11th Day Natchez

Natchez is grand city steeped in rich history and has embraced and preserved the influences of Native American, European, Southern and African American culture. We boarded a coach at 9.00am for a city tour past the grand houses which included a stop at Longwood one of the historic houses that grace the historic district. The mansion was built in 1860 for a wealthy cotton planter and was a great octagonal rotunda and 6 stories with a 24 ft. Dome at the top. It was still being built when the Civil War began and the craftsmen dropped their tools and fled north. After 150 years the tools etc. still remain in the unfinished sections. There was a grand piano there and the original packing box was still there after all this time. The plantation owner died in 1864 but his wife and 8 children lived there in the basement until her death in 1897. After that we had a short walk around the town and visited a beautiful Catholic Church built in 1842 and is the only structure built as a cathedral in Mississippi. I would have liked a bit more time to walk around town although there was little in the way of shops. However we did hear there was a Walmart just a bit further on but it wasn't on the agenda it seems. Back to the boat for lunch and then we did another tour to another antebellum house built in 1850 and still in the family. Here we were treated to a classical concert by the owner playing a grand piano Steinway built in New York in 1903. After, he gave us a tour and explained his lineage - which was long! Back on the bus and a quick change for dinner as the Sunrise team from Aus was to film our Captains Cocktail Party but we did not see them there but they were outside filming. It would be strange to see what they will show of the trip. I hope someone records it at home.
Kerri and Dolour we have received your emails but Geoff yours hasn't come through yet. However the Blog comments are so, at this stage we don't seem to be receiving all the emails and can't send either.