For The Love of Travel

The Connecticut State Capitol is located just on the edge of the lovely Bushnell Park in Hartford, the capital of Connecticut. The building houses the Connecticut General Assembly; the upper house, the State Senate, and lower house, the House of Representatives, as well as the office of the Governor of the State of Connecticut. 
The building is one of the largest “Eastlake Movement” style buildings. The exterior is of marble from East Canaan, Connecticut and granite from Westerly, Rhode Island. The statues and carvings are grouped by period, either pre-Revolutionary War figures, Revolutionary War or government service, and from the Civil War and onwards. The central domed tower is distinctive @ 78.3 metres!

Israel Putnam is commemorated in Bushnell Park, an American army general and Freemason, popularly known as “Old Put”, who fought with distinction at the Battle of Bunker Hill (1775) during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). His reckless courage and fighting spirit were known far beyond Connecticut’s borders through the circulation of folk legends celebrating his exploits. Captured in 1758 by the Kahnawake (Mohawk Indians) during a military campaign near Crown Point in New York, he was saved from being ritually burned alive by a rain storm and the last-minute intervention of a French officer. 

A beautiful 1886 triumphal (soldiers and sailors memorial) arch in Trinity St, combining Gothic Revival, medieval, and classical features in brownstone and terra-cotta, designed by George Keller, Hartford’s leading 19th-century architect, who was nationally known for his Civil War monument designs. A tangible symbol of the honor and respect paid by the City of Hartford to its men who served in the Civil War.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lastly a visit to the Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) museum, built as a house for the Clemens family in 1874.

Explorer extraordinaire, an abolitionist, supporter of women’s voting rights and a keen observer of the human condition and given to opining with quotable phrases….here are 2 of my favourites:

“God created war so Americans would learn geography”.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed with the things you did not do, than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bow lines and sail away from safe harbour. Catch the trade wind in your sails. Explore, dream, discover.”   I like the man!!  Note to self, must read his Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

And I really like Bernadotte Bellizi’s watercolour paintings on display in the visitor centre attached to the museum.. Can’t remember who painted the other one (left)  that said “buy me”… I would have had it been Melbourne!

 

 

It was a long drive from Nantucket to Northhampton and I got there in late afternoon. 

Decided to check out Smith College, a distinguished liberal arts college “committed to providing the highest quality undergraduate education for women”.

The college began more than 140 years ago with an inheritance bequest from Sophia Smith: “I hereby make the following provisions for the establishment and maintenance of an Institution for the higher education of young women, with the design to furnish for my own sex means and facilities for education equal to those which are afforded now in our colleges to young men.” Julia Child, Gloria Steinem, Nancy Reagan and Sylvia Plath are among some of the notable alumnae.

Lovely streets around the Smith College precinct and gorgeous houses in Maynard/Paradise Rds and Harrison Ave.

Not far from the wrought-iron gates of Smith College are the busy sidewalk cafés, shops and eateries of Northampton. This lively town of 30,000 combines small-town ambiance with big-city bustle both day and night.

Nantucket has a strong building code, you can build anything so long as it’s made from cedar grey and trimmed with white. Ha ha. Those that try bright yellow or taupe get the message pretty quickly that it’s not acceptable. The Quakers have left quite a legacy of keeping things as simple as possible…until you see some of the ‘new money’ homes.
The island has a history of strong women eg. Lucretia Mott, abolitionist and suffragette; Maria Mitchell, US’ first female astronomy professor in the 19thC, who discovered a comet which as a result became known as “Miss Mitchell’s Comet”. She won a gold medal prize for her discovery which was presented to her by King Frederick VII of Denmark – On the medal was inscribed: “Not in vain do we watch the setting and rising of the stars”. Harriet Swain who went on whaling expedition with her husband; all the women who owned businesses in”Petticoat Row” when their husbands were away whaling.
Went on Sue Ellen’s history of Nantucket walking tour this morning, followed by Gael’s bus tour this afternoon…both great to do on a grey, drizzly day. Learnt a lot about the transition from farming to whaling to tourism as the island’s economic drivers; the impact of the town fire in 1846 and Quaker religion/culture.