From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Isabella Stewart Gardner

Ever since I read From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E Frankweiler as a youngster I have had a longing to live in a museum, haven't you? If I had my druthers, I would camp out in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, one of my happy places in Boston. It's just a block or so from the MFA but goes undiscovered by many. If you're in the area, go!

Maddy and I went there yesterday for Maddy Day 2 (and were delighted to find we both qualify to get in free!). We dressed in skirts and pretended we were fancy Boston ladies. Back in the turn of the 20th century Mrs. Gardner built a gorgeous Italian palazzo, with a courtyard at the center, to house her growing art collection.

This courtyard lifts many a Boston wintry heart, let me tell you.

Some of our favorite pieces:

^Mrs. Gardner herself. Bursting with enthusiasm, isn't she?

Here I am!

^Young Lady of Fashion

Maddy's counterpart of Renaissance Italy.

^El Jaleo by John Singer Sargent. Again with the verve and enthusiasm.

She looks like she could give me a lesson in not-caring-what-others-think.

I adore Vermeer.

Unfortunately, this one was stolen in a very famous art heist

(at least around here)

so we didn't see it at the Gardner.

But we did see the blank spot where it used to be.

Very mysterious.

I imagine the museum security is pretty heightened,

making my plans to inhabit the place a little far-fetched.

So I am forced to fall back on my other Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum dream:

wedding reception for a daughter/son/grandchild someday.

A gal can dream...

Charmed, I'm sure

The travel gods seem to be smiling on our DC adventure this time around.

Not that we're complaining!

We arrived Wednesday afternoon, just as several days of rain decided to leave

Good bye storm clouds...

Miraculously found an on-street parking spot

right on Capitol Hill

^ Love the Library of Congress interior.

When we were walking around there, we ran into the Alder kids, who we were supposed to meet later for dinner.  Nothing like running into people you know to make you feel at home!

Then, an hour later, we ran into my cousin-in-law Jenny, who was running errands in her former neighborhood behind Capitol hill.  What are the chances of that?

Caught up with Nate, Greg's best friend growing up

(They were both proud news carriers for our hometown paper, 

The Herald Journal, which was posted outside the Newseum)

Then to dinner with him and his kids

and a night walk around the monuments.

I love this place.

I'm having to restrain myself from packing us up

and moving back.

{And bracing myself for a dose of bad luck

to compensate for the fabulous first day}

.  .  .

Today Maddy in China rode bicycles on top of the city wall,

attended Middle School for the 5th day,

visited a jade factory, a mosque, and a bazaar.

Yesterday she went to the Great Goose Pagoda, 

then a tea house for a tea ceremony,

then to the Tang Dynasty Museum, and calligraphy lessons.

She had some homesickness early in the week

but we talked to her last night {and on Tuesday night}

and she's feeling much better and still loving her adventure.

She thinks the "squatty potties" are funny,

her host family is nice 

(they wanted to buy her new shoes 

because her {beloved Converse} looked "old"

and have treated her royally)

My Little China Girl

Tomorrow this girl leaves for China.  For 12 days.

Last May when she asked if she could write an essay to be selected for the school China trip* we thought "eh...why not?"

One year later she is packing her bags(!)

She has taken Chinese classes.

Co-produced the show that her group will put on for the students there (This Land is My Land, anyone?)

Practiced eating new things (thank you, China trip!)

Downloaded music for the lonnnnng flights.

Am I excited for her?  Absolutely.

Am I aware that my own travel love and wanderlust may have contributed to this? Why, yes.

Is it easy to wave goodbye? No, not at all.  I have anxiety and a wild imagination.

I have just one request....

Chesley B Sullenberger, could you please make sure you're assigned to the New York-Beijing flight tomorrow morning? (And back, too, please.)  Okay, thanks.

Oh, and Maddy...take your red shoes.  Just in case you need to click them three times.

*her school takes a small group of 7th graders each spring to China then, in the fall, we host a group of Chinese students here. There are plenty of teacher chaperones.  They start in Beijing for a few days, take the train to Xian, where they attend middle school for a few days.  Then they end their trip in Shanghai and fly home.

Venice, we hardly knew ye

subtitle: But wait, there's more!

or: the travelogue continues, quick run away!

We spent the last 2.5 days of our adventure in Venice.  We took the opportunity to teach our children about how to get a train ticket in Europe, how to read the big train departures board, and most importantly, the essential skill of dashing for the train at a full run with all of your luggage when you realize you are seated on the wrong car in the wrong seats and the train is about to depart.  All good life skills, right?

Our best look at Venice was the vaporetto ride from the train station to our hotel on our first afternoon there, which happened to be New Year's Eve.  The sun was in that magical part of the day--you know, that pre-sunset glow? We rode the Grand Canal, speechless and thankful.  We would look back later and be glad we got to see Venice that way.

And New Year's Eve? After a little exploring, some dinner, and some naps, we headed to San Marco's square for the festivities.  Very fun, that. {We were saying how funny it is that we have never gone to the Boston New Year's Eve celebration...do we have to be on a trip to be fun people? Don't answer that.}  We'll never forget how it started to snow light fluffy flakes right before midnight.  Or the sight of a crowd full of people with sparklers.  Or how, as we grasped hands and snaked through the crowds after midnight, we somehow lost Maddy and watched her striped hat bob away from us (luckily some kind people around us helped us get her back to us).  Or how one random Italian guy tried (unsuccessfully) to kiss Lauren right after midnight and G pointed at him and said firmly "Don't. Touch. My daughter." Good papa bear response.

Our only full day in Venice, New Year's Day, was unfortunately slushy and rainy and a freezing, bone-chilling cold. We did our best with what we had to work with, though, making quick jaunts out and then back in for warmth.  

The next morning we caught a boat to the airport in the fog and 22 hours later arrived home in time for G to see the Utes beat Bama last night.  There really is no place like home, even if our roof did leak a little bit in our absence.  And my pants are fitting a leettle tightly.  And our cupboards (and bank account) are bare. Totally worth the trade off.  The end.  For now.

Loveliest day

Our last full day in Florence we spent at the Pitti Palace and Boboli Gardens. In a lovely twist of luck, it was the nicest weather day of the whole trip: sunny, blue skies, no wind.  A Room with a View, anyone?  It was a highpoint for me, spending the day wandering around with these people I love.

{On a side note, I love Room with a View.  I made Greg watch the movie when we were dating and he hated it.  What? It gave me pause...could I have a future with someone who despised all things Merchant-Ivoryish?  But then I got over it and I'm glad.  He still doesn't like "pasty-boy movies" but it turns out it doesn't really matter in the big-picture scheme of things.  That's what Girls' Nights Out are for, after all.  And he does love the actual Florence and its views, which is good.}