00:00 Hello, and welcome to the For 91 Days podcast.
00:03 We're Mike and Juergen.
00:13 In 2010, we embarked on a new kind of lifestyle,
00:16 traveling the world for 91 days at a time.
00:19 Every three months, we'll pack up our bags
00:21 and move to a new city, country, or continent.
00:25 The idea is to travel slow and really get to know a place
00:27 before moving on.
00:28 Three months gives us enough time
00:30 to explore every facet of our new homes,
00:32 from the history, people, and landmarks,
00:35 to the cuisine and culture.
00:36 And we document everything exhaustively
00:38 on our blog, for91days.com, where
00:41 we've published over 2,000 articles over the years.
00:45 Now, we're exploring a new format
00:47 to tell our travel stories, a podcast.
00:50 So put on your headphones, sit back,
00:53 and let us take you on a journey.
00:56 We're starting this series with our time in Savannah, Georgia.
00:58 We spent 91 days exploring and learning
01:01 about this jewel of the US South,
01:03 visiting the most iconic sites, getting
01:05 to know the famously eccentric locals,
01:08 and exploring the region.
01:10 Whether you've already visited Savannah
01:12 or are thinking about a trip, we think
01:14 you'll love hearing about our experiences
01:16 in this beautiful and historic city.
01:25 The road to Savannah.
01:27 At 3 PM on a brisk November afternoon,
01:29 Juergen and I parked a smashed up car
01:31 in front of our new Savannah home
01:33 and pulled our exhausted bodies up the front steps.
01:36 We had arrived after a whirlwind trip that
01:38 had brought us from Oviedo to Madrid, Chicago, Denver,
01:41 Ohio, Kentucky, and finally, southeastern Georgia.
01:45 And our dog, Chucky, had come with us.
01:48 The flight from Madrid to Chicago had been long,
01:51 and she had surely spent every minute howling
01:53 in the dark solitude of the cargo bay.
01:56 When her crate arrived into Chicago customs,
01:58 I picked her up for hugs and kisses,
02:01 realizing too late that she was covered in puke.
02:04 There's no evidence for it, but I've convinced myself
02:07 that she must have vomited at the very end of the flight
02:10 and that she didn't spend 10 terrifying, turbulent hours
02:13 rolling around in her own mess.
02:16 My parents let us borrow their car for the trip
02:18 from Kentucky to Savannah.
02:20 I repaid that small kindness by backing
02:22 into the fire hydrant across the street from their house,
02:26 ripping the bumper off and putting a hideous gash
02:28 into the side of the car.
02:30 A great way to start off our new 91-day adventure.
02:33 Otherwise, the drive went smoothly,
02:35 and we were soon installed in our new home,
02:38 anxious to get out and explore the city.
02:41 It had been 10 years since I lived in the USA,
02:43 and neither Juergen nor I had never
02:45 spent much time in the South.
02:47 This was surely going to be a fascinating three months.
02:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
02:53 First impressions of Savannah.
03:00 Our first full day in Savannah was warm and overcast.
03:03 Luckily, the rain held off, and we
03:04 were able to spend the afternoon getting familiar
03:06 with the city that would be our home for the next few months.
03:10 Our landlord had offered to let us
03:11 make use of a couple old rickety bikes he had in storage.
03:15 We wobbled into town, unsure the ancient contraptions weren't
03:18 going to fall apart, but comfortably inconspicuous.
03:22 A sleek mountain bike would be out of place
03:24 in this eccentric, slow-moving city.
03:27 But ambling along the wide streets
03:29 on these quirky old things, we fit right in.
03:33 Over the course of the day, I gathered the same impressions
03:36 of Savannah which must strike every newcomer to the city.
03:39 The haunting beauty of the Spanish moss,
03:41 the crowded riverside promenade with its shops and tour boats,
03:45 the incredible Victorian architecture,
03:47 the parks and squares with their monuments
03:49 to Savannah's rich history, the looming mansions, which always
03:53 evince an air of mystery.
03:55 And I don't mean one or two foreboding old mansions.
03:58 Savannah must have hundreds.
04:00 Biking around them was enough to send shivers down my spine,
04:03 especially on a dreary day.
04:05 It's no coincidence that the city is
04:07 home to so many ghost stories.
04:10 But what impressed us most of all
04:11 was the people and the relaxed way of life which reigns here.
04:15 Nearly everyone we encountered was smiling,
04:17 happy to stop and chat.
04:19 Savannah boasts an eclectic populace
04:21 with proper society type ladies sharing the squares
04:24 and sidewalks with panhandlers and flannel clad students.
04:27 It's an old city, but one with a vital infusion of youth
04:30 that keeps things fresh.
04:32 Thanks to SCAD, the Savannah College of Art and Design,
04:35 Savannah might have a higher percentage
04:37 of hipsters than Brooklyn.
04:39 This initial tour was fascinating.
04:41 And by the time we returned to our own foreboding old mansion
04:44 just off Abercorn, I knew that we had made a great decision
04:48 in coming here.
04:51 Savannah is stunning at first glance,
04:53 but the city's true beauty lies in its depth, its history,
04:56 secrets, and legends.
