Quick trip to Norfolk, VA
Catching up on a very brief trip I made last November. I flew via Baltimore to Norfolk, Virginia to visit with my brother Bob. His wife of 51 years had died in October, and I wanted to reach out – albeit long overdue as we’d not seen one another since our mother died in 2009. My Southwest flight into ORF got in after dark, and after retrieving my bag and renting a car, I found I had a serious problem. My “second” mobile phone, the one I’d purchased in Luxemburg in 2023, was apparently now locked by Samsung. Other than emergency calls, it wouldn’t react with the T-Mobile cellular network. I had no access to navigation as I forgot my primary phone at home!
Because I’d looked at directions while on the airport’s wifi, I had some idea how to reach Chesapeake. I made two stops: at a fuel station and a fast-food place to get some assistance. At the latter, the staff person used Google Maps to bring up Bob’s home address, and I made pictures of the step-by-step directions and the map. Fortunately, I made it to Bob’s house before it was very late, and we had a chance to talk over dinner out at a local Mexican restaurant.
Tuesday morning Bob and I left the house after breakfast. Our first stop was to “feed my obsession” and we traveled to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Norfolk. A large red-brick building with an adjoining hall, it had been built by the local Greek community (1953-55) which had hedged its bets, designed to be sold to another sect should a congregation fail to appear. Fortunately, it is thriving, and now the seat of the local diocese.
Bob remained in his car, parked in the shade. I walked around the church, taking my pictures, looking for an open door. Once through the vestibule between the buildings, the office sent me into the nave with a custodian. The nave walls and ceiling are mostly bare, painted a flat white. The stained-glass windows, 6 on the south side, 5 plus an entry on the north, depict scenes from Christ’s life. Icons framed in dark wood fill the spaces on the walls above the wainscotting. Against the east wall, a wooden iconostasis fills the entire space, with two rows of gold-backed icons illuminating the cherry wood. The three doors were closed as expected, so I had no view into the sanctuary.
Iconostatsis at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Norfolk View of the nave at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Norfolk Iconostasis of Saint Theodore;s Chapel, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Norfolk Murals of icons on vault of Saint Throdore's Chapel, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral
My guide took me next door into the smaller Saint Theodore’s Chapel, where the vault was painted in a light blue and included icons painted thereon. A mural of the Virgin filled the east wall, appearing above another iconostasis. The sacredness was much more evident here. A second cathedra was placed against the south wall just outside the icon screen.
Giving my thanks to my guide and the staff, I headed back to the car. Bob had been reading, and suggested two options for what we might do for the afternoon. I opted for The Mariners’ Museum. During the 90-minutes (or so) that we strolled the exhibits, I marveled at the many ship models, the USS MONITOR (the Union’s ironclad ship that had been recovered from the sea bottom) and its reconstructions/replicas, and the Oracle trimaran that had competed in the America’s Cup races.
Exterior of The Mariners' Museum, Norfolk, VA Recovered turret of the USS MONITOR Full-sized model of the ironclad warship CSS Virginia Full-sized model fo the turret with cannons, USS MONITOR Model of ironclad warship CSS Virginia (USS Merrimack hull & engine) Scale ship model, The Mariner's Museum, Norfolk Scale ship model, The Mariner's Museum, Norfolk Display of tools used by ship model builders at The Mariners' Museum Scale ship model, The Mariner's Museum, Norfolk Scale ship model, The Mariner's Museum, Norfolk Scale ship model, The Mariner's Museum, Norfolk Oracle trimaran hull in The Mariner's Museum, Norfolk
Back at the house, Bob put dinner in the oven and invited me up to his pride and joy. He is a certified Master Model Railroad Builder, and his attic has become a stunning reproduction of coal mining area between Roanoke Virginia and Elmore, West Virginia, circa the late 1950’s. A substantial space, tracks ran from model buildings that filled surfaces along both walls. The walls had been painted to show an expanding landscape. I could see why my great nephew Andrew enjoyed his visits north.
View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA View of Master Model Railroad Builder Bob Cook's setup in Chesapeake, VA
For dinner, an old family favorite, veal parmesan, had been prepared. My niece Jessica, her husband Jessie, her son Adam and Adam’s girlfriend Alli joined us. They all live nearby, and have been a great help and comfort to Bob.
The next day was Wednesday, and Bob typically golfs. I didn’t want to deter him, so told him I’d be comfortable staying in his house, and perhaps go to visit Jess while he got his fresh air. After a bit, I texted Jess and got an invitation to her home. Fortunately, it was not a complex trip, I made it and we had a good hour together catching up.
There was another nearby “cathedral” which Google Maps suggested, but without GPS navigation, I wasn’t going to risk going there on my own. (I’m not sure it meets the ecclesiastical definition anyway.) When Bob returned, we had a light lunch, and then sat around talking, catching up on life. We had plans to meet up with the Carters (Jess and Jessie) at McGrath’s, a burger shack for dinner. Pleasant surprise, Adam and Alli were able to join us.
The following morning, I was back in the rental car and headed back to Norfolk Airport, filling the gas tank a bit too early, but nonetheless, was able to get the car turned in, board the plane and get back to Sarasota after another layover in Baltimore.
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