weekend after my Servas visit, so that Stacy could take a well-earned vacation after painstakingly nurturing these six young cats since their kittenhoods, six and eight months ago. Unfortunately, although I found myself smitten by their adorableness, after witnessing just how challenging it is to care for all these cats (including an unexpected medical issue as well as navigating a recent coyote in the neighborhood) I regretfully declined. But here are a few photos, so that you can all experience the cuteness.
I’m writing this post from the small Selma, North Carolina train station, waiting to transfer from the Amtrak Palmetto train that brought me here from Charleston this morning to the Carolinian train to Cary, outside of Raleigh, where my aunt and uncle will receive me at the station to spend the holiday weekend with them.
Thank you all, as always, for following along on my adventures. It multiplies my enjoyment of traveling when I can share it with all of you.
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