richmond – Snapping The Globe

Ted Obsessed!

Last fall, while attending my friend’s annual Halloween party, I was stumped.

While most people’s costumes are easily identifiable, there was one group’s that was not.

All dressed in blue and red sweats, one of the girls had a mustache and a whistle. I assumed she was some sports figure, but I had no idea which and neither did my husband.

A few beers later, I finally had the courage to admit to “mustache girl” that I could not figure out what her costume was all about. Ted Lasso. We still did not know who that was, since we did not have Apple TV and strangely enough, neither of us had never seen any ads for the television series either. It was totally off our radar!

Ted Lasso virgins…yes we were!

A couple of months later, while perusing my subscriptions, I discovered that we had been signed up for an Apple TV trial. I didn’t remember doing this and planned to cancel…until I remembered Ted Lasso. I decided to hold off, because maybe, just maybe, we could watch it…but only after we had finished watching Game of Thrones (yes, we were very late to that game too!).

Once the Nightwalkers had been defeated and Daenerys’ dragon had wreaked havoc upon King’s Landing, my husband and I needed a new series to watch together. Impatiently, we flipped through, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Showtime and HBO, realizing how different our tastes are, until I remembered that we had not canceled that Apple TV subscription.

It was a Saturday afternoon and we were toying with the idea of getting dressed and going out to dinner. With a little time to kill, we decided to see what Ted Lasso was all about. The episodes were pretty short…we could get one in to get the gist of it.

Eight episodes later, with some Chinese takeout for dinner, we were hooked.

While watching Ted walk near his apartment, I wondered (out loud) where the show was filmed. The little square and the pub near Ted’s flat were so picturesque! My husband suggested that since I would be in London that week, I should look it up. With a few clicks on Google, I easily found the location! Richmond…only 9 stops from my hotel!

Needless to say, Sunday afternoon was spent finishing Season One and beginning Season Two. Obsessed was what you could now call us!

Arriving to a beautiful morning in London two days later, I took a quick nap and headed to catch the tube’s District line to Richmond. My Google map on my phone was marked with the location of the pub that Ted frequents, Richmond green and some other interesting locations in the area.

Forty-five minutes later, I was walking out of the Richmond transit station and down the road toward my destination. Turning onto Golden Court, I spied Richmond Green up ahead and on the corner, to my left, the Prince’s Head pub, the location of Ted’s and other character’s favorite hangout, called The Crown and Anchor on the show. Exiting onto the lovely small square, complete with red telephone booths, I couldn’t believe that just a week before, I had no idea that any of this existed!

Spotting the small alleyway to the left of the pub, I realized that this is where Ted’s apartment is located. Because of some prior research, I had learned that although his apartment on the show is number 9 1/2, it is, in actuality, a small shop with a different number! Paved Court is a quaint little pedestrian street, filled with colorful doorways, shops and an ideal place for having a coffee or grabbing some empanadas from Chango’s…perfect for my lunch the next day.

Crossing the street toward Richmond Green, where Ted and Coach Beard watch the local children play soccer, I spotted a sign which informed me that a couple of the buildings, that I had marked on my map, were part of the Richmond Palace, just across the street. The Richmond Palace was a royal residence during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and replaced the former royal residence of Sheen. Only nine miles from the Palace of Westminster, it was built in 1501 by Henry VII of England. Henry VIII lived in the palace, until moving to Hampton Court Palace, as well as his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves (after their divorce). Not much of Richmond Palace remains, however, after walking through the old gate into the Old Palace Yard, I spotted the Old Gate House, The Trumpeter’s Lodge and the Trumpeter’s House. All of the remaining structures are private residences and not open to the public.

*Old Richmond Palace, the Trumpeter’s House and the Trumpeter’s Lodge*

Following signs pointing to the river, I was in search of the area where Ted Lasso characters Keeley and Roy walked for their first date. As I neared the banks of the Thames, I realized how high the water was. The sun was low in the sky, creating an amazing setting, so I decided to stroll along the walkway towards the Richmond War Memorial. The water was over the banks and lapping along the walkway and I noticed a gentleman peering over the adjacent fence.

“You can’t go that way”.

