Road Trip: Southeast
Day 10: Friday, September 30, 2022 - Richmond, VA
Day's statistics:
Weather: Cloudy, rainy; mid 60's
Steps: Steve 9,456; Linda 9,161
Drove: 117 miles
Well, we're back in VA... and one stop closer to home.
I find it annoying, frustrating, and almost fraudulent when a property lists "breakfast included" when booking a
room, and then in the morning... there is no breakfast.
And that's what we had this day. The previous evening I mentioned the girl checking us in "I assume this is where
breakfast will be." Pointing over my shoulder to the tables, empty bins for danishes, and a coffee machine. "Only
if there is enough for all the guests in the morning." (or something like that). Umm... OK.
After packing the car, We wound up stopping at Burger King for egg sandwiches, sharing a hashbrowns and coffee,
because we encountered the BK before the golden arches. Not that we're hard-set on either.
There was quite a bit of construction around the capitol, so we had to park a couple blocks away.
We took our selfie.
We made our way into the enterance, and got our stamp at the tour desk.
We were told that the next tour would be at 10:00 with Dean.
It was suggested we go up to the second and third floors on our own as they are not part of the tour. So we did.
The main capitol dome from the second floor, with a close-up of some of the artwork in the dome.
The second floor includes the Governor's office.
The Governor's office. Around this atrium, the governor's portraits are on display, in order that they served.
As a new governor serves, all the portraits are moved one to the right and the oldest is then retired.
Looked down one of the stairwells.
Looking down at the main foyer from above.
Nestled down a small hallway, a little out of the way, were these portraits of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and
His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, in commemoration of their visit to the capitol on May 3, 2007.
It was time for our tour so we gathered in the old House chamber. On the wall in the chamber
was this painting of the Battle Of Yorktown.
Another painting in this chamber was the Settlers At Jamestown.
There was also this portrait of Thomas Jefferson, which leaves open the question of what is Jefferson actually
supposed to be holding in his hand.
This model of the capitol was an original, made by Jean-Pierre Fouquet in 1785. Yes, 1785.
Each time the capitol was painted, the model was painted as well - in the same color too.
The one wall of the exterior of the model had layers removed showing some of the different layers.
And this is a deplicate model of the model.
An old clock with no particular story, other than that it has an Asian motif.
We briefly stopped in the old Senate, and then moved on into the rest of the building.
In the rotunda is this statue (also in the "looking down" image above). If you've been looking at all the
pictures on this trip (and other trips, for that matter), you may notice that this statue looks familiar.
It should look familar since those other statues are actually based in THIS one. Yes, this is the ORIGINAL
statue of George Washington that the other 40 or so copies are based on.
Another shot of the dome, this one from next to the Washington statue above.
In the four corners of the dome were symbols, these two each duplicated.
In addition to the Washington statue, there were busts of the other seven Virgina-born US presidents, in order.
We entered the old House chamber. Here is a stitch of it.
A brick from the foundation of the first state house used when the capitol was in Jamestown.
The House's mace, used as a formality to start the session.
City hall looking out the window of the House.
There was an incident many years ago wherein the room above this chamber had a LARGE gathering, and there were so
many people, that the ceiling of this room caved in. Quite a few died, and more were injured.
We weren't allowed inside either chamber, so we had to take pictures through the doors.
Most of the new House, with a close-up of the speaker's chair.
Most of the new Senate, with a close-up of the president's chair, and a close-up of the seal.
The chamber skylight.
The chandelier.
A painting titled First Legislature In The New World is a representation of the legislature that convened
at Jamestown, July 30 - Agust 4, 1619.
Looking up in a stairwell.
A portrait of Nancy Viscuntess Astor, C.H, the first woman member of the British House of Commons, 1919.
A portrait of George Washington.
Just before heading out, we stopped by the gift shop and one of the items we picked up was the city's shot glass.
Our visit inside this trip's last capitol came to an end.
We started to make our way to the car, amid light drizzle, and first came across this large statue of
Washington on his horse.
Continuing on, we came across this sculpture garden with eleven statues.
They are (for the most part), in teh first image, from left to right: Laura S. Copenhaver, Entrepeneur and Lutheran Lay Leader;
Elizabeth Keckly, Seamstress and Author (mostly obscured from this perspective); Sarah G. Jones, Physician; Cockacoeske Cockacoeske,
Pamunkey Chief; Maggie L. Walker, Entrepeneur and Civil Rights Leader; Mary Draper Ingles, Frontierwoman (nearly completely obscured
save for one foot); Anne Burras Laydon, Colonist; Clementina Rind, Printer (partially obscured); Adéke Clark, Suffragist and
Artist; Martha Washington, the first First Lady; and Virginia E. Randolph, Educator.
Further on, still on the way to the car, we passed by a couple churches. Across the street was St. Paul Church,
only interesting because it shared the same name as the church we attend.
On our side of the street was Pro-Cathedral of Saint Peter, the first cathedral of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond (1834-1906).
It was very nice inside.
