On Sunday we skipped out of church to head up to Charlottesville, Virginia, to visit Thomas Jefferson’s rustic plantation which he nicknamed Monticello (Italian: “little mountain”). Amongst the parisian clocks, 120 variety garden, domed roof and beds built into walls, Emily and I were led on a tour of the two hundred year-old mansion. Pretty luxurious and splendid indeed until you learn on the our that Jefferson died deeply impoverished, forcing his survivors to sell his goods to pay his debts. The booty we did manage to swindle off the plantation entirely consists of our fond memory of that autumnal daytrip and the pictures now available in our photo gallery.

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Who knew Jefferson had a Coke machine in 1809?