“Hmmm? Me?”

“Yes, it’s blocked.”

I noticed the water had covered part of the walkway up ahead but a few people were walking my way from that direction. I decided to ignore this man, who, no doubt was giving me false information. Pretending to study my phone, I continued forward, until the three gentleman reached me.

“It’s blocked. The water is really high and you won’t make it unless you swim!”

So, he wasn’t lying!

As I turned around, I realized how fast the water was rising! Now covering the walkway entirely, I had a bit of a problem. The guys tried to run through the grass, not understanding how high the water was there as well, so I just popped off my shoes and waded through freezing ankle deep waters. Thank goodness I never fell off the Titanic, because I could barely walk back to Old Palace Lane. That water felt like piercing needles!

Frozen feet needed to be defrosted! Back to the Prince’s Head I went and secured a table in the front near the bar. Ordering a Guinness, I watched as a CNN crew disassembled their equipment in the corner and some of the pub regulars wondered aloud if they were there to promote the show. Though I desperately wanted to ask the bartender a billion questions, I also didn’t want to appear as a tourist, which was probably harder to disguise than I thought.

*The Prince’s Head pub, a.k.a. The Crown and Anchor*

The Guinness was delicious, warmed me to the core and rested my feet enough to head…the long way around…back to the Richmond War Memorial.

Taking Paved Court, I headed to King Street and then back to Petersham Road, taking a turn at the Museum of Richmond and the Old Town Hall. The Richmond War Memorial, located higher up (thank goodness) on the banks of the Thames was unveiled on November 23, 1921 and is dedicated to those local individuals who died fighting in World Wars I and II.

*Richmond Riverfront area near the Richmond War Memorial*

Though I would have loved to have visited one of the many restaurants along the riverfront, prior plans had to take me back in London!

Two weeks have passed since my visit to Richmond. I am watching the final episode of Season 2. My husband probably regrets reminding me that I would be in London after our foray into Ted Lasso Land. I keep pointing out the locations that I saw…the exact table I sat at at the Prince’s Head was where Ted, Keeley, Rebecca and her mother sat during lunch…Ted and Coach Beard walking past Chango’s…those were delectable empanadas!

If you are a Ted Lasso fan…well…you know what to do!

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The Prince’s Head

Address: 28 The Green, Richmond TW9 1LX, United Kingdom
Hours: 1200-2300, Monday through Saturday, 1200-2230, Sunday
Admission: free
Getting There: London Metro, District Line towards Richmond.

The Old Richmond Palace

Address: Richmond TW9 1PA, United Kingdom
Hours: 24 hours, daily
Admission: free
Getting There: London Metro, District Line towards Richmond.

Richmond War Memorial

Address: Whittaker Avenue, Richmond, TW9 1EH, United Kingdom
Hours: 24 hours, daily
Admission: free
Getting There: London Metro, District Line towards Richmond.

Chango’s Empanadas

Address: 3 Paved Court, Richmond TW9 1LZ, United Kingdom
Hours: 1000-1900, daily
Admission: free
Getting There: London Metro, District Line towards Richmond.

Christmas Traditions

All over the world, there are traditions that are practiced during the Christmas season.

Foods, special pajamas, holiday shows, places to visit…the lists are endless.

My family has some special traditions that we have upheld over the years and our children have come to cherish these characteristic customs. On Christmas Eve morning, I start a chicken and sausage gumbo (a nod to our Cajun heritage) and let it cook throughout the day, filling the house with a delightful aroma. During the evening, we put on the Christmas Story for its 24 hours of continuous broadcasting and laugh at how many lines we can recite. Most people are familiar with our favorite, “You’ll shoot your eye out!” But, it is during the days leading up to Christmas Eve that we enjoy an entertaining outing each year.

While we decorate our home with white lights lining our porch, wreaths on the windows and deer grazing in the yard we can’t hold a candle to many of the acclaimed and festively decorated homes in the area. In years past, we filled our yard with a giant blow up Snowman, a waving Santa Claus, gift packages and many more thousands of lights, but over the years, the effort it took caused us to minimize our display.

