Richard & Joy Nuckolls

Gunston Hall

Richard — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:00:45 +0000

Gunston Hall

The house itself is reached by a long oak lined drive, the perfect way to guide the eye and produce a wonderful shade as carriages approached the house. Our visit started with a video describing the under-appreciated role George Mason played in the governance of Virginia and the formation of the fledgling national government. The house is in pristine condition, and offers a vivid picture of the separate public and private spaces the family enjoyed. The many rooms tucked under the eaves upstairs are a real treat.

Overlooking the Potomac

Gunston Hall, like many Virginia plantations, made it’s money by shipping tobacco and other good back to Great Britain for sale. The plantation was located right on the Potomac river, allowing easy access for loading ocean going vessels arriving from or going to overseas ports. This was a rather cold and dreary day, and we declined to take the 3/4 mile walk down to the wharf.

Tallinn

Richard — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 17:18:45 +0000

Along the Wall

Tallinn is one of the oldest capitals in northern Europe. We had a great time roaming around the city in the afternoon, walking along the wall and up to Toompea Hill. The city has strong ties to Russia, from long before the Soviet invasion, and their influence can still be seen in the city. The Soviet era buildings have been left to moulder; the Russians are selling trinkets. One of the highlights was touring the Dominican monastery of Claustrum. The ancient stone walls and rooms light only by candlelight really transport the visitor to another time. Tall people must watch their head.

Estonian Maritime Museum

Located right on the harbor, the museum features four warships retired from the naval forces of Estonia. While we waited for the nearby prison to open for the day, we walked around admiring the large and small vessels, waiting forlornly out of the water.

Rostock

Richard — Fri, 03 Aug 2012 15:00:29 +0000

Rostock

Our cruise ship docked in the seaside town of Warnemünde. Instead of staying in the sleepy town or the crowded beach, we took the train a few miles to the town of Rostock. We go on with another couple from the cruise ship and spent the day with them. We walked along the park that runs along the outside of the medieval wall after visiting the Kröpelin Gate. The Gate offer great views over the river. The main walking thoroughfare was packed with shops and pedestrians. I picked up a picture book in German to bring back for a friend.

Summer in Germany

August means warm days and lots of sun. It’s also time for school breaks. Lots of people and children were out in the streets and squares of the city while we were visiting. The square in front of the University of Rostock was popular. The fountains in particular received a lot of play.

NationalMuseet

Richard — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 19:56:39 +0000

Pre-History

The museum has and extensive collection natural and prehistorical artifacts on display. I really loved the aurochs skeleton, standing proudly in the middle of the room. Peat bogs are prevalent in Denmark and readily preserve whatever falls into them. The assembly of artifacts from the nomadic cultures that hunted here lead one after another to the present.

Medieval Collection

The artwork from the early to late Medieval period on exhibit strongly shows the influence of the Church on the country, and conversely, the particular influence of Northern sensibility on sculpture and iconography in Denmark. Rich dark wood carving and monster motifs speak of dark forests and wild coastlines. I was most fascinated by this carving of St George, and it’s particular location in the museum space.

Rosenborg Castle

Richard — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 16:11:37 +0000

Throne Room

On the upper floor of the castle, the throne room stretches from one end to the other. The marble tiled floor extends it’s pattern from a solitary throne on one side to a pair of thrones flanked by silver lions on the other. The hall is filled with light and feels airy despite the somber furnishings and hard materials.

Living Quarters

The ground floor is filled with the living quarters of the royal family. These are still richly furnished with fine pieces, matching the equally fine architectural detail of the rooms. Touring the rooms requires looking up, left, right, and down to take in all the details.

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Copenhagen

Richard — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 14:30:19 +0000

Ørstedsparken

On our trek through the city of Copenhagen, we ducked into the wonderful park of Hans Christian Ørsted. The park is sprinkled with fine bronze statues, like this one of the Arrotino. A wrought iron bridge crosses the central lake, which is the remains of the moat surrounding the medieval city wall. Summer flowers and lush grass speaks of the care of the gardeners.

Round Tower

The view from the top of the Round Tower rivals that of St. Paul’s in London. Built to house an astronomical observatory as part of the new university, it still has a telescope at the top. The coolest feature is the spiral staircase, which winds around the inside of the tower in place of a stairway.

Belle Grove Plantation

Richard — Sat, 16 Jun 2012 20:00:21 +0000

Belle Grove

The plantation house sits on a rise overlooking the property. The stone exterior is beautiful work, made from the same stone used to construct much of Washington DC. The house itself has high ceilings, tall windows and the standard transverse hall leading from front to back porches.

Valley View

The location of the house and plantation provide lovely views of the surrounding mountains. This section of the valley has been extensively farmed, so most of the trees have been cleared. This give a sense of openness to the land and connection to the surrounding mountains.

Stratford Hall

Richard — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 19:44:34 +0000

The House on the River

Stratford Hall is typical of many early Virginia plantations, with long tree-lined lawns approaching the house. Stratford Hall adds a second approach from the river. The house is built from expensive glazed brick of three stories. The tour guides bring a special charm to tours they have given for years.

On the River

One of the most surprising parts of visiting the Stratford Hall estate is finding the sandy cliffs. A wooded trail runs along the cliffs from the mill to the perpendicular point from house to river. Occasional breaks in the trees yield long views across the river and along it for miles. We had a nice walk listening to the animals in the underbrush. The river is gradually eroding the cliff so a split rail fence stands guard. The house is now closer to the river by a few miles than when it was built.

A Beautiful Beach

The estate lies on the river and contains one of the few water level accesses from the West side of the Potomac for miles. This access was the source of the estates prosperity. It allowed convenient loading of ships with cargo from the area around Stratford Hall.

Polyface Farms

Richard — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 17:13:08 +0000

Cows

The cows are the stars of the show at Polyface Farms. The are manure machines, each putting out 50 lbs. of brown stuff a day. For three seasons of the year, they move from pasture to pasture, eating the grass and depositing fertilizer.

Chickens

The chickens follow the cows in the pasture. The spread the cow patties and grow healthy on a diet of grass and bugs. During the winter, they are kept in multi-use shelters.

Sugar Hollow

Richard — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:30:07 +0000

An Uphill Trail

Joy and I joined the UVa photo club in a hike at Sugar Hollow Reservoir. We started the trek near the reservoir and hiked uphill. The rocky trail follows the river, crossing over several times, and sometimes rising high above the riverbed. We saw mounted riders coming down as we climbed towards the falls.

A River Runs Through It

A WPA project dammed the Moorman River and created the reservoir. When we visited in early October, the recent rains still ran down from the hills and fed the river. The water was very cold. We scrambled over rocks as a group trying to protect our camera gear.

The Falls

Our uphill hike ended at the main falls, a rounded stone slide about eighty feet tall with a small shallow pool at the bottom. Two people hiked up to the top of the falls and called to the rest of us below.