Since I am temporarily residing in Maryland, my mom came out to spend the summer with us. We have a list of places we want to visit, and one of the first was Monticello, in Charlottesville, Virginia. This was the home of Thomas Jefferson, mostly after his presidency was over. He was a very interesting person, a scientist, a botonist, spoke and read seven languages.

The day was very long, as Charlottesville is a three hour drive from Laurel. I think my mom and I would have been fine, but you throw a four-year-old into the mix and it was a bit frustrating. We were able to tour the house and some of the grounds, and see Thomas Jefferson's grave.

The weather was good. It was in the upper 80's, but the humidity was low and there was a breeze. Bright and sunny. I didn't get many pictures, as I was too busy dealing with a cranky preschooler, but I have a couple.

Today I went to Afton Mountain Vineyard to meet Francois and a few more people for a Travbuddy meetup/wine tasting.  The only TBs there were myself, Francois (FR-ank) and Erick (yekcoh).  There was also another girl named Mignon who was not a TB as of then, but we managed to talk her into joining.  We spent a nice morning youring the vineyard and seeing where they age and bottle the wine. Then (of course) we were able to taste all of the wines that they vineyard produced.  After that we had a picnic lunch and talked a lot.  Two more of Francois's friends joined us as well.  After lunch we toured the Polak vineyard (and tried more wine) and then headed to Mignon's apartment for a little swimming.  After that we all headed to Madison county for a dinner hosted by Francois's friends.  It was a lot of fun and the food/conversation was great.  I was a little too..... "tired"...  to drive so I decided to stay the night.  Over all the day was awesome and I had a great time.

So, finally arrived at Charlottesville regional airport
and still 30 miles to reach AFTON MOUNTAIN VINEYARD where I've been living and working since june '06 and still now ;p
first of all, get a mexican food on the road with my new Boss (Tom & Shinko) :)))...there so many
and ready to start a good work and discover USAAAAAAAAA...

--- About VIRGINIA ---

1. VIRGINA IS FOR LOVERS
2. first colony in America
   
3. GO UVA / VT ( as you like )
4. Damn weather ( hot & humid, showers/storms a lot... )
5. definitely a southern part (Climate/weather, Culture, Food, Battles... )
   

Today we left for our trip to the Czech Republic.  I am really excited about this trip.  Yes because I get to go to the Czech Republic, but also because this is the first time I've travelled with the specific purpose of helping someone else.  Now because flying into Prague was $300 more expensive, we instead decided to fly into Dresden, Germany.  So our flights today (and tomorrow) consists of Charlottesville to Dulles, Dulles to Frankfurt and then (tomorrow) Frankfurt to Dresden.  I am really excited about the trip, but not so much about the flying!!

What a nice place to taste some home-made beers ( you see the tanks behind the bar ;) ). Around five different kinds. with a usual southern food ( burger, bbq ) and some delicious Ribs...I love it. Happy hours tuesday night from 6 to 9pm...

Monticello is the plantation home of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, diplomat, founder of the University of Virginia, and third President of the United States. Jefferson built his home in the rolling hills outside Charlottesville, Virginia. A visit to Monticello will provide insight into the mind of this individual who was endlessly interested in everything in the world about him. The beautifully balanced house itself shows his thinking about and tinkering with architecture and organizational efficiency. His library and scientific instruments demonstrate interest in the natural world and in human rights (despite the fact that he was a slave owner). A large collection of "travel trophies," both his own from Europe and from the Lewis and Clark Expedition adorns the house. The grounds also bear his imprint, from the gardens to the arrangement of farm industries along Mulberry Row. Monticello may be the ultimate historic house to visit in the United States. It is a must see. Monticello was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. The interior of the house may be visited only via a guided tour. The admission ticket will also specify the time of the house tour. The grounds are open to individual exploration, or there are also tours avaiable. You must ride a shuttle bus from the parking area to the entrance but you may walk back down or ride. Admission is $15.

Michie Tavern (pronounced "Mickey") was established in 1784 as a tavern, inn, and post house on the road from Charlottesville to Richmond. Michie Tavern still welcomes guests today as a restaurant and historic site. The restaurant, known as The Ordinary, serves only lunch. The "Midday Fare" is fixed-price and seved buffet-style. Guests have a choice of Fried chicked and pulled pork barbeque along with mashed potatos, stewed tomatos, green beans, blackeye peas, cornbread, and biscuits. Beverages and dessert are extra. The food is Southern in style and is excellent! Luch at Michie Tavern is a must when visiting nearby Monticello and Ash Lawn-Highland! Miche Tavern also offers tours of the original tavern given by Colonia-era costumed docents. (They may invite you to dance the Vrigina Reel after the tour!) A gift shop and general store are also at Michie Tavern.

