On April 4, of this year we both stayed in Knoxville, TN for two nights.
For a very special reason...
After having gone to Clingman's Dome, see previous post below, we visited with a dear blogger friend close to Knoxville and then checked in at the Hyatt Place downtown.
Yes, we met both of them!
It is always a joy for Meeting with any Blogger Friend that you know for many, many years and it also proves again and again that you have so much in common.
Here husband Pieter finally stands in a spot where he took daily lunch break walks...
Pieter had to do a course about Statistical Process Control at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville for Campbell Soup.
So on Saturday, September 6, 1986 Pieter flew from Atlanta, Georgia to Knoxville, Tennessee after I'd dropped him off at the airport.
Here, Mom & Dad are walking the gardens around the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, on May 6, 1987.
As a matter of fact,
just received this photo from my Dad on May 21, 2019, when I drove straight home from the airport after landing in Amsterdam.
Showed him some video on my MacBook and photos from our trip to Knoxville in April.
Dad jumped up and grabbed his photo book from their FIRST trip to the USA.
Never had seen those pictures myself and of course immediately asked Dad to take them with me for scanning them for archiving.
So happy with these memories!
Pieter took this photo from the University of Tennessee, from the Hill Street...
The University of Tennessee, Hill Entrance
Card from the University of Knoxville that Pieter sent to Mom & Dad in The Netherlands
From September 6 till the 12th, husband Pieter stayed at the Knoxville Hilton in 1986
On Friday, September 12 of 1986, I did pick up Pieter at the Atlanta airport by 6:35 PM
and he proudly showed me this!
Pieter took this photo upon arrival in Knoxville with to the right the tower from a special Church...
This was a
photo taken by husband Pieter, from the Observation Deck at the Sunsphere, showing the Church Street United Methodist Church of Knoxville, TN
Just click here for more info about
Knoxville, TN - Church Street United Methodist Church and what a magnificent building that is!
A very poor quality photo but seen are Mom & Dad and I presume that I did park near that Church for strolling around the University as that is to the right...
Here I am standing in front of this beautiful Church Street United Methodist Church!
While Pieter was napping, I found it on the Internet, and
now had the address for walking to it from our Hyatt Place in Downtown...
It was rather difficult to recognize from the bad photo I had of Mom & Dad.
Pieter took this photo
from the median with pedestrian traffic lights as otherwise the entire building would not be in the picture.
Pedestrians could not cross this 6-lane road in 'one' trip...
Mom & Dad on May 6, 1987 at the
World's Fair Park in Knoxville
The tower's window glass panels are layered in 24-karat gold dust...
It measures 266 ft or 81 m!
The
1982 World's Fair, formerly known as
Knoxville International Energy Exposition in which The Netherlands also participated and China for the 1st time EVER.
See short video:
Remembering the 1982 World's Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee where President Reagan opened it on May 1.
Also called
'Sunsphere'
Husband Pieter took this photo in 1986 when walking around during lunch break...
In the center you see the Hilton hotel
Oh, I do recall Pieter talking about
Worlds Largest Rubik's Cube From 1982 Worlds Fair of which they had a HUGE one on display.
Designed by
Hungarian Architecture Professor Erno Rubik and became one of the 1982 World's Fair's most well known icons.
This photo I took of Pieter on April 4, 2019...
The first time that Pieter ever came back here since 1986!
Yep, Public Parking Poplar St Lot and
Pieter pointing to the World's Fair Park and it is visible to his right.
There are still overhead wires visible but a lot less than in 1987 when I took Mom & Dad's photo.
Horizon pollution...
The Tennessee Amphitheater shown here,
which got constructed during the 1982 World's Fair
Dad gave me also this photo
where we just arrived in North Carolina.
We visited
Highlands and also nearby Dry Falls of which Dad himself had pictures.
We spent the night in
Cherokee TN, at a Best Western
Next day we went to
Gatlinburg, TN and on to Knoxville.
Quite a solo trip for me, as we had dropped off Pieter at the airport on Sunday, May 3, after we had spent the weekend in Atlanta at the Marriott Galleria.
1226 km for me solo or 14 hours driving...
Pieter was still working full time for Campbell Soup as Vice President Training & Development.
A total of 1,226 km and back till the airport in Atlanta to pick up Pieter, all on May 6, and from there, Pieter did drive home!
That was a full day... all the way from Knoxville.
We had all four been together to the
Dutch Queen's Birthday Reception at the Dutch Consul's home on West Paces Ferry Road in Atlanta.
Dad sang the Dutch Wilhelmus on this side of the Atlantic!
So with 2 nights at the Marriott and some shopping, dropping Pieter off at the airport
I'd gone back to Dublin for 1 night... Next day we left for North Carolina and the above Knoxville, TN visit.
When I'd come home in Dublin,
I also altered a newly bought dress for Mom (while in Atlanta!) so she could wear it!
So happy for having received Dad's photos and being able to look back and for having shown Pieter once more...
Happily eating my Tuna Steak with Carrot-ginger purée, seasoned red rice, cucumbers and carrots!
Forgot to take a photo so I'd already eaten a bite...
Pieter enjoying his Seafood Risotto
Fresh scallops, shrimp, mussels, tossed with vegetables and risotto dancing in a hot wok with a saffron sauce, a pepper aroma and a touch of parmesan cheese...
French Bastille Sale was a good one for us!
Our New Queen: Caribbean Light Down Comforter from Yves Delorme and probably the down came from Eastern Europe...