While we love our small display, it is the many other homes and businesses in the area that we look forward to visiting each year. The Tacky Light Tour is a huge tradition during the Christmas holidays in many cities throughout the United States. Every year, people hire transportation companies to drive them around in small buses, vans and stretch limos, to see Christmas light displays…or they might do as we do. We load up the kids into our car, swing by Starbucks for hot chocolate, put some holiday music on the radio and do the driving on our own!

This has always been one of my favorite pastimes and of course, we always had our favorites homes to visit, with quite a few places having been featured on national television programs.

Of course, being a flight attendant, the privilege of getting to experience other country’s Christmas traditions is a great gift. While it is delightful to see these cities light up for the occasion, as is the case with the Amsterdam Light Festival (their version of the Tacky Light Tour, though definitely NOT tacky), the best part is the Christmas markets…great places to pick up unique gifts and foods to bring home to offer our holiday guests.

Over the years, I have visited the markets in Amsterdam, Paris, Belgium and Germany. This year, I was lucky enough to be in both Milan and Rome in December during the openings of the market season.

Milan was decorated beautifully, especially the area surrounding the Duomo. A market consisting of 65 wooden chalets offered ornaments, gifts, foods and drink to the masses of masked visitors while the Christmas tree in the square was still being strung with lights. Nearby, inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the Swarovski tree stood tall, glittering with its vast collection of crystal ornaments.

As we made our way through the streets of the city, we encountered lighted walkways, festive window displays and storefronts lighted to attract Christmas shoppers. Such a fabulous time, we had in Milan, I couldn’t wait to visit Rome on the next weekend to see the market in my beloved Piazza Navona.

As the day grew dim, we headed out to cross the River Tiber and make our way through the back alleys towards the Piazza Navona. Alas, nothing was for sale except for the usual fare of the usual vendors. No chalets, no lights…no market!

Thankfully, we discovered some lights strung across the narrow pathways and streets throughout the city as well as the occasional Santa Claus keeping watch over the outdoor dining areas. While I was sad that Rome had chosen to forego the festive market, the Catholic church made up for it in another way. During the darkened hours of the evening, we made our way over to St. Peter’s, to gaze upon the annual nativity on display, while standing in the shadow of the great basilica. This is a tradition that I would like to keep each year.

Leaving Italy and heading home to prepare for my family’s own celebrations, I was looking forward to experiencing our traditions once again. While my own home had been lighted immediately after Thanksgiving, I perused the list of the homes on this year’s Tacky Light Tour. Knowing that I could have driven by many of these homes many times in the weeks preceding Christmas, I preferred to wait patiently for my children to return home for the holidays.

As tradition would have it, we started with a house on Wendhurst Drive, less than a mile from our own home. This house has been featured on numerous news and television programs and has been adding lights and decorations since 2000. Starting with a few lights in the bushes and a single sleigh, the home now boasts a total of 2,207 homemade decorations, 180,388 lights and takes approximately seven months to set up. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson, the owners of the home, hand out candy canes in front of their nightly display, offer a photo station, a Santa mailbox, a guest book, a Mistletoe Kissing Station.

*9716 Wendhurst Drive, Glen Allen, Virginia*

We continued our journey throughout the west end of Richmond, following my map from house to house, gazing in wonder at the mazes of lights gracing each of the homes on the list. At the end of our journey, I noticed one house that we had forgotten near the beginning of our tour. Retracing our steps, we made our way to a new listing on the Richmond Tacky Lights List on Croft Circle. As we approached, we noticed motion on the roof…Santa dancing and waving to passersby…and on the ground, the Grinch holding court!

“Merry Christmas!” they called out to our passing car!

As we sipped our hot chocolate and sang along to Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas, we made our way back to our home stopping briefly to admire our own lights and look forward to our upcoming gumbo feast.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Richmond Tacky Lights Tour

Milan Christmas Market

https://www.italybyevents.com/en/events/lombardia/christmas-markets-in-milan/

Holy Hollywood

Cemeteries are a place of rest.

A holy place.

They can also be a place of beauty and of history.

In my lifetime, I have visited numerous cemeteries throughout the world. Famous cemeteries…like Pere Lachaise in Paris and La Recoleta in Buenos Aires. Sculptural ones…like Monumentale in Milan. Historical ones…like Gettysburg National Cemetery and Arlington National Cemetery.

Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond fits all three categories.

Situated very close to my home, Hollywood Cemetery is a place that I love to visit. While it is a peaceful and beautiful drive throughout, it is also a place for scenic views of the James River and a place to visit the resting places of historic citizens and soldiers.

Designed in 1847, the cemetery was constructed as a garden, steering away from the typical grid-like cemeteries normally seen in cities. This was done to accommodate visitors…to give them a place of solace, serenity and invitation. The landscape design left large stately trees in place including poplars and white oaks. There are over 2,000 trees in the cemetery today, many predating the cemetery, including the holly trees from which the cemetery adopted its name.

While one might think that parking at the entrance gates and making your way on foot is the way to visit, keep in mind that the cemetery encompasses a sprawling one hundred and thirty-five acres characterized by rolling hills and winding paths. Unless you are looking to incorporate some strenuous exercise into your tour, you might want to drive to each general location where parking is available on the side of the drives or in available spaces.

The best course of action is to first drive along Eastvale Avenue, passing the Confederate General Section, marked by an arch and a cannon, and on to Waterview Avenue. Pull over near the Palmer Chapel Mausoleum and President’s Circle for amazing views of the James River.

In President’s Circle, you can pay tribute to John Tyler and James Monroe, the fifth and tenth presidents of the United States . President Monroe was laid to rest in Hollywood Cemetery in 1858, twenty-seven years after his death in New York City. His unique tomb is known as “The Birdcage” due to its unique structure. His wife, daughter and son-in-law are buried nearby.

President Tyler was buried in the cemetery in 1862. Although his death was the only one in presidential history not to be officially recognized in Washington D.C. due his allegiance to the Confederate States of America, the Confederate President, Jefferson Davis, hosted a stately affair. Near the end of Waterview Avenue you will find the gravesites of President Jefferson Davis.

*Gravesite of Confederate President, Jefferson Davis*

In this general area, you can also find the burial places of six of Virginia’s past governors, including Fitzhugh Lee (1886-1890), Charles T. Offerall (1894-1898), John Garland Pollard (1930-1934), William Smith (1946-1949), Claude A. Swanson (1906-1910) and Henry A. Wise (1856-1860) as well as some beautiful large crypts on Eliptic Avenue and the first burial site.

There are some scattered parking areas near James Monroe’s tomb and there are some other interesting graves in this area.

Uphill from the entrance of the cemetery, further along Idlewood Avenue, stands a grand piece of architecture, a ninety foot granite pyramid completed in 1869. It is a monument dedicated to the 18,000 Confederate enlisted men buried nearby. In the circle at the rear of the monument, there is a marker which honors the memory of those former members of the John Marshall Corps of Cadets who gave their lives in behalf of Duty, Honor and Country. You can also find the gravesite of Raleigh E. Colston (1825-1896), American professor, soldier, cartographer, writer and brigadier general who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

George E. Pickett’s grave is also in this location. Most remember Pickett’s Charge, the futile and bloody Confederate offensive on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, in which he was one of the commanders. His wife Sallie is buried nearby.

One of my favorite gravesites is not very far from the pyramid. On a corner, you will spot a black, cast-iron Newfoundland dog. This statue stands guard over the grave of a little girl who died in 1862. This gravesite is one sought out regularly by visitors and you can often spot gifts left on her tomb. In fact, dogs are a common theme throughout the cemetery, almost as common as angels!

There is much to occupy your time and explore in Hollywood Cemetery. You can purchase a map at the front office for $1 or load one on your phone, or just wing it and see what you can find on your own.

Hallowed grounds, but truly the most picturesque I have ever visited.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Hollywood Cemetery

https://www.hollywoodcemetery.org/
Address: 412 South Cherry Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220
Hours: 0800-1700, daily, 0800-1800, daylight savings time
Admission: free

A Gift To the City

Having been away from work for a while, due to the Covid restrictions, I was desperately craving different scenery. As a flight attendant, I am used to spending my weekends in some far away city, dining in the piazzas, walking the streets and soaking up the culture.