There was even a statue of Saint Anne and Mary - apparently a rare scene.
We finally made it back to the car, and headed out to lunch. This would be our last meal on the road for this trip.
Lunch at City Diner.
Linda had the rueben with sweet potato fries.
I had the patty melt with regular fries.
After we received our bill, I tried to guess - like I frequently do - about how much it would be. I was off by a fairly
significant amount. Upon further investigation, we determined that the bill included a City of Richmond tax of 7.0%,
PLUS an addition Commonwealth of Virginia tax of another 6.5% on top of that. So the net tax rate was 13.5%. And
then on top of that, this location also had a 3% NCA. That would be Non-cash Adjustment. In other words, to cover the credit
card transaction cost. Hey, that's fine. In all, there was 16.5% added to the cost of the meal, so an additional $4.19.
After our lunch, we were off to the last site of our trip - the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
We parked in the garage, grabbed our umbrella, and headed out into the rain.
We picked up a map, and decided what we wanted to see.
We took the glass elevator up to the third floor, and started our tour.
The first room was the Tibetan Room. Here are what we thought were the interesting pieces / highlights.
Vajravarahi, Tibetan
Another Vajravarahi, Sino-Tibetan
Kurukulla, Western or Central Tibetan
Howdah (Elephany saddle); Indian, Chhattisgarh, former princely state of Surguja
A collection o sprinklers, left to right, front to back: Rosewater, Indian, Kashmir; Rosewater,
Indian, Calcutta, West Bengal; Rosewater, Indian, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh; Cormorant Rosewater, K.M.
(unidentified maker), Indian, Kutch (Kachchh), Gujarat; Rosewater, Indian, Kutch (Kachchh), Gujarat
Garden Pavilion, Indian, Rajasthan, vicinity of Bharatpur - it is as big as it looks
Krishnaveni I, by Ravinder Reddy. It IS as big as it looks. Assuming it looks about seven feet tall...
Window, by Georges de Feure.
Vase, by Alphonse Adolphe Lamarre, Louis Chalon, Charles Louchet, and Eugéne Feuillátre.
Vase Cerny, by Hector Guimard.
Bedroom Suite, by Louis Majorelle.
The Storm and the Clouds by Francois-Raoul Larche.
Carnation Brooch / Pendant by René Lalique.
Clock by Albert Cheuret.
Brooch by Gérard Sandoz; 1928; gold onyx, enamel, diamonds.
Pendant by Gérard Sandoz; 1928; gold onyx, enamel, jade, silk.
Left to right, both by Jean Dunand: Vase; 1925; copper, laquer; and Vase (I didn't name them); 1925; copper, laquer, eggshell.
Chess Set by Josef Hartwig; 1924; pearwood.
It's a piece of art, not an actual playable chess set...
A series of works by Frank LLoyd Wright, left to right: Armchair, ~1904-6, steel, paint, leather; Chair, 1904, oak, leather;
Chair, 1930, oak, upholstry; Window, 1904, stained and leaded glass, oak; Chair, 1906, oak, leather.
Partial Suite of Furniture; Russian; 1900; oak, brass, glass, semi-precious stones.
The Tiffany section.
Various lamps by Tiffany. Actual Tiffany lamps, not "Tiffany-style".
Tiffany Punch bowl with three ladels; 1900
Tiffany Vase; 1895-6.
Tiffany Magnolia and Apple Blossom Window; 1900.
I'll apologize now for some of the blurriness. Most pieces are in cases, and it can be hard to tell that an image is out of focus in
the tiny little viewfinder. I use the viewfinder to preview rather than the rear screen in order to help extend battery life. Perhaps
I need to change that technique... Auto-focus doesn't always work either because the camera may focus on the display case or something
else closer, it is too dark, and or the camera iteself is too close and the focal length is too short.
We entered the Paul Mellon Collection section.
Flower pot; 1960; "extremely rare 94-karat" Kashmire sapphire, amethyst, emeralds, diamonds, black
garnet, gold, terra cotta. (A little blurry.)
A collection of pieces: Cherries, 1957, gold; Melon, 1950-60ss, gold, emerald; Cucumber,
1962-3, peridots, gold; Bird on a Rock brooch, 1965, lapis, lazuli, colored and white diamonds, ruby,
gold, platinum; Pea pod, 1962, gold.
A collection of pieces, with gold, platinum, pearls, gems, precious stones, peridots, and enamel; 1952-60s.
A close-up of one of the pieces from above to help try to show some detail.
Blue shell; 1957; gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires (again, sorry, it is a little hard to tell how
"in-focus" an item is in the tiny little viewfinder).
Centerpiece; 1970; gold, enamel, black lacquer.
Three pieces: Flower with detachable leaf, 1964, gold, platinum, diamonds, sapphires; Butterflies,
1956, gold, platinum, amethyst, sapphires, diamonds, turquoise, peridots; Butterflies, 1956, gold,
platinum, diamonds, amethyst, sapphires, turquoise, peridots, colored stones.
Table clock; 1962; gold, blue enamel.
