Visting Charleston

Our first trip to the historic coastal city of Charleston was something many of our group had been looking forward to since day one. As a result, our early start wasn’t as much of an issue, even after such a busy week of classes and 4th of July celebrations. The good weather in Columbia followed us to our first stop in Charleston -the carriage tours by the markets.

The pace of the horse wasn’t enough to create a healing breeze but the architecture, history and general ambiance was more than worth the discomfort. Credit as well to the horse/tour guide team who kept us safe and entertained. It was an ideal introduction to a city with such a colorful past.

Spirits within the group were then amplified by the performance of the English team in the World Cup -even those without an allegiance could appreciate the potential of the semi-final against Croatia. A tour through the market and an interesting lunch in ‘Bubba Gumps’ had set us up well to tackle the afternoon in Charleston, with everyone making plans to tour, shop and eat some more.

However, we hadn’t anticipated the arrival of another Southern delicacy; the thunder storm. Lightning and flooding forced us back into the safety of our vans where we re-joined the motorway feeling a little unfulfilled. Thankfully our group will have another chance to experience the colonial city in a couple of weeks. Perhaps this time some more of us won’t forget our umbrellas!