City tour, Ft Sumter, Gullah tour and biking around town.

We walked about 3 blocks and found the Charleston Museum, the visitors center and the starting point for all the tours.  It looks like we won't need our car at all because we are near to everything (and there is also a free shuttlebus).

First on the agenda was the city tour which pointed out all the sights including so many churches of as many different denominations (at least it seemed that way).  Charleston is known as the "holy city" because there are 109 churches and the population is only about 125,000 (and that's today; it was much smaller when all these were built).  Many of the churches have been rebuilt 3 times due to fires and earthquakes (yes, earthquakes!); but rebuild them they did.  Each was unique and beautiful.  The city seems to be primarily residential, and still very much lived in by residents.  Yes, there are homes turned into b&b's, or museums, or divided into apartments; but also many appear to be family homes.  It was a good introduction to the major streets and sights but I couldn't report any great tidbits... oh, except one: don't take home any Spanish moss as it is filled with chiggers! (good to know, I've been on chigger alert and feeling itchy ever since that news)

Then we were off to Ft Sumpter and a cruise on the beautiful bay.  A lot of sailboats; a beautiful skyline; and a dramatic bridge... hmm, reminds me of somewhere...  The fort was very interesting, especially after having read Doubleday's account of the surrender.  Like Moultrie, it has changed a great deal over the years, with new armored batteries etc.

The next day we rode our bikes just because the day was so gorgeous.  We took the 2 hour Gullah Tour, which was similar to the previous day's city tour, but with an interesting difference.  Most of the same sights were pointed out, but the driver had a different "take" on the history.  The first tour touted John C Calhoun as the greatest politician ever; but the Gullah driver told us how Calhoun was called "Killhoun" by the slaves and their descendents.  Because supposedly Calhoun felt that the only good slave was a dead slave... or something like that.  

I was disappointed that the tour didn't focus on the Gullah culture except that he would speak Gullah and ask us to guess what he said.  "Cracking da teet", means talking/gossiping, they don't have the sound for a th in their language.  He did speak about quite a few free slaves and their accomplishments; and pointed out all the beautiful wrought iron fences and gates created by one local black artist Phillip Simmons, now deceased; ultimately taking us to his small home and workshop.  

One of the most interesting things he pointed out was a tour of a Methodist church parking lot.  Yes, just a regular parking lot... but in front of the parking places, and along the walkways were transplanted early gravestones.  Apparently the church had paved over the graveyard!  (He didn't say whether people had been reburied or not; but we did hear of several times where construction throughout town had required re-burials). This particular church was the only one in town that was non discriminatory.  Not only was the church integrated, but they also allowed blacks to be buried in their church's graveyard.  He also said that Charleston really never had civil rights issues, because, after all, everyone was related. (Not sure I believe that)

Both tours here, and also the one in Savannah seem to be totally preoccupied with paranormal activity (eg: haunted house stories).  I wonder if that is an influence of the African/Carribean culture?  We did learn the reason behind the blue shutters was to ward off the "haints" (ghosts).... and the reason that brides are told to wear something blue is for the same reason!  Blue painted on the ceilings of the porches (called "piazzas" in Charleston) does double duty... the ghosts don't like it, but neither do the bugs.

We then rode down to the waterfront; and down Tradd Street (in honor of a novel I had read), and back up the other side of the peninsula.  I don't think I've written on the blog yet about our very nifty bikes.  These are little, foldable electric bikes.  Foldable and light enough for us to take in our C-Dory.  Electric because, well, it sounded like fun... and they are!  We figured if we were doing this cruising without a car, we might need them to get to the grocery store, or laundry... or just to get from a marina to town.  So far, we've used them quite a bit and have been glad to have them.

Random pretty home on Tradd Street

In Charleston on the waterfront

The bikes have a carrying case (weight 32lbs), fold up in a few steps, and fit in the cockpit.  You can ride them manually, or with pedal assist, or just using the throttle.  They go about 12 mph (which seems faster than it sounds), and can go about 10-15 miles on a charge (depending on how much you pedal).  www.velomini.com

Charleston Day 2: Ft Moultrie and the Hunley

On our first "open" day in Charleston, we visited 2 historic sites,  Fort Moultrie and the H L  Hunley.   

