Monday, December 10, 2007
I arrived in Covington at noon and walked from the hotel to the Basilica at 1140 Madison Avenue and back by way of Covington Public Library at 502 Scott Blvd, which has 3 beautiful portraits by Frank Duveneck.
I called my cousin Ellie and we arranged to meet Tuesday night.
Tuesday
I took the bus to Fountain Square in Cincinnati and walked to the Lloyd Library and Museum
at 917 Plum Street to see the Culpepper exhibit. The librarian I met there who let me in when I rang the bell, Marie, gave me a very good city map and highlighted her favorite things to do and places to see in Cincinnati.
Toured City Hall at 205 Central Avenue and the Cincinnati Public Library at 2802 Vine Street.
At 5:30 my cousin Ellie picked me up at the hotel and took me to see her neighborhood and her dog Rosie, a beautiful Spaniel, and the Observatory at Lookout Hill - where I got to open & close the roof with a big pulley. Ellie treated me to dinner at the Vineyard Café in Hyde Park. This perfect evening was topped off with cones of Graeter's ice cream! My cone was black raspberry with big chocolate bits.
Wednesday
at 917 Plum Street to see the Culpepper exhibit. The librarian I met there who let me in when I rang the bell, Marie, gave me a very good city map and highlighted her favorite things to do and places to see in Cincinnati.
Toured City Hall at 205 Central Avenue and the Cincinnati Public Library at 2802 Vine Street.
At 5:30 my cousin Ellie picked me up at the hotel and took me to see her neighborhood and her dog Rosie, a beautiful Spaniel, and the Observatory at Lookout Hill - where I got to open & close the roof with a big pulley. Ellie treated me to dinner at the Vineyard Café in Hyde Park. This perfect evening was topped off with cones of Graeter's ice cream! My cone was black raspberry with big chocolate bits.
Wednesday
On my way to the Taft museum I went in to the Cathedral bookstore where they had Bishop Tutu cloth dolls! The clerk said they hadn't sold because Tutu had not been able to come after all.
I went to the Taft Museum in Cincinnati and had lunch with Ellie. At the Taft Museum I saw many lovely things, but the highlight was a Frank Duveneck painting of a very young cobbler's apprentice with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The ember looked still lit even after more than 100 years! Then she took me to see the Christmas trains at Duke Energy Center. Afterwards I walked a few blocks to the Mercantile Library on 414 Walnut Street. It is on the 11th floor and has many beautiful wrought iron hall trees for patrons' coats and outer garments. President Taft's father paid $10,000 for the lease back in 1835 to the University of Cincinnati. The president of the University was so grateful; he gave them a 10,000 year lease!
Thursday
I went to the Taft Museum in Cincinnati and had lunch with Ellie. At the Taft Museum I saw many lovely things, but the highlight was a Frank Duveneck painting of a very young cobbler's apprentice with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The ember looked still lit even after more than 100 years! Then she took me to see the Christmas trains at Duke Energy Center. Afterwards I walked a few blocks to the Mercantile Library on 414 Walnut Street. It is on the 11th floor and has many beautiful wrought iron hall trees for patrons' coats and outer garments. President Taft's father paid $10,000 for the lease back in 1835 to the University of Cincinnati. The president of the University was so grateful; he gave them a 10,000 year lease!
Thursday
I took a cab to Eden Park to see the Cincinnati Art Museum. The highlights were the Rookwood pottery and Frank Duveneck paintings. I walked from the art museum to see the Krohn Conservatory full of trains, poinsettias, and a living nativity. The return cab driver was very nice and turned his meter off to give me a quick spin and tour of the Mount Adams neighborhood, where I spotted the original Rookwood Pottery, now a restaurant called Porkopolis. Mount Adams is full of tiny old homes, shops, coffee spots, bars and eateries. It's very quaint.
Friday
Friday
I met Ellie at Fountain Square and we went to lunch at Union Station. I toured the Ohio History Museum where early settler John Dunlap was featured. Then I walked a long way to see the Music Hall but it was closed.
Saturday
Ellie brought us down to Chillicothe in a snow storm to have lunch with the girl cousins: Susan, Ruth, Jane, Betsy, Sue Ellen, and Carol. This was a real highlight! We all had pulled pork sandwiches and slaw. Unlike home, slaw here is very good!
Afterwards we went out to Susan's farm where Ellie grew up, where Susan, Ellie’s mother, has a beautiful 40 year old Christmas cactus that was her mother's, my great aunt Ellen. We had tea and delicious homemade cookies. I loved the farm and seeing the red and green tractor out the kitchen window.
Sunday
Afterwards we went out to Susan's farm where Ellie grew up, where Susan, Ellie’s mother, has a beautiful 40 year old Christmas cactus that was her mother's, my great aunt Ellen. We had tea and delicious homemade cookies. I loved the farm and seeing the red and green tractor out the kitchen window.
Sunday
I went to the Findlay Market and the Zoo. The market was great. I bought a lovely soft black hat made of wool and silk by a knitter named Phoebe Reeves. The zoo was frigid and one animal came out to see me- the Siberian tiger. I did not interest him much, though. It was one fast glimpse.
Monday
Monday
It was very cold and I spent the day in and out of the Contemporary Arts Center, where I discovered the works of artist Charley Harper.
I also saw a sofa with fabulous upholstery, which is under the Todd Oldham name and Lazy boy. It's a take-off of a Charley Harper bird design.
I had lunch with Ellie at Hathaway's where 2 of the waitresses have worked for more than 50 years! Ellie showed me the beautiful art deco restaurant in the same building.
Tuesday
I went downtown to some galleries in Cincinnati and pleaded for more information about art to see in Covington. One lady sent me to the Baker Hunt Arts & Cultural Center.
I walked a long way to get there and it was beautiful! The 2 ladies there, Ann & Anne, gave me some good tips on what to see and do on my last day in Covington. One sent me to Greenup Café at 308 Greenup Street. I had delicious squash soup and French bread late in the afternoon. Then I went to see the murals on the flood walls behind the hotel in Covington. My cousin Ellie picked me up at 6, gave me a silver box of incredibly beautiful cookies from http://www.bonbonerie.com/cookies/cookie.php?id=34
The cookies were decorated by art students at the bakery, owned and run by 2 friends of Ellie's.
Then she took me to her favorite bookstore, Joseph Beth booksellers
where we bought books and had sandwiches for dinner.
Wednesday
I walked a long way to get there and it was beautiful! The 2 ladies there, Ann & Anne, gave me some good tips on what to see and do on my last day in Covington. One sent me to Greenup Café at 308 Greenup Street. I had delicious squash soup and French bread late in the afternoon. Then I went to see the murals on the flood walls behind the hotel in Covington. My cousin Ellie picked me up at 6, gave me a silver box of incredibly beautiful cookies from http://www.bonbonerie.com/cookies/cookie.php?id=34
Then she took me to her favorite bookstore, Joseph Beth booksellers
where we bought books and had sandwiches for dinner.
Wednesday
I walked in Covington to Trinity Episcopal Church http://www.trinitychurchcovky.com/
and saw the beautiful stained glass, then Mother of God church http://mother-of-god.org/
and then the Main Strauss area. Finally, on one of the Ann's tips, I went to the top of Scripps Bldg to see the Mayerson Foundation's contemporary art collection. The views of the Ohio River were awesome from the 36th floor!
Note:
When I walked about a mile in Eden Park between the art museum and Krohn Conservatory, the scene of the deadly chase scene in the book, I kept looking behind me!
