Part 3 of my photo journey of UVa’s central grounds. All photos taken February, 2017, in remembrance of my grad school days and to show places that appear in my Magic of Love series.
Looking at the Rotunda from the west side of the Lawn.Looking at a Pavilion from the Rotunda’s patio.
The east side of the Rotunda – a fountain and benches. How pleasant this must be in warmer weather.Peeking around from the west side of the Rotunda to the south side columns and the Lawn beyond.Side shot of the Rotunda – west side. Look at that symmetry. How beautiful.Another side shot showing the circular walls.A look at the Rotunda from the west side near the chapel – and one of the Pavilions off to the right side.The north side of the Rotunda – the side you see from University Avenue.The view looking out and to the northeast from the north Rotunda steps.Does it grow more or less majestic as you back up to take it in? The Rotunda, north side.Looking straight out from the north side of the Rotunda – Jefferson statue in front. I walked by this view nearly every day in grad school in my trips from Alderman Library to the corner to refuel with Diet Coke and Poptarts (sad but true).And now a view of the northern entrance to the Rotunda, with the Jefferson statue in front.
On the west side of the Lawn one can find Pavilion VII, home of the Colonnade Club, a club for UVa Faculty. I never entered in my days as a grad student – I’m not sure I knew one could enter, and I certainly wouldn’t have felt I should, not being faculty.
That didn’t stop me while researching and writing A Scandalous Matter, however. And I fell so in love with the Club’s interiors – and its nineteenth century feel, that I had Amara Mattersley fall in love with it, too, seeing it as a home away from home. Here’s her response upon entering, which was pretty much the same as mine:
“A shiny plaque near the door caught her eye. Colonnade Club, it read. Cautiously, she turned the knob and stepped inside. No one stopped her or asked her to leave. In fact, she was completely alone. Her eyes soaked in the area around her, her ears relishing the silence. The interior gave her the sense of a London townhouse. Not exactly, of course— the layout and furniture differed, but the excitement at finding a place so reminiscent of home fired her blood.” – A Scandalous Matter
The interior of the Colonnade Club – the room Amara first saw upon entering in A Scandalous Matter.The fireplace and interior of the Colonnade Club’s front room.The blue room in the Colonnade Club. A pivotal scene occurs here in A Scandalous Matter – though on my first visit, the table shown here was not present; comfortable armchairs were there, instead.Another view of the blue room – I love the wall color so much, I just want to stay in it…
Still to come: The University of Virginia Chapel and Alderman Library…