In preparation for our visits to the Charleston forts (Moultrie and Sumpter), Rob and I have been reading the memoirs of Abner Doubleday (yes, the baseball guy) who served there in 1860-1861 as the second highest officer.  Rob reminds me that these are personal memoirs and will have a personal bias, but, still, they were fascinating as his viewpoint was clearly Northern/Union as he was originally from New York.  In the months before the war broke out, he served with some very Southern gentleman, and his description of their sentiments and honor were inspiring.  While they wore the uniform, they would defend the fort... but several eventually rebelled and became (as Doubleday called them, "disunionists").  He also described what it was like to live in Charleston, as a Northerner, in the year before the war.  South Carolina was the first state to sucede, and sentiments against the Union were extremely strong.  Several threats were made against the fort by "volunteers" long before the state officially left the Union.  Most interesting is that he describes everyday life in both forts, something that really made seeing them much more meaningful.

The fort was quite fascinating. It was actively used from the Revolutionary War through WWII.   It was destroyed a few times through the years,  and rebuilt and modernized as weaponry and/or war technology progressed.  Eventually, technology advanced to the point that there was no point in maintaining forts for coastal defense.   From this fort we could look across the Bay to Fort Sumter.   Moultrie was occupied by federal troops before the war broke out and they quietly evacuated one night to avoid impending capture just before Confederate guns fired on Sumter, the first shot of the "War of Yankee Aggression" as it is/was called in the South.

Ft Moultrie is on Sullivan's Island which is the subject of many novels Mary has been reading by such writers as Dorthea Frank and Eugenia Price.  It looks exactly like the old beach town that was described, and happily has not become a resort with golf courses.

From Ft. Moultrie we went to a facility where the H L Hunley is being methodically and delicately handled.   The Hunley is the first submarine used in warfare; and was actually developed by an entrapreneur (Hunley) who wanted to collect "bounties" by attacking Union ships.  It was ultimately "commandeered" by the Confederates.

This was a truly incredible and moving experience!   Several times we experienced emotional goosebumps.   This iron submarine was roughly 40' long,  only 4' tall, and 3.5' wide.   It held 8 men,  of which 1 was the captain while the other 7 worked together to turn a long crank type of mechanism that turned the propeller at the stern. 

The facility is not a museum but the plan is to build one in about 5 years.   Right now the Hunley is kept in a large tank of water to minimize deterioration.   The only way to see it is on a small guided tour that takes you up on top of a platform that looks down into the tank.   Tours only occur on the weekends.   

A few iron plates on the sub have been carefully removed for work access.  This allows visitors to see inside a bit.  It was incredibly moving to see the sub in this condition and to actually see inside of it.   We could see the crank shaft and visualize how the men sat and worked - in that very boat!    It felt  like the men were looking back at us!

The sub went down with all hands shortly after it sank it's first federal blockade ship.   The reason for this is still unknown, but research is underway to see if the sinking can be determined.  First, it had to be found... it was missing until the 1990's when it was found many miles out by an expedition funded by Clive Cussler (yes, the author).  No one knows why or how it got to where it was found.

 Great care was taken with the seamen found inside and they finally received proper burial with full honors.   This honor was hugely deserved.   The incredible bravery and dedication it took for these men to volunteer in this capacity, and then to creep down inside this tiny dark iron hull.  Before the Hunley went out on its fatal mission,  2 other similar subs had been built and launched,  and then lost during training with most men aboard.   In the second sinking one of the men lost was the designer HL Hunley.   So the 3rd sub was given his name in honor.   Despite the track record of sinking during testing, men readily volunteered for this service when the 3rd one was built.  Truly amazing...

Replica of Hunley... 10% Bigger than the actual.. Men used hand cranks to propel the boat

The Hunley soaking in its tank

After this we moved into our home for the next 4 nights, a "carriage house" (actually a maids quarters) behind an historic home.  We took a chance and used a service called "airbnb.com" because we weren't having much luck finding anything close into the historic section; that wasn't outrageously expensive.  We have a nice kitchen, a sitting area, and a 4 poster bed.  We met the owner when we arrived, and she was everything a charming Southern hostess would be.  As we were talking, I mentioned Pat Conroy, and she said she'd had dinner with him and his wife.  She pulled up their address on her cell phone and told us where he lived (not that we're going to stalk him!).  

