Monticello

Post by J

Since Thomas Jefferson (affectionately known as "TJ" to R who, by the way, also refers to Teddy Roosevelt as "TR" and William Shakespeare as "Billy the Shake") was the first U.S. Secretary of State, I thought it only fitting that I visit his home and pay my respects.

It takes a little over two hours to drive to Charlottesville from here, so I started out around 8:30 this morning. I enjoyed traveling through the rolling hills of Virginia, picturesquely hemmed in by tidy white fences, and didn't even mind the slower pace that was required because of the curves. I narrowly missed flattening a turtle with a death wish as it neared the end of its ponderous trek across the asphalt, however. I made good time and finally arrived at Monticello - the only home of a U.S. president that is a UNESCO world heritage site.

I paid the entrance fee and took the shuttle up to the top of Jefferson's "little mountain," which is what Monticello translates to in Italian. I was just in time for the next guided tour of the house, and our knowledgeable guide shared some amazing facts about Jefferson during the tour including:

• Jefferson had read every book in his father's library by the age of 6
• Jefferson could read in seven different languages
• Jefferson taught himself Spanish during a 19-day sea voyage by translating a copy of Don Quixote using a Spanish/English dictionary
• Jefferson was nearly a vegetarian, using meat only as a "condiment" to enhance the flavors of his vegetables
• Jefferson's favorite vegetable was peas, and he grew six different varieties on the grounds of Monticello
• Jefferson was an inventor, collector of fine art, and founder of the University of Virginia

In short, TJ was amazing.  But he suffered tragedy: his father died when he was 14; his wife, Martha, died after only 10 years of marriage, and only two of his six children lived to adulthood.

Monticello is beautiful, and the grounds and gardens are impressive.  I thoroughly enjoyed the three hours I spent there, and came away with new respect and admiration for our third president.