Ash Lawn-Highland was the home of James Monroe, fifth President of the United States. His Monroe Doctrine has been a cornerstone of US foreign policy to this day. Monroe chose this site to bild his home in 1793 because it was close to Monticello, home of his friend Thomas Jefferson. A visit to the house and grounds is an excellent compliment to a visit to Monticello. The house appears to be two houses, which in fact, it is. The larger yellow structure (Ash Lawn) was added later, after Monroe's time. James and Elizabeth Monroe lived in the smaller of the two connected houses (Highland). The College of William and Mary maintains the property and keeps it as a working farm as well as a historic site. Of special note are the many peacocks that wander the grounds, providing a colorful addition to a visit. During the summer, the Ash Lawn-Highland Festival presents productions of operas and musicals on the grounds. Admission and tour is $9.00.

The day of our road trip to central Virginia arrived! This was to be a perfect September weekend! The official last day of summer would see clear skies and temperatures around 85F (30C). Our daughter's friend spent the night at our house so we could get right on the road in the morning. Both were looking forward to the trip. We left at 8:00 AM, heading out of Springfield on the Fairfax County Parkway towards I-66.  Picking up I-66 at Fairfax, VA, we took it 14 miles through Manassas to Gainesville. At Gainesvlle, 25 miles from our home, we exited south on to Lee Highway (US Highway 29) which we would follow all the way to Charlottesville.

Once upon a time, Gainesville marked the beginning of rolling Piedmont farmland with fields full of dairy cows and horses lining the highway. In the 1990s, the Disney Company purchased a large tract of land here with the intent to build a major new theme park called Disney's America. Landowners in neigboring Fauquier County fought Disney and development until the entertainment giant gave up on the idea. Today, Gainesville is home instead to new housing tracts and suburban shopping centers.

The fields now begin a bit past Warrenton, some 12 miles further on. Soon, one passes Brandy Station, famous as the site of the largest cavalry engagement in North America, during the Civil War. Shortly, thereafter, Highway 29 skirts the city of Culpepper on a by-pass. A new high school is under construction here, indicating a growing population.  Madison, the gateway to the Virginia wine country, is the next town beyond Culpepper. The Prince Michel Winery beckons travelers on Lee Highway, while other wineries are located on byways off the main road. (My wife and I have done a trip through the Virginia Wine Country, but there was to be no time for that today.) 

Just after Madison, we began to be aware that there was a considerable volume of traffic on the road, with much of it flying University of Virginia flags covered with UVA decals. It suddenly dawned on us: today was a UVA home football game! Charlottesville would be mobbed with fans! Fortunately, we made it to the Route 250/29 by-pass around Charlottesville without much delay. But we could see that traffic was bumper-to-bumper from that point heading into the stadium in town. We had planned to drive the girls past UVA so they could see the campus. (They know kids who graduated from high school last June who now attend UVA.) But, the mob scene repeated in any American college town on a fall football Saturday was going to cancel that idea. So, we proceeded to drive around the town to I-64 and followed that to the Monticello exit.

We stopped briefly at the Charlottesville and Monticello Information Center.  The staff here were informative and had maps and brochures to give us. A few displays introducing the Charlottesville region and its history are here, too. From the visitor center, we headed for Monticello itself. I pulled into the parking lot just after 10:45 a.m., 117 miles (208 km) from home.

Shuttle buses must take visitors from the parking area up to the house and grounds entrance. After puchasing admission tickets, stamped for an 11:40 a.m. house tour, we boarded the shuttle. We had extra time after the shuttle dropped us off near the East Portico entrance and spent that at the gift shop. At 11:40, we queued up for the inside tour.

A very enegetic guide took charge of our group. As he explained Jeffson's innovative weather vane setup at the East Portico, my daughter and I noticed Jefferson's visage staring at us from an upstair's window! Oh, yes, the weather vane. It's set up so that the wind direction can be read from the front vestibule, without having to go outside.  There is also large outdoor clock, with only an hour hand.

Inside the house, more of Jeffson's touches were evident. An interior clock in the Entance Hall marks that days of the week along the wall. (The indicators for Saturday and Sunday go down into the basement.) Jefferson's Book Room housed his large library. He assembled his library twice. He sold his first library to form the core collection of the Library of Congress. The second was sold after his death. Curtors are trying to reassemble the thousands of titles he knew as an avid reader and writer.

Jeffeson' Bedroom, and all of the bedrooms in the house, feature alcoves to house the beds, thus freeing up floor space. Jefferson learned this technique during his stay in Europe as US Minister to France. The tour guide delighted in showing other innovations: the dumbwaiters for food and for wine in the Dining Room,  skylights, narrow stairs to conserve space, triple-paned windows that double as summer doorways, the polygraph machine that makes simultanous copies as you write.  The Parlour has portraits of those individuals whom Jefferson admired: Sir Francis Bacon, John Locke, Sir Isaac Newton, George Washington, and the Marquis de Lafayette.