Charleston SC

We are spending a whole week in Charleston as there is so much to do and see here; especially for Civil War buffs.  The day we arrived, the weather changed for the better; and so did our spirits.  First order of business was to find a place to park the boat (and ultimately the car), as this is the last town on this "leg" of our tour.  We also wanted to stay in the historical downtown, and didn't want to live on the boat in a marina... so we needed to find Freedom a new home.  We found an excellent covered parking space for the boat, and an indoor garage for our car (filled with our "stuff").  They will live here while we are back home for a few months, and then again for another month or two while we take the boat up the ICW.

Once our "business" was accomplished, we headed to Mt Pleasant and Sullivans Island over the beautiful Ravenal Bridge:

While we thought this bridge was beautiful, we were shocked to discover that it rates as the #1 attraction to see on Trip Advisor!

Charleston is a peninsula between two rivers: the Ashley on the west, and the Cooper on the right.  This bridge is over the Cooper; and is very high because it accommodates a lot of ship traffic.  Charleston is the 10th busiest port in the US; and also host to cruise ships.

Since we are staying here for so long;  I'll probably post several separate blogs about specific areas we found interesting, but here is our itinerary while we are here.  I'll put an * next to any that were deemed interesting enough to post about.

Day 1: arrived and took care of the car and boat parking; stayed at a motel in Mt Pleasant.
*Day 2: saw Ft Moultrie, The Hunley and then headed to our B&B "apartment" in the historic center.
*Day 3: did a city tour and took the boat to Ft Sumter
Day 4: did the Gullah tour; took our bikes all around the city.
Day 5 &6: Moved over to West Ashley (across the Ashley river from Charleston) and stayed at the Inn on the Middleton Plantation; toured the plantation and readied the boat for our departure.
Day 7: HOME!

We will have been gone 5 weeks and 2 days; and I think we both agree that we'd like to ensure that our further adventures are shorter legs.  It's partly the weather and the long days of driving, but we will be glad to get back to our own beds!

Beaufort SC

We didn't make it to Beaufort  pronounced BYOO-fert" (as in "beautiful") because we were cruising by land, not by sea; and its a bit out of the way from major freeways..  I should have made the effort, though, because it is a town I would love to see.  I guess that is reason to come back.  I'm adding it to the blog because, had we been cruising by boat, this is an important stop on the ICW.

There are two towns named Beaufort on the ICW, this one in SC, and another in NC (pronounced BOH-Fert, as in  the name Beauregard.  I fell in love with the idea of a southern coastal vacation about 25 years ago when I first read books by Pat Conroy, who wrote about Beaufort SC.  Since then, I've read dozens of "low country" books.

Many movies have been staged in Beaufort, including the shrimpboat scenes from Forest Gump; The Big Chill, The Great Santini (by Pat Conroy), GI Jane, Something to Talk About, The Prince of Tides (by Pat Conroy), Forces of Nature.  There is even a movie tour.

Pat Conroy's books first introduced me to the Gullah culture; and it is something I would enjoy learning more about.  The outer banks of the South Eastern coast is officially now designated as the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor by the Nathional Park Service.  The area extends from Wilmington NC to St Augustine FL.  The Gullah/Geechee are descendents of slaves who lived in very remote and isolated lands and islands.  Many worked on the rice plantations, others "farmed" the sea.  Even after emancipation, they continued to live on these remote islands, making their living from fishing and farming.   Because they lived remotely all this time, they retained much of their African culture.  They also developed their own language which is a mixture of English,Spanish,French and of course African words. We met a "Gullah"man on our tour of Savannah who taught us some phrases, but now I can't remember them!  It is not really like the Creole culture you find in the swamps in Louisiana as that was chiefly French and African influence (and maybe some Osage Indian).   The name Gullah is given to the residents of South Carolina, however, in Georgia, they are often referred to as Geechee.  Either way, it is a fascinating segment of the melting pot which is America.  We are going on a "Gullah" tour when we reach Charleston SC.
Beaufort SC

Savannah GA

After a night of pouring rain at the campground in St Augustine, our boat looked a little cleaner but everything seemed wet.  We headed out in a storm and drove to Savannah in a storm and found a motel some near to the historical center. We knew we wouldn't be able to find good parking near the sights.