Deciding to tackle some local attractions, I headed over to Maymont park to walk around for some sunshine, fresh air and exercise. While I had visited this park on many occasions in the past, I had forgotten how some parts could transport me to other locales.

One of Richmond’s and the state’s greatest treasures, the 100 acre park was the home of millionaires James and Sallie Dooley at the turn of the century. The couple lived on this land from 1893 until 1925 in their Romanesque mansion, surrounded by magnificent gardens and landscapes.

My fascination with James and Sallie Dooley, began during the first time that I visited their mansion many years ago. Why? My maiden name is Dooley and as I walked around their beautiful home, it was fun to imagine that they were distant relatives of mine and I was visiting their homestead. This time around, I was able to walk around the exterior of their mansion, but unfortunately it was not open to visitors. The periphery, however, is worthy of inspection, especially for architecture buffs like me! It is a stunning structure and surrounded by some beautiful sculptural pieces, the family mausoleum and the Dooley garage and stable, which features antique buggies and carriages.

Heading down the hill, past the fountain court and stone barn, I began to feel as if I had departed my home country and landed in Italy. Though the Dooleys had commissioned English pastoral gardens around their home, this part of their estate, was more formal, featuring stonework, statuary, gazebos, fountains and beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees. This classical style, developed in the 15th and 16th century can be spotted throughout Italy and more specifically at Villa Torlonia, near Rome.

A long pergola stretches along the northern edge of the garden and the garden is laid out in many levels below. At this point, the Dooleys could even spy the mighty James River out in the distance when it was first constructed. From this overlook stretches a stunning cascading fountain which feeds into a waterfall. There is a beautiful classical gazebo, imported from Italy, and I was told that it is quite lovely in the spring when surrounded by the blossoming peonies.

Making my way down the steps of the cascading fountain, I was disappointed to find that it was not in operation, but at the end, I was excited to glance upward at its magnificence and further down the path, find the entrance to the Japanese gardens.

The Japanese gardens have always been my favorite and the site of many picnics with my children during their younger days. When I am there, I truly feel as though I am in Japan.

Its nice to take a stroll on the gravel paths around the pond and admire the statuary, grotto and Japanese structures that rest near or over the water. I still fondly remember my boys jumping from stone to stone on the pathway across the pond and running across the wooden bridge near the base of the waterfall.

Exiting the gardens, I headed toward the part of the park where the wild animals are housed. Sometimes the black bear is not visible, but on this day, he was pacing back and forth along the wall and I was able to see him quite well. The Raptors and Bobcat exhibits were closed off due to spacing requirements so I continued along the path toward the Children’s Farm.

The horses and cows were grazing in the pastures and the vegetable garden was in full bloom. The sheep were out in their yard and I remembered how much my children loved to go to the petting zoo. The bison, my personal favorites, however, were nowhere to be seen within their enclosure.

The Robins Nature Center was not open on the day that I was here, but I thought back to the field trips in which we visited this facility. There are many interesting exhibits which highlight animals of the James River and Chesapeake Bay. One of the featured favorites are the otters, which reside in their own beaver lodge. The 30,000 gallon aquariums showcase a great number of aquatic animals which reside in the waters of the state. Over 45,000 guests visit the center annually, including tens of thousands of local students.

As I made my way, full circle, back to my starting point, I relished the beauty around me…small creeks, large trees and rolling hills. It must have been a spectacular place for the Dooleys to call home and truly a special gift for them to bequeath to the city of Richmond.

Though the admission price is only suggested and visitors can enter the park freely, remember the generosity of the Dooleys and give back to the city to help maintain what the Dooleys gave to the city.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Maymont

https://maymont.org/
Address: 1700 Hampton St, Richmond, VA 23220
Hours: Grounds and Gardens, April to September, 1000-1900, October to March, 1000-1700. Farm and Wildlife habitat, 1000-1700. The Robins Nature Center, Saturday-Sunday, 1000-1700. Carriage Collection, Tuesday-Sunday, 1200-1700. Maymont Mansion, temporarily closed.
Admission: Suggested admission, $5.00. Robins Nature Center, $8.00 (ages 13-64), $6 (ages 3-12), free (under 2 years).