“Chihuly: Through the Looking Glass"

Museum of Fine Arts Boston
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http://www.mfa.org/



 Today I mad the trip into Boston to explore something new. 

A Spectacular 

and Fanciful display of Color and Design like none other !

 Chihuly:

"Through the Looking Glass” 

This is an exhibit not to be missed ! I've never experienced and 'event' like this.

Check out some of the absolutely beautiful all GLASS designs, shapes, colors and magical interpretations of ....

 well just use your imagination to interpret what you see before you.

The Museum is open daily, General  admission to the MFA includes admission to:

                Chihuly:  Through the Looking Glass.  

 No separate admission is required.

On exhibit April 10th through Augu (Due to the gallery capacity and fragility of the objects, access to “Chihuly” will be limited during high traffic periods, including weekends and Wednesday evenings.)

Thursdays, May 12–August 4 (except May 19 and June 23), enjoy a free 30-minute program of short films of Chihuly and his team in action, shown continuously from 11 am to 9 pm in Alfond Auditorium.

                  

Photography is allowed in the exhibition,

but please refrain from using a flash.

Take advantage of public transportation during this busy time.

The MFA is convenient to bus and trolley service.

          This beautiful display looks small here, but actually took up the entire wall and was over 12 feet high.

 Fanciful Gardens

A sky full of color !

 Taking a magical boat ride into the night !

Over the course of his career, Dale Chihuly has revolutionized the art of

blown glass, moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture and establishing

 the use of glass—inherently a fragile but also magical material—as a vehicle

for installation and environmental art. This exhibition of new and archival

works represents the breadth and scope of the artist’s creative vision over the

last four decades.

                ... experience an afternoon of colorful imagination!

A Quick Trip to Plymouth...

Look where I went, and what I learned in about an hour !

Arriving early to Plymouth to meet friends for dinner, I took a quick tour of some of the many historic treasures this town has to offer.

The National Monument to the Forefathers, formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument, commemorates the Mayflower, Pilgrims and honors their ideals as later generally embraced by the United States. Located on Allerton Street in Plymouth, Massachusetts,   the 81-foot-tall monument was commissioned by the Pilgrim Society. The original concept dates to around 1820, with actual planning beginning in 1850. The corner-stone was laid August 2, 1859 by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, under the direction of Grand Master John T. Heard. The monument was completed in October 1888, and was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on August 1, 1889.
The monument, which faces northeast to Plymouth Harbor (and, roughly, towards Plymouth, England), sits in the center of a circular drive. The plan of the principal pedestal is octagonal, with four small, and four large faces. On the main pedestal stands the heroic figure of "Faith." Upon the four buttresses are seated figures emblematic of the principles upon which the
Pilgrims founded their Commonwealth; counter-clockwise from the east are Freedom, Morality, Law and Education. Each was carved from a solid block of granite, posed in the sitting position.

Under "Freedom" stand "Tyranny" and "Peace;" under "Morality" stand "Prophet" and "Evangelist;" under "Law" stand "Justice" and "Mercy;" and under "Education" are "Youth" and "Wisdom." On the face of the buttresses, beneath these figures are high reliefs in marble, representing scenes from Pilgrim history.

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The overall scheme was designed by architect Hammatt Billings, with subsidiary statues executed by area sculptors including William Rimmer.

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The monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 30, 1974. Originally under the care of the Pilgrim Society, it was given to the Massachusetts government in 2001.

It and Plymouth Rock constitute the Pilgrim Memorial State Park.



Plymouth Rock

Pilgrims Memorial Park - (Cafe' Strega top right)

See how much you can see and learn in a very short time.

It was fun too !





Dining Out in Plymouth, MA.

* Cafe Strega *




http://www.cafestrega.com/



 16 Main Street Plymouth, Ma.

"Cafe Strega

will make your every dining experience special with its authentic Italian cuisine

 complimented by beautiful environment and friendly service."

I enjoyed a delightful dining experience with my new 'MeetUp' friends this evening at Cafe Strega in Plymouth.  Five of us enjoyed a delicious meal, each other's company and conversation while dining on delicious appetizers and antres' followed by .... you guessed it  dessert



delicious martinis !



If you haven't been to Cafe Strega, you must find your way there very soon. The service was very friendly and efficient. My dinner - Zuppa Di Crostance was delicious, the atmosphere relaxing.

A bit pricey but worth treating yourself to a fine evening dining out.  

*** A Midsummer Night's Dream ***

" Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough brier,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere."
(A Midsummer Night's Dream, 2. 1)

Keeping with my day tripper theme, 

I set off to the Boston Opera House to enjoy;

A Midsummer Night's Dream.

The Boston Ballet presents George Balanchine’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a lucid and inventive telling of Shakespeare’s play. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was Balanchine’s first original, full-length ballet. Called by critic Clive Barnes, “a fantasy spectacle of love,” this work is a masterful combination of storytelling and choreography danced to the exquisite sounds of Mendelssohn. The ballet tells a story of love, illusion and adventures of two pairs of mortal lovers and the king and queen of the fairies. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was choreographed for New York City Ballet and premiered in 1962. The production includes a large cast complete with 25 students from Boston Ballet School and sets and costumes designed by Louisa Spinatelli. The last time A Midsummer Night’s Dream was danced by Boston Ballet it was called, a winner, a gorgeous, spirited production given strong performances throughout the ranks, including the excellent orchestra led by Jonathan McPhee.
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This years performance is definitely another winner !