For the past several months, I've been reading book after book about Savannah, Charleston and lands in between.  I was psyched to see the town depicted in "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendt; which of course I re-read for the occasion.  If you haven't read it, it focuses primarily on a murder trial where a local antique dealer and restoration architect, is tried for murder 3 times (2 were mistrials).  Other eccentric townspeople who befriended Berendt are also important characters in the book.

Our first impressions of Savannah weren't too great, but then, we were staying on the outskirts of the downtown.  Much of it is, well, decrepit, and in need of restoration.  As we approached downtown, though, we could see the beautiful streets, bordered by huge live oaks, dripping in mysterious Spanish moss.  We hopped on the trolley tour and saw street after street of beautiful old homes, back to the 1700's, each facing lovely squares (outdoor living rooms).

Savannah was declared too beautiful and charming by General Sherman, and so escaped his burning and plundering on his march to the sea.  Instead, he presented the city intact to Lincoln as a gift.  So most of the military history we were seeing and hearing about was of Revolutionary heroes from South Carolina.  Of course, there was some talk of "that recent unpleasantness.. the war of Yankee aggression".

We learned that Savannah is the 4th busiest port in the USA which surprised us.  (First is Los Angeles, followed by Long Beach, then  New York/New Jersey.  (I'm not sure why New York and New Jersey count as one, when they didn't combine Los Angeles and Long Beach?)

Everywhere we were reminded of "Forest Gump" sitting on his park bench, eating his box of chocolate.

I wished we had stayed in town in one of the many charming inns, wandering the streets and exploring the shops and churches would have been wonderful... in better weather.  Instead we made it back to the burbs and continued to dry out the boat.

Savannah GA

St. Augustine Florida

We spent two nights in St. Augustine Florida but were not able to cruise, or, for that matter, sightsee very much.  It rained and blustered but we did get out to see the fort: Castillo de San Marcos.  This city was constructed by the Spanish in 1565, and protected by wooden forts for the next 100 years.  The castillo is a star-shaped masonry fort, built between 1672 and 1695.  The walls are 12-19 feet thick and made of a type of limestone sedimentary rock, formed of tiny seashells which are clearly visible in the stone.  The coolest part was the moat and drawbridge... I didn't know there were forts like this outside of Europe; it was very medieval in appearance.

We thoroughly enjoyed eavesdropping on the rangers leading groups of schoolchildren on tours.  They were entertaining to both the kids and the adults; it is wonderful that our forest service employs such obviously talented people.

St. Augustine as been known as the oldest European settlement in the USA, however, just this year (2014) it was announced that the location of  Ft Caroline, settled by the French in 1564, has been found.  It is located near Brunswick GA, close to the town of Darien GA. So, history books will have to be rewritten!

The ICW (intercoastal waterway) looks very intriguing in this area; but since the weather wasn't predicted to clear up; we decided that we might as well be driving to our next destination. (Isn't that a horrible reason to drive through pounding rain and wind?)

Tonight we are in Savannah GA at a motel and enjoying TV and, especially, the bathtub!  The forecast says the afternoon will be dry and temperatures warming for the next several days.  We're hoping the boat and our belongings dry out as well.

St Augustine FL

Now We've Seen Everything

Spent yesterday lazing around in the hammock on the boat.  The weather was sunny and in the 80's... perfect! Relaxing from from this tough retirement agenda.

Our neighboring alligator has a friendly pillow:

Apparently alligators don't eat turtles?

This morning was misty and cold as we headed back to the launch ramp at Holly Bluff Marina... threw in some laundry while we took our showers.  Freedom could use a good bath herself... that tannin water added to 3500 miles of road dirt... well, you can imagine "Mr Cleanboat's" anguish.  We would ask for your sympathy but as son Bryon would retorted, "you can find your sympathy in the dictionary between shit and syphillis"...aw..he's just jealous.

We are now parked for the night at North Beach Camp Resort in St Augustine. The park is situated between the beach and the ICW...which would be great but I fear the weather will not cooperate tomorrow. Hopefully no rain but cold and blustery.

On the way here we saw another fun sight on the highway: the Oscar Meyer Weiner Wagon...remember those?

