Avalon Beach, Avalon, NJ
Friday, March 23, 2012
Friday, March 23, 2012
Showing posts with label castle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label castle. Show all posts
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, May 16, 2011
Forays with Friends: Oheka Castle April 2011
It is not often that I am able to offer my friends something as lovely and as wonderful as they can offer me. Take my friend Christine, for example. Thanks to her, The Shushing Librarian and I have had adventures in Newport, Montauk, the Cape, and stalking - er- attending a-ha.
I know that friendship is not a series of keeping track, evening the score, or checks and balances, but sometimes you just want to try and keep the karma in line.
As one of the benefits of membership in the New York Botanical Gardens, I get offers about special classes, trips, and other special insider treats. One day, an outing caught my eye. Oheka Castle!
This may or may not be the actual e-mail conversation in which two grown, responsible women colluded in playing hooky from their jobs:
AN: "Can I entice you play hooky ... to go to Oheka?"
CB: "COOL! I've never been there but have always wanted to check it out. ... I have to laugh about the date...again two days before the Cabaret benefit. LET'S DO IT!"
AN: "But wait .. you are agreeing to play hooky with me .. before the CABARET? REALLY!? Well -- hot damn. Seriously?"
CB: "Sure...why not? I'm allowed a personal day."
AN: !!!! (with dawning realization) HOLY COW! I finally corrupted her -- A special events person, right before her special event ... for a special event!
I never thought that it would actually happen, me finally being able to treat Christine to something, even if it was a day trip in the middle of the week. The months, weeks, and days passed so slowly until the morning of the trip.
Unfortunately the morning and early afternoon weather was ... awful. Not surprisingly for one of our forays, it rained. Heck, there were dogs and cats, poodles and wet rats, and the occasional flying monkey. Why were we surprised? It rained when we went to Montauk. It was a near nor'easter the weekend we went to the Cape. It has POURED on many a Gala and Festival concert that we have worked, so we're used to natural disasters. (We'll work on the transportation issues later.)
Not unexpectedly, aside from our counterpart in the NYBG Membership Office (hi and thanks Melanie!) we were the youngest people on the trip. It was a workday midweek, and we are not independently wealthy -- to our chagrin.
We talked and talked and talked all the way down, and all the way back. I'm sure we annoyed some folks on the bus. Too bad.
Oheka was lovely. So so lovely. My pictures don't do it justice. These first 8 photos are some of the best shots, just some snaps of some things I would like in my future abode: a grand entrance, landscaping, gardens with child-friendly swings, a private balcony patio, and lots and lots of swagging and crystals.
Front Sign and Tennis Court/Landing pad?
This is the only shot where I have "ghosts" in the entrance hall.
View from the garden
View from the Gardens
Views in the Library
View from some of the rooms/in the rooms
Dining Room with "Tea" for Visitors
Exterior Entrance to Indoor Lap Pool
Exterior Shots
After our tour of the Castle, tea at high noon, and the trip back to the Gardens, we spend the rest of the day leisurely exploring the Conservatory, having a yummy lunch in the Garden Cafe, and doing a bit of Christmas shopping. (Yep, I have finished my office Christmas shopping! Scary, no?)
The skies finally cleared as we made plans to play hooky later - perhaps some time when it was guaranteed to be dry and sunny. What else might or might not have been discussed, gossiped about, or plotted is never to be discussed under a codicil of the Game Night Holy Oath!
Thanks for playing hooky with me Christine. You are the best!
I know that friendship is not a series of keeping track, evening the score, or checks and balances, but sometimes you just want to try and keep the karma in line.
As one of the benefits of membership in the New York Botanical Gardens, I get offers about special classes, trips, and other special insider treats. One day, an outing caught my eye. Oheka Castle!
This may or may not be the actual e-mail conversation in which two grown, responsible women colluded in playing hooky from their jobs:
AN: "Can I entice you play hooky ... to go to Oheka?"
CB: "COOL! I've never been there but have always wanted to check it out. ... I have to laugh about the date...again two days before the Cabaret benefit. LET'S DO IT!"
AN: "But wait .. you are agreeing to play hooky with me .. before the CABARET? REALLY!? Well -- hot damn. Seriously?"
CB: "Sure...why not? I'm allowed a personal day."
AN: !!!! (with dawning realization) HOLY COW! I finally corrupted her -- A special events person, right before her special event ... for a special event!
I never thought that it would actually happen, me finally being able to treat Christine to something, even if it was a day trip in the middle of the week. The months, weeks, and days passed so slowly until the morning of the trip.
Unfortunately the morning and early afternoon weather was ... awful. Not surprisingly for one of our forays, it rained. Heck, there were dogs and cats, poodles and wet rats, and the occasional flying monkey. Why were we surprised? It rained when we went to Montauk. It was a near nor'easter the weekend we went to the Cape. It has POURED on many a Gala and Festival concert that we have worked, so we're used to natural disasters. (We'll work on the transportation issues later.)
Not unexpectedly, aside from our counterpart in the NYBG Membership Office (hi and thanks Melanie!) we were the youngest people on the trip. It was a workday midweek, and we are not independently wealthy -- to our chagrin.
We talked and talked and talked all the way down, and all the way back. I'm sure we annoyed some folks on the bus. Too bad.
