The temps today crept up to 36 celsius so there must be a thunderstorm brewing.
I was up early and let Monica sleep while I went for a city walk to get some shots. At 7:00 am, it was quiet and the sun was already fierce. I saw the war veterans monument and several churches, all closed at this hour but I would get to visit three of them later in the morning, and the home of Harriet Tubman who served the “Underground Railroad” after the Civil War (1865) by smuggling 300 blacks out of the United States and into Canada.
- St. Marys church – purples and blues predominate… lovely mural of the Assumption.. simple but beautiful windows
- Westminster Presbyterian – I ran in myself while Monica waited in the car… there is only one significant window here… a stunning Tiffany Rainbow.
- Willard Memorial Chapel – the interior completely designed by Tiffany. We were toured through the chapel by the very knowledgeable “Ed” who gave us the full history of the Case family (1850’s fortune made in corn starch and a descendent son credited for inventing sound for cinema films). The Chapel is dark, solemn and very different from most churches…. almost gaudy and signifies Tiffany’s journey into the abstract. The main window scene with Jesus and Peter on the water is stunning.
Leaving Auburn, we headed east through Skaneteles, a beautiful town on the lake of same name. Here we quickly saw St. Jame’s Episcopal church. Then eastward we zipped past Syracuse, Albany, straight through Troy at rush hour and finally to Bennington Vermont. A really lovely town in the foothills of the Green Mountain range.
Here we saw the grave site of Robert Frost in the cemetery of the Old First Church (oldest church in Vermont) plus the 306 foot megalithic monument to the Battle of Bennington in 1777 (John Stark was the victor). However, temps and humidity were too high for any more serious sightseeing, so we called it a day early and enjoyed some Finger Lakes wine in our hotel.
Here are the photo highlights of day 34 – Auburn NY to Bennington VT
nellyglass studio 