Cruising the St John’s River

Yesterday we went upstream hunting alligator and manatee.  The St John’s River is one of those which run backwards, south to north.  (I was constantly confused thinking we were going north when Rob would say “upriver”. ) It was a gloriously warm and sunny Sunday and not only did we see lots of gators but several manatee (once we learned what to look for).  The manatee make “footprints” in the water with their fins… little flat circles along the surface.  But many times you’ll see that footprint and they will be too deep to see (or the sun isn’t right).  The river here is called “black water” for a reason: the tannins from all the trees and swamp leach into the water and you couldn’t see your own hand if its submerged.  Luckily, the manatees have a lighter skin color that will stand out in the sun if they are close enough to the surface.  They almost look pink or lavender under that black tannin water.

The other river animals were out sunning themselves as well, including the human variety.  We had hoped to visit Blue Springs State Park but it was way too crowded to beach the boat; as was the lively restaurant and resort area we were planning for lunch.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches had to suffice for our lunch instead of the lobster bisque that is their specialty dish.  The pod of C-Dories and their hungry skippers headed back to the docks and quickly pulled together another pot luck barbeque.

We did see several gators, of varying sizes, and many turtles…but they are sure hard to spot sunning themselves on logs!  We also saw an amazing number of bird species, including a bald eagle (or perhaps an osprey; we could just make out the white head), a wood stork, many different colors of cranes.  And for the last few nights we’ve seen an armadillo hanging around the barbeque area.

The C-Brats event was over on Sunday morning, but many people stayed on Sunday night and three of us are staying Monday as well.  We really like it here and it’s the perfect time of the year… warm and sunny but no mosquito problem yet.  We figure Blue Springs will be less crowded on Monday and we’re told it’s a “don’t miss”.  The springs stay warm all winter and the manatees like to gather there during the winter as do several other species of fish.  The clear spring fills the river at a rate of xxx gallons per mday.  When the manatees move out in the warmer weather, it is the local swimming hole.  I’m still not sure I’d want to swim there!

I have spotted the perfect pair of trees to hang my hammock from and life is good.

 Ok, I call it literary license... Rob calls it exaggeration.  It looked smaller the second day.  This non-poisonous water snake lives under the ramp at the end of the dock.

 This guy was about 5 ft long and the locals here said he was just a "little guy"... he lounges a few feet from our boat dock.

 A bald eagle or maybe an osprey?

 This guys feathers were an iridescent midnight blue

 We loved the narrow sections where you are surrounded with canopies of this spanish moss.

 A Wood Stork... the only stork in North American

 Mertle the Turtle

Manatee at Blue Springs, courtesy of another C-Brat

Hontoon Island State Park, DeLand FL

C-Dories Gather at Hontoon Island State Park

Freedom was launched today for the first day of our cruise at Holly Bluff Marina at which point we cross a narrow river to dock at Hontoon Island State Park… maybe a 10 minute boat ride… does that count as “cruising”?  The area reminds us of Korth’s Pirate's Lair in the Sacramento River Delta EXCEPT for one important difference:

Needless to say, we won't be swimming here!  Not to mention that at the end of the dock is a HUGE water snake... possibly 4 inches in diameter.  (Rob says I'm exaggerating but I'll take a picture tomorrow and you can decide for yourselves.. Rob promises that he'll send the picture if I end up as snake food).  The ranger says that its not poisonous...but that doesn't mean he isn't hungry! There are also bears here in the park, and flying overhead: dozens of vultures!  The park personnel have been fabulous to our group of 16 C-Dories (so far... a few more will join us tomorrow)... They set up long tables and chairs for our pot luck cookout tonight and provided wood for our big campfire... and stopped by multiple times to tell us about the island, wildlife etc.  You'd think we are the only people here at the park but there are regular campers too.

The afternoon was warm and sunny: and we gathered on the docks to chat.  One person sunbathing in a bathing suit on top of her boat!  It got so warm that I had to change outfits twice and then, when the sun went down, it got very very cold and another outfit was required.   (TMI?)   Then, of course, there was the required touring of the boats to see everyone's customizations.   All the husbands are being sent home with detailed honey-do lists.  

Dinner was all-american fare: hamburgers, hotdogs etc.  We talked to many people about our cruise and enlisted suggestions for launch sites etc.  We'll do more of that this weekend as this group is full of very experienced cruisers who have been everywhere on these boats, including Alaska and the Bahamas.

