Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens; - (Home of Marjorie Merriweather Post)

 

In 1955, Marjorie purchased Hillwood as her home and spent 2 years of renovation and expansion, - creating it as a place that suits her lifestyle as well as a museum to display her extra ordinary art collections.

Marjorie Post was one of the richest women of her time (1887-1973). She is a great collector of French and Russian arts for her enjoyment as well as for the education purpose of future generations.

Hillwood Estate covers 25 acres of landscaped gardens and natural woodlands; it remains Marjorie's most important legacy, including the artistry of its collections and beautiful gardens that continue to inspire. It is now one of the premier art collector's museum in the US.

This Georgian-style mansion is filled with the most modern conveniences that money could buy, including her elegant French drawing room, the efficient and "high-tech" kitchen and pantry, and the many personal touches that made Hillwood one of Washington's most memorable homes.

In 1977, Hillwood Estate & Gardens opened to the public. Today, it continous to show vibrant special exhibitions, programs, events and garden displays.

You can spend time on your own exploring the 13 acres of exquisite formal gardens, - don't miss the French parterre, the rose garden and the Friendship Walk. It also includes a Japanese-style garden, and a modern greenhouse rebuilt and renovated in 1996 on the original site, containing an extensive collection of exotic orchids and tropical plants.

Tudor Place - Reliving America's Story

 

Tudor Place is worth the visit if you're around the D.C. area, and love to learn about part of America's history.

It is also a house full of various impressive collections of various artifacts, antiques and many more and a garden - all rolled into one!

The visitor entrance is located at 1644 31st Street NW, Washington DC, between Q & R Streets. It's 2 blocks east of Wisconsin Ave. and a 20-minute walk from Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom or Rosslyn MetroRail stations.

Tudor Place is full of history, - from the estate house, to the family, the collections, the helpers and the garden. This home estate was owned by a couple, - Thomas Peter and Martha Custis, - the granddaughter of Martha Washington.

THE HOUSE:

It is considered as a house of architectural distinction owned by a single family for six generations. They hosted several famous figures who shaped American history like Pres. Andrew Jackson, John Calhoun, Daniel Webster, Robert E. Lee, and Marquis de Lafayette.

The house was designed by architect Dr. William Thornton, overlooking the Potomac River and port of Georgetown. Today, as a National Historic Landmark, it is considered as a premier example of American neoclassicism, - reflecting its full-round portico as a unique American residential architecture. 

Since it was completed in 1816, Tudor Place was owned by the Peter family until 1983.

THE COLLECTION:

Tudor Place contains an impressive collection of American, European and Asian items dating from the 18th-20th centuries. Currently, it holds more than 15,000 objects from fine decorative arts like 19th-20th century silver jewelries to daily household collections as well as architectural and archaeological collections.

This house turned museum also displays moret han 200 items belonging to Martha and George Washington.

THE GARDEN:

It includes an expansive historic gardens covering an area of 5.5 acres, preserved by the Peter family for over 2 centuries. The present garden used to be an agrarian estate, but now reflects a beautiful ornamental garden with centuries-old trees, beautiful plantings, fountains and sculptures.

The impressive landscape include green lawns, formal garden rooms, natural woodland, intricate Box Knot, English Boxwood Circle and antique roses.

DOMESTIC HELPERS:
The Peter family owned and inherited a lot of enslaved men, women and children, who served the family, tended the household, farmed and cultivated the garden.

Free African-Americans and European immigrants performed the same task between 19th-20th centuries.

The Monumental Zone - Park Guell

 One interesting place to visit while in Barcelona, Spain is Park Guell. This place has a lot of captivating work of arts, - mostly inspired by a collaborative work of the architect Antonio Gaudi, and Eusebi Guell, the lot owner.

Eusebi Guell originally bought this large property for the purpose of building an estate for well-off families. He acquired the property in a zone known as "Muntanya Pelada" (bare mountain), - which has an unbeatable view both of the sea and the plain of Barcelona. He planned and wanted to create British residential estates, the reason why he used the English form "Park" in the name, Park Guell.

Guell and Gaudi didn't only had a good business relationship but also genuine friendship. Guell entrusted Gaudi the plan of putting his artistic architectural creation as well as he undertook a profound urban=planning reflection for the park.

Park Guell construction began in 1900 and had a good progress in the first few years of the century. In 1914, Guell stopped the work due to some difficulties in plot acquisitions and lack of good transport.

After Guell's death, his heirs offered it to Barcelona City Council and was acquired in 1922, then opened it as a public park 4 years later.

Since then, it became a pole of attraction for visitors from all over the world, and the UNESCO declared it a Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 1984.

One of the attractive interiors and (exteriors) of the park is the Hypostyle Room. Its layout are dense colonnades lined in 3 columns of open spaces, - one larger at the center and 2 smaller ones, like the naves of the church.

Its ceilings are made of small domes using the Catalan vault technique, clad with tile shards and with soffits laid out like a keystone.

Just above the exterior of Hypostyle Room is the ceramic bench of the upper square. 

Just looking the entire Hypostyle room from the outside reflects a lot of classic architectural styles with impressive contrasts of shapes and colors on the upper square.

Marseille, France - Old & New

 There is a charm in visiting the oldest neighborhood of Marseille as you experience walking on a picturesque little streets and squares to craft workshops, shops and museums.

Marseille is considered to be the oldest city of France which dates back in 600 BC. In the old days, it used to be the gateway to the Mediterranean. Nowadays, it's the gateway to the scenic region of Provence.

Provence are rich with villages infused with aromas of lavender, outdoor cafes and freshly baked bread it is considered to be truly magical and inspirational. Olive groves, vineyards and flower fields fill the countryside which makes one becomes dreamy just like as described on a canvas.

La Canebiere

Hotel Dieu

Cathedral La Major

Mucem Museum

The Museum of the Bible (Washington D.C.)

 

The museum opened its doors to the public on November 17, 2017, expanding to a 430,000 sq. ft. museum of the Bible. Its vast area provides guests with an immersive and a well-personalized experience as they explore the narrative history and impact of the Bible.

The museum is also considered to give its guests unparalleled experiences by using cutting-edge technology to bring the Bible to life. It will span time, space and cultures, inviting everyone to engage with the Bible. It is a world-class museum that shows amazing features such as;

The 40-feet tall bronze doors at the entrance.

A rooftop Biblical garden.

A 150-feet long LED ceiling displays of biblical art and scenes; - and everything in between.

Visitors can enjoy their lunch at the Milk & Honey Cafe, featuring a grab-and-go type of food like salads and sandwiches. The Manna Restaurant also offers Mediterranean, fast-casual style food.

Visiting Highlights:

1. The History Floor -  exhibits of greatest discoveries associated with Biblical text, which includes some of the earliest known writings which date to the time traditionally associated with Abraham. Other artifacts can be seen such as dead Sea scroll fragments, some-early known New testament writings, numerous historical manuscripts and first-edition Bibles.

2. The Narrative Floor - encompasses 50,000 sq. ft., telling the stories of the Bible. It will connect 21st century audiences to the Bible by taking them on a journey, inviting them to be a part of its stories.

3. The Impact Floor - the Bible's immense influence is fully expressed in this area,-not only on cultures and aspects of civilization, but on the lives of individuals as well. Topics covered are the Bible's influence on the arts, science, government, education, family, pop culture and American history.

There are other attractions available as well such as walk-throughs, theater shows (with tickets, but some are free). 

Please note that shows and exhibits are being updated and different at times.