Settling in

This is our cute little house in Bay St. Louis, home for the next six weeks.

It's late 1890s and was very sensitively restored after Hurricane Katrina, which devastated BSL in August 2005.  Although the house is several blocks from the Gulf of Mexico, it was flooded by the storm surge wrought by the hurricane.  On the archway separating the kitchen and dining room is a small "Katrina plaque" showing the high water line of the inundation.  It's a good yard off the floor!

On arrival our landlady, Nikki, showed us around, gave us the key and some brochures, and was gone before we knew it (she runs a B&B a few blocks away).  We were impressed that she didn't come back an hour or so later to "see how y'all are doing," i.e. check to make sure we hadn't cleaned out the place, as happened to us once in Savannah (or maybe that's just what we thought -- mistrustful northerners!).

It's certainly a very friendly, laid back place, with its own quirks.  The next morning we dutifully walked over to the tourist office where we were met at the door by Susan, who works there, with a treat for Isabel.  The office is housed in the old Bay St. Louis Train Depot, a mission-style building from the 1870s that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

The third photo shows the lovely pavilion behind the station from which you entrain/disembark.  Although not any more.  But the depot is on the main coastal line and we hear the sound of train whistles and rumbling several times a day.  Like St. Marys but a lot closer and more frequent.

But back inside: the tourist office doubles as a sort of Mardi Gras museum.  It seems BSL has its own Mardi Gras parade and celebration and some of the more flamboyant costumes are on display.  And maybe it's just the time of year -- they're getting ready -- but they even let you wear them!

Along with Susan we also met Jimmy, who happened to be stopping by.  He works in the town's "beautification" department and was wearing a sort of uniform that said as much (forget the MG headdress, I'd like one of those!).  Both of them gave us their phone numbers and said to call any time. I think it had to be the friendliest reception we're received anywhere, and said as much on the comment card by the door on our way out.  The next day we heard from Nikki that she had been to a tourism development meeting where they had read out our comments and people were thrilled.  Typical small town.