After our potluck, we gathered around the campfire to play a game: inventing sentences using as many boat names as we could.  One person composed a whole story... which, if I get a copy of it, I will include here as an edit.  Then the favorite topic of conversation was to describe our "favorite" upgrade/customization to our boats, to ask "how to" questions, and recommend equipment, repair places, and fun places to cruise around here.  

Tomorrow we will "caravan" 16 boats around the island and hope to see some of the wildlife the ranger told us about including bald eagles, manatees, osprey, and of course, alligators.

Hontoon Island C-Brat Gathering by Joyce on "Out 2 C"
C-Brats live a fairy tale life as shown by this tale: 

Once upon a time, MOLLY BROWN sought the FREEDOM of being a water TRAVELER. She decided to buy a C-Dory and when friends tried to discourage her, she simply replied, "But Y KNOT?" 

She bought a COMFEY DORY and immediately went OUT 2 C to TUG AROUND as she started her ODESSEY. 

Her travels were so wide and famous, she even earned the audience of the OCKLAWAHA QUEEN. 

One day, a mysterious beast, the PEGSTAN, found her fishing and looking sad. "What's wrong?", he asked. She moaned, "All these fish are making me feel CARPY." The beast scolded, "Get over your BLUES CRUISER and continue your SEAFARI. 

She responded, "WILL C" and then brightened saying,"I C WAY more beautiful BLUE DAYS ahead. I'll have DESSERT 1st and live happily ever after as a C-Brat."

Apalachicola and St Georges Island FL

We have technically started the loop; although we haven’t been cruising.  We spent the past few nights in Apalachicola FL which is on the Intercoastal Waterway (“ICW”) but the boat was being serviced for the big cruise. So we rode bikes, sunbathed and shopped (not that we really needed more things to put on the boat). There is a C-Dory dealer here and, since he is highly thought of by the “C-Brats”, we had some work done… it was only slightly out of our way as we were originally headed for Savannah GA to start.   As it turns out we were able to enjoy the first really warm day since Tuscan AZ and spend it on a gorgeously pristine and almost deserted beach… at St George’s Island State Park. 

They call this area the “Forgotten Coast” and I think its aptly named as there weren’t many tourists in town or at the beach.  We spoke to some locals during our stay and learned that the biggest industry is still seafood, and tourism is only second, which is why the area is still unspoiled.  As one person put it “We like what we don’t have”… in otherwords, we’re glad we don’t have a Walmart and chain restaurants and high rise hotels on our beach.  There is actually a local ordinance against those kinds of high rises and so there are no real resorts.  Many lovely beach homes though, on some of the prettiest beaches I’ve ever seen… and I’ve been to some gorgeous tropical places.  Another reason I think its “forgotten” is that it is really hard to get here…  no big freeways, no close airports (except a small local one).    But, trust me, if you want to “get away from it all”, this is a place to consider.

You can definitely tell that oysters and shrimp are the big business here from every menu in town… but also because there are many side streets and parking lots actually paved in oyster shells!  Also, oyster shells are used in some places as a landscape groundcover.  Also used is dry sea grass.  I’m not sure either of those is great looking ground cover but it adds to the charm.

We stayed at a lovely old OLD hotel, built 1907, in the middle of town.  Had I known about the beach, I might have rented a nice house for a “real” vacation.  Still it was fun;  I met someone from my hometown in Michigan and actually found someone we knew in common… It’s a small world after all.

On that note, I’ve only ever been to Florida once, and that was to go to Disneyworld in the 1970’s… but, unfortunately, we just don’t have time.  Tomorrow we are headed for Hontoon State Park on the St John’s River in Florida for a C-Brats gathering.  This wasn’t in our original itinerary but when we saw it was planned we adjusted.  14 boats are meeting for 3 or 4 days… cruising and camping, potlucks and campfires, lions and tigers… I mean…manatees and alligators…Oh My!

The weather is supposed to be nice this weekend but certainly not as nice as we’d originally hoped… this is the winter of the “Polar Vortex” and we’re glad we’re not REALLY starting the Loop cruise until May.  Our goal for this leg was to simply get the boat to the East Coast and do some sightseeing in Savannah and Charleston.   

The Gibson Hotel (formerly the Franklin Hotel) circa 1907

Enjoying miles of pristine beach at St George Island State Park

Apalachicola FL