We completed the tour on the North Terrace. It is here that visitors can at last see the full exterior of the house and note its dome and classical lines. At this point, we were free to explore on our own. Our daughter and her friend set off.  My wife went to look at the gardens and the exhibits in the basement of the house. I set about to look over the grounds and, of course, to take the many photos you see here! The classic view of Monticello is of the West Portico. Jefferson liked the Westward orientation. He sent the Lewis and Clark Expediton to explore the West after the Louisiana Purchase in 1804. The South Pavilion is actually the original living quarters, built not long after construction of the house began in 1768. Underneath the South Terrace  is the South Dependency wing, housing  the Kitchen and domestic slave quarters. (Jefferson did hold slaves. Slavery at Monticello and the story of his romantic involvement with Sally Hemmings is disucssed frankly. )  The All-Weather Passageway connects the South and North Dependencies and contains food and beverage storage rooms.

South of the house is Mulberry Row, where Jefferson planted a line of Mulberry trees.  Plantation  workers--free,  indentured, and  enslaved--all worked in this area to produce furniture, tools, and farm equipment.  Remnants of those times include the foundation of a slave house, later used as a grave site for the subsequent owners of Monticello, and the chimney of the joinery (woodworking shop). Mulberry Row leads down past vegetable gardens to the Jefferson family cemetery. Thomas Jefferson is buired here along with his mother and wife, Martha. The cemetery is still in use and descendants continue to be buried here.

At 1:30 p.m., my wife and I decided it was time to push on for lunch at Michie Tavern. The girls had already walked down to the parking lot and were waiting for us!

Michie Tavern (pronounced "Mickey") is just down the road from Monticello.  It was established in 1784 as a stagecoach stop, tavern, and social center for the surrounding community.  Today, it is part musuem and part restaurant. We had lunch here, enjoying the Tavern's set Midday Fare. Everyone was hungry going in, but not coming out!

At 3:00 p.m. were were on the road back to Northern Virginia and Springfield, ahead of the outgoing football traffic!  Retracing our route, were were back home by 5:30 p.m.

Written in Richmond, VA 19/06/82

My first tour on the big old Greyhound went alright, the service people there don't come much grumpier, but I can't blame them, I guess it's not the most exciting job. I had to be there an hour in advance, and got chatting to this american girl who was doing a big project on the European Union, couldn't believe it, good for her. I was slightly offended when she said she was against the European Union, like her opinion counts, she's american... I'd rather chat to this other guy, who had never been out of the states and lived on some mountain with loads of dogs, outside Charlottesville. Well, at least I know more about the EU now...

The bus trip was smooth, except for a short break where a passenger asked if she could sit in the seat behind the driver (he hads put his jacket and bag on the seat, and the bus was pretty full) which resulted in her getting kicked out of the bus and the driver threatening with calling the police... I was sitting right up front and the woman didn't seem threatening in any way... I just kept my head down, no good me getting kicked off as well. No police was involved and we arrived in Charlottesville only 10 min late. I slept most of the 3 hours drive, and missed most of the scenic tour...

Julie was waiting for me, and I couldn't believe it had been over a year since I saw her! We had some lunch and picked up another of her and Emily's friends, Annie, who was down from NYC. Then I finally got to see Emily, who was looking fantastic but very hassled, no wonder getting married the next day. Annie and me stayed with Julie at her dad's house, a beautiful place on a mountain side, the driveway is 10 min on gravel road, so quite isolated, but fantastic view. The wedding next day was beautiful, everything seemed to be by the book, but in a personal way.

Sunday was hangover day, but I got to go for a little walk on Mr Garnetts land, chatting to the cattle and bullfrogs. We also managed to drive through a bit of the mountains up to Julies mum's place, unfortunately it was very misty, and I didn't get a good look at the famous Shenandoah Valley, so it looks like I have to come back another time :-) On the way we passed a real trailerpark, but Julie thought it was a bad idea to go knock on one of the doors to say hi... Another time perhaps. On the way back we had a look in Super Walmart in Waynesboro, where I wasn't dissappointed to see an erray of typical americans (Julie's words) You know what I mean. It was really cheap and I found a 2gb memory card for $89, unbelievable! So now I don't have to worry about pictures, I just hope I can find a cheap battery as well. I'll get some on this site very soon, hopefully when I'm in Philly for a few days. 

Julie and her dad dropped me off in Richmond this morning, where I hoped to see the museum of Fine Arts, but it's off course closed monday... Instead I trecked around Maymont, a great big park, with a little petting zoo, and has just wandered around since then, getting my shoulders even redder. You won't believe how fantastic the weather is, the sun is just too strong, and walking around with a backpack (only the small one though) makes it impossible to keep up with the sunscreen (sorry mum). Forunately I found the library where I have a chance updating my blog and get out of the sun for a while.

Tonight I'm on the 2am Greyhound to Philadelphia, which will be an experience... But it's a 6 1/2 hours drive, and I'm not going to waste a day on that.

This entry might be a bit too long, I hope you don't mind, don't worry, it probably won't be the standard.