[Magdalen] Heading South

[ROGER STOKES]

I had not realised how far West you have to go to get past the various river estuaries down the Eastern seaboard of the US.  This far South it also tends to head South-West rather than due South.  Eventually, though, I was able to  turn East again and make for my night's stop at Wilmington NC. For a Brit the place names could be a little confusing when you see that you are leaving the City of Suffolk to enter the County of Southampton. IUn England Southampton is a city and Suffolk a county.  


I assume Wilmington is named after the place in Kent (now part of Greater London) near where I was born and where one of my aunts lived for many years. It is quite unlike its namesake being a relatively unspoilt (at least in the historic downtown) town.  The hotel where I stayed is at the river end of the old rail station, now sadly cut off from the network but still with a rail museum in part of the station.  The other station buildings have now become a convention center. The hotel rooms all look out over the river and there's a pleasant board walk along its edge.

Dinner was in Paddy's Hollow, which didn't pretend (despite its name) to be an Irish bar. It's tucked away in part of what was the Cotton Exchange and does not keep late hours.  I thought closing time was 9 p.m. but was told it was actually a half-hour later.  This helps make it a quiet and pleasant place for a meal.

Heading West again this morning I was getting worried at one stage as mile after mile passed with no habitation and, more importantly, no gas station.  Eventually I cam across one and was able to replenish the car's tank to continue my journey. Even a small car needs some gas to make it go. Approaching Charleston I noticed a number of roadside stalls selling sweetgrass baskets.  Subsequent research shows that these are peculiar to this area where the sweetgrass grows.  However the supply is diminishing as more of the land where it grows is taken over for development.

Having been given a pack of American tea last weekend I went to see the Charleston Tea Plantation where it came from.  There was an informative illustrated talk along the gallery overlooking the factory where I could see the tea being processed.  I hadn't realized that the difference between black, oolong and green tea is essentially in the processing.  They were making green tea when I was there with the ground leaves being taken straight to the drying room rather than spending time on the oxidising bed.

Roger