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The Boston Opera House is a performing arts venue located at 538 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally built as a movie palace, it opened on October 29, 1928 and was rededicated in 1980 as a home for the Opera Company of Boston. Completely restored in 2004, the theater currently serves as the home of the Boston Ballet and also presents touring Broadway shows.

The theater serves as a venue for live performances ranging from "The Lion King" and "Phantom of the Opera," to such music acts as The White Stripes and Linda Ronstadt.

Architect Thomas W. Lamb designed the opera house, which features common Renaissance Revival touches such as arches above the doors, porches and windows, a symmetrical facade, elaborate support spaces, gold leaf touches and wide, overhanging eaves supported by decorative brackets.  The theater has a seating capacity of 2,500.The current Opera House was originally the B.F. Keith theater, host to films and vaudeville shows. After a flood destroyed nearly everything contained in the venue in 1991, interest in restoring the original opulence of the Opera House grew. The mayor, along with local politicians and the Clear Channel corporation, decided on a 30 million dollar renovation project. Today the revamped Opera House regularly hosts big-name artists and stage shows in front of sold out audiences, that included ME !

Lazy Day Today ...

I slept late... Then enjoyed the afternoon cooking.
                                                      Can't get more relaxed than this!

Lunch :  Grilled Salmon on a bed of field greens covered with avocado, tomato salsa, olives and green beans.

only to be outdone by a delicious dessert...

     Tiramisu !

Yes, I made all this myself.

Ready, Set, Go....day tripping !

Well the snow has all melted and it seems we are now entering the 'mud season', yuck ! My two white dogs will never be the same, or I should say that they will be just fine, it's my floors and furniture that seems to be taking a beating. What a mess !  Now that the daily temperatures are rising, I've begun my day tripping. Plimouth Plantation, in Plymouth, Ma. was my first all day trip. Check out the photos and text here. I really enjoyed the day. After the ceremonies, I managed to do some antiquing............. treasures !! 

Tonight I headed into Boston for dinner and a concert.  Boston Gay Men's Chorus is performing at the New England Conservatory's Jordan Hall. This wonderful event --> OUR TRUE COLORS <-- was spectacular !  Unfortunately photos were not allowed durring the performance, but WOW can those men sing, and they're all so handsome ! 

   My calendar is filling up fast

     so check back often !

I'll be off to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston next Wednesday evening for a fund raising 'gala' event ! Then early in April it's off to the ballet to see---> A Midsummer Night's Dream, at the Opera House.  Next on my list is dinner at Cafe' Strega in Plymouth. Nice............... :)

Trust me - retirement - is Wonderful !

The U.S. Mint's New $1 Sacagewea/ Wampanoag Treaty Gold Coin Release

Plimoth Plantation

                         PLYMOUTH,  MA  

The latest American Indian $1 coin will honor the Treaty of 1621 between the Wampanoag tribe and the Pilgrim settlers.

The 2011 Native American $1 Coin is the third in the series of United States coinage that features Sacagawea on the obverse and a different reverse each year that bears the image of important contributions made by Indian tribes or individual Native Americans to the development of the United States.
  The coin was unveiled at the Henry Hornblower II Visitor Center at Plimoth Plantation.  On the back of the coin is an image of the arm of Ousamequin Massasoit, the sachem, or leader, of the Wampanoag tribe, extending a peace pipe to the hand of John Carver, the first governor of Plymouth Colony. The front of the coin has an image of Sacagawea, 

 the  woman who served as guide to Meriwether Lewis and   William Clark during their cross-continental trek. The coin is the third in a series of coins depicting American Indian historical moments. The U.S. Mint says Sacagawea will be on the front of all coins in the series.

The 1621 treaty was the first formal agreement between the Wampanoag tribe and the settlers at Plymouth Colony. The mint has released a sketch of the back of the Wampanoag coin, but not a photo.

The 10:30 a.m. unveiling of the coin was open to all.  American Indians who attended received one of the coins

Tribal leaders from Aquinnah and Mashpee regions of the Wampanoag tribe were at the ceremony, and Cedric Cromwell, chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe, delivered the address.

An American Indian drum group from Mashpee performed at the event.

The Native American $1 Coin Law was enacted in 2009. It requires the mint to release coins “celebrating the important contributions made by Indian tribes and individual Native Americans to the history and development of the United States.” “We are honored that the United States Mint has chosen to acknowledge our great sachem Ousamequin and the significance of the 1621 treaty to American and Wampanoag history,” Cromwell said in a statement.  “As the first tribe to meet the Pilgrims, the alliance our ancestors forged through this treaty ensured the European settlers’ survival during their first difficult years here,” he said.

(Brian Badzmierowski  :  reported  and may be reached at : bbadzmierowski@ledger.com.)

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TTownTony commented on this ‘event’…

  This coin program is another example of New England favoritism when viewing American history. The tribes of the South were far larger than those of New England and were in contact with Europeans many decades or even a century earlier than those that met the so-called 'pilgrims'. The giant chief Tuscaloosa (over 7 feet tall) almost wiped out the DeSoto expedition in 1540. Spanish settlers encountered native Americans near Pensacola and St. Augustine long before anyone ever heard of New England. The Bahia del Espiritu Santo (modern day Mobile Bay, Alabama) was explored only a few years after Columbus and appeared on European maps over 100 years before Plymouth Colony was founded or any European had any idea the North American continent even existed.

If we are to have coins honoring Native American, then how about honoring those from a much larger part of the country where contact with Europeans was much earlier. Not those from backwater New England.