The colors of Skye: mossy green, salty blue, silvery grey, peaty brown, with a touch of mustard yellow and purple heather. In other words, Harris Tweed. 
Several months ago, while in the planning stages for our Highland adventures, my father called me up. "Why Skye?" he asked. I admit that I was somewhat perplexed about how to answer at the time; it was just one of those places I knew we had to go. But when we crossed over the Skye Bridge and took in the magnificent vista ahead of us, I said: "Dad, this is why." 
Driving through the Highlands, feeling the vastness of the land and watching the clouds descend over the mountains, is a truly humbling experience. From Glencoe to the famous castle of Eilean Donan, we watched out the car windows in silence as the magic of the landscape revealed itself. More than once we remarked that photographs can't do it justice. And yet we tried anyway, hopping out of the car at every opportunity. 
Honestly, there are no words. Have you ever been so moved by a place that it makes you want to cry? The Highlands of Scotland are like that. 
On the corner of Oglethorpe Square, framed by old oak trees, stands the Owens-Thomas House, a rare surviving example of Federal architecture in Savannah. While little of the original furnishings remain (one piece to be precise), the house is filled with wonderful period pieces. It is the house's sophisticated architectural details, however, that really fascinate ~ from an innovative early cistern and plumbing system to an imposing cast-iron side veranda (from which the Marquis de Lafayette addressed the citizens of Savannah in 1825). Unusual interior details such as a brass-inlaid wooden staircase, an amber glass window in the dining room, and a bridge spanning the stairwell are remarkable. The original carriage house also survives, which includes a stable and one of the earliest intact urban slave quarters in the region.
The garden is purely colonial revival, and thoroughly charming (though a far cry from the dusty, bustling space it must have been in the early 19th century). I loved this house! It is probably one of the most interesting structures I have seen in a long time.
I went to Savannah. Three days, two nights. An escape to some green, southern perfection, in the midst of a grey mid-Atlantic winter. Sunlight and camellias (yes, a few were still in bloom), live oaks and Spanish moss. A real treat. I have more to show you over the next few days. Promise!
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