Oheka was lovely. So so lovely. My pictures don't do it justice. These first 8 photos are some of the best shots, just some snaps of some things I would like in my future abode: a grand entrance, landscaping, gardens with child-friendly swings, a private balcony patio, and lots and lots of swagging and crystals.
Christine on the bus and the bus
Front Sign and Tennis Court/Landing pad?
This is the only shot where I have "ghosts" in the entrance hall.
View from the garden
View from the Gardens
Views in the Library
View from some of the rooms/in the rooms
Dining Room with "Tea" for Visitors
Exterior Entrance to Indoor Lap Pool
Exterior Shots
After our tour of the Castle, tea at high noon, and the trip back to the Gardens, we spend the rest of the day leisurely exploring the Conservatory, having a yummy lunch in the Garden Cafe, and doing a bit of Christmas shopping. (Yep, I have finished my office Christmas shopping! Scary, no?)
The skies finally cleared as we made plans to play hooky later - perhaps some time when it was guaranteed to be dry and sunny. What else might or might not have been discussed, gossiped about, or plotted is never to be discussed under a codicil of the Game Night Holy Oath!
Thanks for playing hooky with me Christine. You are the best!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Going to Gillette
It was a dark and stormy morning, with fog rolling up on the hills of the Connecticut River, when first Kelli and Auntie Nettie set off to explore ... Gillette's Castle in East Haddam, CT.
The site of a childhood visit by Auntie Nettie and her brothers, Kelli had been told a bit about this unique building prior to our visit. The bros and I remember the rocky exterior of the house and vaguely remember how the docents used to tell us to be on the look out for Mr. Gillette's collection of ceramic frogs and penguins. The bros were also excited to hear the train whistle from across the river and to run and play along the park grounds.
Kelli had hoped for better weather for impromptu photography stops throughout the backroads of Norwich leading to East Haddam, but the grey cast to the day had us simply do a scouting run on our way to the Castle.
Once we arrived and parked, we had to have a "refreshing" experience before heading up to the "rock." There is a practically brand-new Visitors Center as part of the State Park, with exhibits on Mr. Gillette, a model train engine, a souvenir stand (closed for lack of volunteers), a large concession stand, but most importantly, a huge, clean, open bathrooms, with "green" toilets -- no flushing.
It looks like a normal toilet, but since the building is up on a hill, with drainage down below, the air up your woo-hoo does make you pause for a moment and pray that nothing is climbing back up the greenways.
The site of a childhood visit by Auntie Nettie and her brothers, Kelli had been told a bit about this unique building prior to our visit. The bros and I remember the rocky exterior of the house and vaguely remember how the docents used to tell us to be on the look out for Mr. Gillette's collection of ceramic frogs and penguins. The bros were also excited to hear the train whistle from across the river and to run and play along the park grounds.
Kelli had hoped for better weather for impromptu photography stops throughout the backroads of Norwich leading to East Haddam, but the grey cast to the day had us simply do a scouting run on our way to the Castle.
Once we arrived and parked, we had to have a "refreshing" experience before heading up to the "rock." There is a practically brand-new Visitors Center as part of the State Park, with exhibits on Mr. Gillette, a model train engine, a souvenir stand (closed for lack of volunteers), a large concession stand, but most importantly, a huge, clean, open bathrooms, with "green" toilets -- no flushing.
It looks like a normal toilet, but since the building is up on a hill, with drainage down below, the air up your woo-hoo does make you pause for a moment and pray that nothing is climbing back up the greenways. Kelli thinks I'm a goober for taking these photos, but I don't care. Hygiene is important. And if I can warn anyone about the willies up the woo-hoo sensation, I've helped humanity.
After "refreshing" ourselves, paying our entrance fee, and finding out that there is no touching and no flash photography inside the Castle*, away we went.
Entrance to the driveway
Looking up the front stairs
Wait! If I knew that I could commute to THIS Grand Central Station,
my life would be much less stressful.
Peeking down on the Station from the Castle
The Castle was "green" before it was hip.
The Castle was "green" before it was hip. Many of the fixtures and windows around the Castle were made of glass from the estate.
Stained glass from his private ship
Stained glass from his private ship*Remember what I said about flash photography ... that explains a great deal about the lack of sharpness in many of these pictures.
Tea near the conservatory, anyone?
Farm sink
Vintage Kitchen
Favorite Niece's Bedroom
My bathroom isn't even this big!
Travelling gear
Vintage Kitchen
Favorite Niece's Bedroom
My bathroom isn't even this big!Travelling gear View from a bedroom window of the Connecticut River
I've decided I want my own little portrait nook like this in my next apartment. Doesn't everyone have their own floor of their castle dedicated to paintings?
I've decided I want my own little portrait nook like this in my next apartment. Doesn't everyone have their own floor of their castle dedicated to paintings? Engarde -- you toad!
(FINALLY! Something I remember from my first visits. The frogs!)
(FINALLY! Something I remember from my first visits. The frogs!)View from the back porch
How did I forget to take the Shushing Librarian
out of my bag and pose her with this guy?
I do have to say, like many things that you revisit as an adult that you remember from your childhood, the Castle wasn't as big as I remember. There's also been a large renovation in the intervening years and many of the floors and rooms are now off-limits to tourists. Of course, once you say something is off-limits, I want to go there.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLI! Thanks for being patient with the bathroom pictures. If I was going to have a woo-hoo experience with anyone, I'm glad it was with you!
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