the great snowpocalypse of charlottesville
As soon as we arrived, we walked into a bar full of friends while the storm raged on outside, and I woke early to watch the snow still falling heavily, blanketing the town with an additional layer of quiet. It wasn’t my first Snowpocalypse, but it was still startling to see the fabulous Severine standing in the snow piled higher than her knees.
We ventured out on Saturday morning through Friday’s snowfall into the brightness of downtown, to the Pavilion that looked like a landing spot from the future.
Somehow, the chalkings on the Charlottesville wall survived the drifts,
and Severine and I walked the length of the Mall,
blinking at the whiteness of the snow and the curiously mod shapes of iced lights,
to meet up with Eric, Ben, John, Will, and Dan (watch closely to see Ben’s glasses transition, Sara joined us later).
The beloved Christian’s Pizza was among the few restaurants open and served as the gathering place for Charlottesville news (I am eating a pesto-artichoke-feta slice and a pepperoni with local Starr Hill Jomo) as busy as the entrance papered with flyers.
With a foraging trip to Market Street Wine to talk Grecian grapes with incredibly helpful wine researchers, we proceeded to while away the hours in a big hotel room,
before venturing out that night to Zinc. On the way in, thrown snowballs whiffed; inside, excellent versions of confit with cassoulet, onglet frites, onion soup gratinée, and brussel sprouts with lardons were brought out to the long table at the center of this bistro.
Stories were invented, a Famous Professor stopped by, and we adjourned to decanted wine in a municipal building with a ceiling of possibilities.
I departed Charlottesville around noon on Sunday, when skillful strangers unearthed my car and help push the vehicle toward the road. I find it difficult to leave this town, particularly when close friends convene for holidays, and I am surrounded once again by brilliant literature geeks of the first order.
For the days of this week though, I’m circling further South…
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Posted Monday, December 21st, 2009, 9:38 pm * Filed in Travel. * Tags: charlottesville, kristen, kthread, snow, snowpocalypse, taylor, virginia. Follow responses through the RSS 2.0 feed. Leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
December 22nd, 2009 at 11:29 am
The pesto-artichoke-feta pizza is one of my favorite items at Christian’s. C’ville looks lovely in white. Thanks for sharing =)
December 29th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
John, it was very odd to see Cville so dazzlingly white (on the ground). When I drove back through on Sunday, there were still piles of snow on the sides of the road. Hope your holidays have been merry and warm—
December 31st, 2009 at 10:42 am
really nice pictures, thanks for sharing them, love Christian’s too!