#12 Boston - Painting Summer in New England - August 25, 2006

Nooooooooh, not another museum!!!! If that's what you're thinking - you are out of luck my friends! Yes, I went to yet another museum and yes, you will just have to hear about it!! So grab yourself a strong cup of coffee and off we go!

Enticed by the Marcel Proust quote listed on its website "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes", I finally succeeded in getting to the famed Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Mass. (http://www.pem.org/homepage/ ). It was only my third try and the visit was more than worth it. First of all a quick little word of thanks to the city of Salem, who lets their inhabitants visit the museum for free (and on occasion also bring a friend along - for free). Definitely beats standing in line, in particular this past Sunday - as the final two weeks of the very successful exhibit on "Painting Summer in New England" are about to start and six million people and their brothers were trying to get into the place. Starting with the mid-19th century the five galleries featured paintings by artists, some more well known than others, depicting the leisurely and unpersevering state of mind us New Englanders tend to assume during summer time.

Among the artist stars were our old friends Winslow Homer, John Singer Sargent, and Edward Hopper, who I have started to appreciate more and more lately, and new discoveries - Alex Katz, whose barn-door-size paintings are just so much fun and made Stephanie realize that she will have to purchase a warehouse first before acquiring one of his oeuvres; Scott Prior, a contemporary realist painter, who happens to be the son-in-law to author Kurt Vonnegut and who resides in nearby Northhampton, Mass, definitely needs to be mentioned (see attached picture) as does Andrew Wyeth, a member of the Wyeth family from Pennsylvania who seems to be spewing one talented painter after another: Newell Convers Wyeth, the patriarch, famously sketched for Scribner's Illustrated Classics such as Treasure Island and Robinson Crusoe. His children Henriette, Carolyn and Andrew are all internationally renowned painters and grandson James (Andrew's child) is now also attracting attention (for painting, not because he robs banks or stars in unsavory movies).

Aside from this wonderful exhibit, the PEM has tons of other stuff to see, and there will have to be repeat visits to the place. For someone who gets seasick by the mere sight of a boat, I have an unusual fascination with anything natatory, and the museum's maritime collection was no exception (http://www.pem.org/collections/maritime.php). I love ship models and there are a gazillion of them there. My favorite room, East India Marine Hall, was the size of a ballroom and was adorned on all sites by ship's figureheads four times my size. How cool is that? (http://www.pem.org/collections/architecture.php?itm=3)

Culturally satisfied?? So were Steph and I and we quickly headed to the ever so delightful Front Street for some Milky Way ice cream and to the Salem Beer Works for a little something to wash it down with.

Other goings-on this past week - continuation of marathon training with supportive therapy. Successfully upped mileage this past weekend to 10 miles (woohoo!), and on the way to recovery. Still plenty of work to do there, but the big day is coming up in less than five weeks. Helped (a bit) with Ellen and Patrick's move to Watertown and checked out their new digs, including the super cool "Schlitz" beer lamps in the basement bar. I think a shopping excursion to acquire a Budweiser mirror to go with it, is in order. What are friends for, right?

Celebrations for my 18-year anniversary in the United States have been ongoing - thanks to all my friends who have been participating in various gaieties and the occasional hullabaloo, including a visit to Tommy Doyle's near Kendall Square for a couple of beers and a movie ("Little Miss Sunshine") with Denise and Natasha, dinners, lunches, coffee brakes, and tonight's upcoming visit to the Ryles Jazz Club in Cambridge (http://www.rylesjazz.com/) - unless we get distracted and head for the Irish pub next door.

I am heading to Cape Cod tomorrow for a comfy day-and-a-half and will return Sunday afternoon for a long run along the Esplanade. Enjoy the weekend!

Petra

And for a little laugh for those of us who are just not 20 anymore:
THE SENILITY PRAYER

Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked anyway,

the good fortune to run into the ones I do,

and the eyesight to tell the difference.