Taste of Charlottesville

A thoughtful family member brought these when she came to visit. Two of my favorite Charlottesville foodstuffs are Starr Hill beer and Shenandoah Joe coffee. I haven't found their perfect replacements yet.

C-ville Spring

Even reasons 1, 6, 8, and 9 are reasons enough to love Charlottesville in Spring. Check out the other 11 reasons collected by the online UVA magazine.

Virginia State Capitol in Richmond

The Virginia State Capital is on a Richmond hill overlooking the James. Now there are buildings largely obscuring that view but when Jefferson originally designed it, it was the tallest building around. Even without its size it would have had the most commanding view. In addition to the history lurking in every hall and room inside, there is the purported most authentic life-size sculpture of George Washington in the center under a dome. It was just as impressive now as it was when I saw it in grade school.
On the grounds are several large tulip poplar trees.
For brunch we ate at Cafe Gutenberg in the bottom - great food, great coffee. The ceilings and walls are covered in old tin panelling.

Old UVA Photos

The University of Virginia Magazine ran a great feature in its Spring 2010 edition. It contains pictures of UVA sites in the past and present. I think many of the photos were taken by Holsinger, though not attributed in the article. There's also a short video with pictures not in the article.

That Cavalier Tan used to be a movie theater blew my mind.

Even better is the complete Holsinger collection available digitally from the UVA library.

Hollywood Cemetery

With its entrance in the Oregon Hill neighborhood of Richmond, historic Hollywood Cemetery, laid out in 1847, unfolds over hills and dales up to the James River. Two of the main attractions in the cemetery overlook the James from one of the highest hills in the garden or rural cemetary.
James Monroe, #5, resides in a cast iron cage with this plaque upon his concrete slab.
John Tyler (#10)'s monument, an ornamented obelisk, is the more imposing monument. It's a stone's throw from Monroe's "bird cage".
An obelisk marking the grave of a revered mason is decorated by some interesting imagery.



This impressive monument, made of James River granite and 90 feet tall, was completed in 1869. 18,000 Confederate dead are buried around its base. It's the centerpiece of the CSA section of the burial ground, the part farthest from the river. J.E.B. Stuart and George Pickett are amongst the ranks.

"In eternal remembrance...""...Of those who stood for God and Country"
Here's a view of the cemetery from Belle Isle. The highest bunch of gravemarkers include the presidents.

All Aboard

My first post visited traveling by rail to and from DC. It seems that this has just gotten a lot easier, and my complaint about the lateness of the trains will no longer be true. There is now daily direct service to DC, as reported by the Daily Progress. By train is still the most romantic way to travel - countless New York City subway rides haven't stolen that away - and in Charlottesville it just became a lot more feasible.

C-ville Food Blog

I just discovered Mas to Millers, a most excellent Charlottesville food blog worth checking out.