The Ninnemans were our guests on Sunday and we headed to the nearby historical landmark of Viscaya.A beautiful house full of grandeur and priceless works of art. The multi-millionaire built the house to entertain his Winter guests from the North - impressing and surpassing the Joneses was what it was all about.
All glittery and shiny, that is Viscaya - a monument to the plethora of ways man can try to impress others who really couldn't care less.
The gentleman eve
n travelled to Europe about a dozen times and brought back small souveneurs e.g. a small Italian town's centerpiece fountain, another French town's church ceiling, painted by one of the old masters. Additionally, there are nearly a hundred statues in his enormous and elaborate French-style gardens - dating back to the Roman empire. What a magnificent sight - we photographed some exquisite pieces eroding away next to the ocean for our next generation not to see.
Reminds me of another multi-millionaire's house we visited in North-Carolina - the Biltmore Estate. The man built the largest private American house in existence, but his was a philantropist's way and his estate is thriving still today.
Mr. Biltmore's estate is so large that it would take a horse rider nearly two days to circle. He created a forest on some eroded mountain slopes which today still facinates visitors. He build a dairy farm and a town and a school that still exists today.
A big difference in viewpoint and priorities that echo even today.One who surrounded himself with his wealth, dying a lonely man, while the other built a lasting legacy and truly added value.
Last pic: Megan and Sarah leaning on a Roman altar dating back to 230 B.C.!
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