I pointed out to an employee that one can only see the BACK of the clock. I was told that they think that it is supposed to be
viewed from the other side. But the other side is at the end of a twenty-or-so foot (or even more) display case, and would even be
barely visible. And for someone shorter, such as Linda, they may not even be able to see it with everything else in the way.
Mermaids; 1969; gold, enamel, black lacquer.
We moved on to the next collection.
The Highway Bridge at Argenteuil by Claude Monet; 1873.
Irises by the Pond by Claude Monet; 1917.
Contemplative (The Day Dreamer) by Pierre Auguste Renoir; 1875.
Field of Poppies, Giverny by Claude Monet; 1885.
Camille at the Window, Argenteuil by Clause Monet; 1873.
The Artist's Son, Jean, Drawing by Pierre Auguste Renoir; 1901.
Young Girls Looking at an Album by Pierre Auguste Renoir; 1892.
Saint John the Baptist by Auguste Rodin; 1880.
Still Life with Oysters by Paul Gauguin; 1876.
Daisies, Arles by Vincent van Gogh; 1888.
The Laundry Boat on the Seine at Asniéres by Vincent van Gogh; 1887.
The Wheat Field behind St. Paul's Hospital by Vincent van Gogh; 1889.
Still Life with Bowl by Paul Gauguin; 1893.
Victor Chocquet by Paul Cézanne; 1877.
Interior (The CLosed Window) by Henri Matisse; 1919.
Jester on Horseback by Pablo Picaso; 1905.
The Chinese Chest of Drawers by Pablo Picasso; 1953.
The next collection we viewed was.. Fabergé. Some of these pieces were rather small.
Gueridon; 1908-17; palisander, nephrite, silver. A rare Fabergé furniture piece.
Double Frame; 1908; Nephrite, gold, silver, pearls, rubies, glass, mother-of-pearl.
Sailor; 1900; Milky quartz, aventurine, onyx or chalcedony, lapis lazuli, sapphires, gold.
This actually is in focus, it's just the material makes it look blurry.
Frame; 1899-1908; nephrite, gold, silver, ivory, glass.
Imperial Red Cross Easter Egg; 1915; gold, silver, enamel, mother-of-pearl, velver, watercolor on ivory.
Imperial Pelican Easter Egg; 1898; gold, diamonds, enamel, pearls, glass, watercolor on ivory.
Imperial Peter The Great Easter Egg; 1903; gold, silver, diamonds, rubies, sapphire, enamel, rock crystal, watercolor on ivory.
Imperial Tsarevich Easter Egg; 1912; gold, silver, platinum, lapis lazuli, diamonds, rock crystal, watercolor on ivory.
Imperial Rock Crystal Easter Egg with Revolving Miniatures (this is not a movie, they weren't revolving anyway); 1896.
A collection of frames and other items; 1899-1908.
Twenty-five Miniature Easter Egg Pendants; 1899-1908; gold, silver, purpurine, diamonds, rubies, sapphires,
emerald, agate, opal, rhodonite, quartz, rock crystal, moonstone, amber, chalcedony, pearls, silk, enamel.
Kovsh; 1899-1908; rock crystal, gold, silver, rubies, diamonds, pearl.
Terrestrial Globe; pre-1899; rock crystal, gold.
Dandelion; 19th-20th century; nephrite, rock crystal, gold, platinum, diamonds, asbestos fiber.
Charm bracelet; 19th century; gold, various materials.
Lillies of the Vallies; 1917; nephrite, gold, silver, pearls, diamonds, bloodstone.
We finished with the Fabergé collection and moved on to the next.
Cup and Cover by Feodor Ruckert; 1887-1917; silver gilt, enamel.
Perisian Lady by Kees van Dongen.
St. Nicholas, St. Alexander, and St. Alexis; Khlebnikov Firm; 1918; oil on panel, silver, emeralds.
We didn't capture the names of these piece, but they were still interesting looking.
Our last sections were OK - Asian, Egyptian, and Roman - and there weren't many pictures talken.
Narcissus Flowers; 19th century; nephrite.
Section of a Floor Mosaic Depicting te Four Seasons; late second - early third century Roman; stone and glass.
Coffin and Mummy of Tjeby; 2195-2040 BC; Egyptian. There is a mirron helping see inside the coffin.
We were done with the exhibits. We found ourselves in the cafe. On the grounds outside the facility were some
pieces of art as well. (these aren't really blurry, they were taken through a window and pouring rain.)
This last one is possibly / probably two-in-one: the sculpture in the background, and the red verticle slats in the foreground.
Our visit to the museum was now complete.
I left Linda at the exit and ran to get the car. I picked her up curbside. On the GPS we brought
up the favorite that would bring us to the kid's house, and we headed off.
It was raining harder courtesy of Hurricane Ian. And it was a little windy. So our progress to Alexandria was a
little slower than it could have been.
We picked up a pizza before getting to their house.
We enjoyed the meal, conversation, and spending a little time with the grandkids.
Eventually it was off to bed.