Friday, March 28

On Saturday Bob decided to give me a tour of some areas to the east of Nashville, the University of the South at Sewannee and some interesting areas of Grundy County.

 

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Of course, before one can embark on and day trip one must be well fed!

Unbeknownst to me Bob had gone by the Panaderia Mexicali on Nolansville Pike and picked up these wonderful pastries. Bob knew well my love for "Orejas" (ears), that crispy Mexican pastry I had first become acquainted with in San Francisco and made sure I had a supply while staying with him. Thanks, Bob!

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When we arrived at Sewanee we stopped at the Stirling Coffee house and ordered up some Java.

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We started our mini tour of the Campus. Shown here is one of the entrances to Breslin Tower.

The University of the South is a private, coeducational liberal arts college located in Sewanee, Tennessee. It is owned by twenty-eight southern dioceses of the Episcopal Church and its School of Theology is an official seminary of the church. The university's School of Letters offers graduate degrees in literature and creative writing. Often known simply as Sewanee, the school has a strong academic reputation and recently ranked 40th in the annual US News & World Report list of liberal arts colleges.[2] Sewanee has produced 25 Rhodes Scholars, garnering the distinction of the most Rhodes Scholars per capita of any school in the country.[3] The campus (officially called "The Domain" or, affectionately, "The Mountain") consists of 10,000 acres (40 km²) of scenic mountain property atop the Cumberland Plateau in southeastern Tennessee, although the developed portion occupies only about 1,000 acres (4.0 km²). Through a recent acquisition, the University has added 3,000 acres of undeveloped land to the Domain.[citation needed] In 2006, enrollment consisted of 1,467 undergraduates, 92 students in the School of Theology, and about 25 students in the School of Letters. In addition to the University, the town of Sewanee includes the Community of St. Mary (a convent) and St. Mary's Non-Denominational Retreat Center (which uses the buildings formerly occupied by St. Mary's School). The asteroid 89264 Sewanee is named in its honor.

Source: WikiPedia

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There is plenty to see even if one has only a passing interest in architecture.

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This is the site of Otey Hall, the first Academic building - 1866.

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All the walkways were paved with these flagstones.

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This is All Saints' Chapel. It was originally designed by Ralph Adams Cram and HE began construction in 1904 (replacing the smaller, wooden St. Augustine's Chapel which stood nearby), but the financial panic of 1907 left the University without the funds to complete it. It was completed in 1959 to a design by then-Vice Chancellor Edward McCrady.

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Detail of the Holy Water vessal in the Cathedral.

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This is the kind of shot you end up with when you forget to carry a tripod.

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Our next stop was the Templeton Libraryand the "large white cross", but the weather prevented me from taking any photos.

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The next stop was the Natural Bridge. If you look carefully you can see Bob waving from underneath the arch.

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This unusual looking plant was scattered throughout the woods near the bridge. Can you tell me what it is?

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The foggy, rainy day did not dampen out spirits.

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Next we had lunch at Shenanigans. They specialize in vegetarian fare.

Bob had a Vegetarian pita sandwich and fried cheese sticks and I had the Veggie burger with tomatoes, sprouts, onions, horseradish and mustard. Very tasty.

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This is the Laurel Gulf Overlook which offers a view of the South Cumberland State Recreation Area.

The Cumberland Plateau, the largest remaining forested plateau in the continental United States, is home to South Cumberland State Recreation Area. The wilderness park includes some of Tennessee's most diverse and spectacular scenery. Totaling over 16,000 acres, the South Cumberland is comprised of ten districts scattered over 100 square miles in Franklin, Marion, Grundy and Sequatchie counties, but is managed as a single park.

Source: About South Cumberland State Park

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These two were just ascending out of the "Stone Door". It is fracture which forms slot allowing passage through what is otherwise a sheer rock face. The story goes it was used by both Indians and early explorers as access through the rock face.

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A twisted old Hemlock is the lone sentry at doorway.

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What force might have caused this opening in the "solid" rock?

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The layers of rock tell a story - for those who can read it.

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It was about know our stomachs were telling us we had better get back to civilization in search of victuals.

So, we began the high speed, 90 minute drive back to Nashville in the pouring rain. Rather hair raising for me.

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On my previous visit in 2005 Bob had taken me to Los Americas Taqueria and Pupuseria and I could not wait to get back!

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It was here I first had a Ceviche tostada.

Ceviche, which is often spelled Ceviche or cebiche, depending on which part of South America it comes from, is seafood prepared in a centuries old method of cooking by contact with the acidic juice of citrus juice instead of heat. It can be eaten as a first course or main dish, depending on what is served with it. The preparation and consumption of ceviche is practically a religion in parts of Mexico, Central, and South America, and it seems as though there are as many varieties of ceviche as people who eat it.

Source: History of Ceviche, Seviche, or Cebiche

There is more info here from my 2005 visit.

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This time Bob ordered Ceviche de Camaron - shrimp.

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Next come pupusa, a popular El Salvadoran dish made of a thick, corn tortilla filled with anything from meats to cheeses to refried beans to pork rinds. We ordered one pork and cheese and one chicharrón (pork rind)pupusa. Pupusas are also found in some areas of Guatemala and Honduras.

In the foreground is a pollo (chicken) burro with ranchero sauce which is a roasted tomato sauce.

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This mural was on the back wall.

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To our delight, and that of everyone else, there was live music. Far from your typical Mariachi band these tow were belting out contemporary rock accompanied with some mighty fancy finger work and strong vocals.

We reluctantly left the music and festive mood behind as we had a mission: a trip to downtown to try for a night shot of " Musica".

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Still raining, Bob parked nearby and we walked up with my camera and tripod. I finally decided on what a good angle would be and above is the result.

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One last stop for the day - the Dan McGuiness pub was just across the street and we stopped in for a pint. The happy couple above seemed to really be enjoying themselves.

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Cheers - and good night!

 

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On to day 3==>