04:58 Our 91 days was already ticking down,
05:00 and I could hardly wait to get back out there
05:02 and start exploring.
05:03 [MUSIC PLAYING]
05:06 Forsyth Park.
05:13 Occupying 30 acres between Drayton and Whittaker Street,
05:16 Forsyth is Savannah's answer to New York's Central Park.
05:19 It's not as massive as its counterpart,
05:22 but blends seamlessly into the city
05:24 and has always formed a part of its identity.
05:27 Forsyth Park was built in the 1840s
05:29 and christened in honor of John Forsyth, a former statesman
05:32 and Georgian governor.
05:34 The park's massive central fountain,
05:36 crowned with a female figure and flanked by spitting geese,
05:39 was inspired by the fountain in Paris's Plaza de la Concorde.
05:43 With water shooting haphazardly in all directions,
05:46 it's one of the most recognizable landmarks
05:48 of Savannah, appearing in films like 1962's Cape Fear
05:52 and Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
05:55 Three monuments in Forsyth Park commemorate Savannah's
05:58 contribution to American wars.
06:00 To the north, there's one for the Vietnam War.
06:04 An impressively large memorial to the Civil Wars Confederate
06:07 dead is in the park's center with the biblical inscription,
06:11 "Come from the four winds, O breath,
06:13 and breathe upon these slain, that they may live."
06:16 And at the southern end is an interesting tribute
06:19 to the Spanish-American War, in which the US helped liberate
06:22 Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Philippines, and Guam
06:25 from Spanish influence.
06:28 Though the northern third of the park is shaded and tree-filled,
06:31 the rest is wide open with flat lawns that host weekend
06:34 picnics and pickup sports.
06:37 There's a cafe, a visitor's center,
06:39 and an open-air stage for summer concerts,
06:42 as well as something I'd never heard of before,
06:44 a fragrant garden for the blind.
06:46 The gate was locked, but I stuck my nose through the bars
06:48 and took a long whiff.
06:50 It smelled of trash and roses.
06:52 During our first few days in Savannah,
06:54 we had already crossed through Forsyth Park multiple times.
06:58 Practically an extended pedestrian-only section
07:00 of Bull Street, it's as much a thoroughfare as a destination,
07:03 and I had a feeling we'd be getting
07:05 to know the park intimately.
07:06 [MUSIC PLAYING]
07:10 The 24 Squares of Savannah.
07:16 At the time of its founding in 1733,
07:19 Savannah was the first North American city
07:21 planned around public squares.
07:23 General Oglethorpe's grand design for his new capital
07:26 called for four squares to serve as gardens and meeting areas.
07:29 The western and eastern sides of each square
07:32 were reserved for public buildings,
07:33 such as churches and government offices,
07:36 while the northern and southern ends
07:37 were for private residences, called tithing blocks.
07:41 Savannah was the original capital of Georgia,
07:43 the last of the original 13 colonies,
07:46 and its logical design won it fame around the world.
07:49 The plan was far-sighted, allowing
07:52 for over a century of growth, always replicating the square
07:55 system further outward.
07:57 By the mid-19th century, there were a total of 24.
08:01 From the largest, Johnson, to the smallest, Crawford,
08:05 each of Savannah's 24 squares has
08:07 its own history and personality.
08:10 We made a promise to fully explore each of them
08:12 during our three months here and learn
08:15 their stories and secrets.
08:17 It was a promise we kept.
08:18 [MUSIC PLAYING]
08:21 Johnson Square.
08:27 We had 24 squares to explore during our time in Savannah
08:30 and decided to start with the oldest and largest.
08:33 Johnson Square was established in 1733
08:36 and named in honor of South Carolina's colonial governor,
08:39 Robert Johnson.
08:41 The most notable monument in Johnson Square
08:43 is a 50-foot white obelisk dedicated
08:45 to Nathaniel Green, the Revolutionary War
08:48 hero from Rhode Island who retired to a farm near Savannah.
08:52 His remains, along with those of his son,
08:54 are buried underneath the obelisk.
08:57 Johnson Square also features two identical fountains
09:00 and a sundial dedicated to the memory of William Bull, who
09:03 helped General Oglethorpe both choose Savannah's location
09:06 and design its unique layout.
09:08 The time was off a little when we visited,
09:10 but ancient sundials can't be expected
09:12 to cope with daylight savings.
09:14 Another monument is the Johnny Mercer Bench,
09:17 which honors the city's best-known musical artist.
09:20 Ever since Savannah's inception, Johnson Square
09:23 has been the center of city life.
09:25 In the very early days, this is where colonists would
09:28 meet to check the time, fetch water,
09:30 make use of public ovens, and congregate for worship.
09:34 The Christ Church, found on the eastern side of the square,
09:37 is known as the Mother Church of Georgia.
09:40 Built in 1773, it's the oldest in all of Georgia.
09:43 [MUSIC PLAYING]
09:47 We hope you're enjoying our stories from Savannah.
09:54 If so, please subscribe to our podcast
09:56 so you don't miss any episodes.
09:57 And of course, you can read all about this amazing city
10:00 and admire photos on our blog, savannah.for91days.com.
10:04 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:08 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:11 [MUSIC PLAYING]
10:15 (upbeat music)
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