One of the best things about being a member of the Museum of Fine Arts is the ability to stop in often and see some of the featured topics or exhibitions (large and small) as they call them. We included three on a recent visit.
The major event of the summer is "Matisse in the Studio." It was interesting to see the collection of objects he used as inspiration for his work. It was also great to see more of his sculpture. Unfortunately our time viewing this collection was spoiled by a disruptive visitor, so we did hurry through.
This chair and the shadows it cast fascinated Penny.
She couldn't resist creating her own artwork from Matisse's studio inspiration object.
We were ready for a quiet break and Matisse inspired lunch at Bravo. We enjoyed duck liver paté, a dish of mushroom pasta, and sipped an excellent Rosé from Provence. It was a meal, we think, Matisse might have enjoyed.
After lunch, we visited "Imogen Cunningham: In Focus" in the Herb Ritts gallery. We love the fact that the MFA is paying attention to great photography.
The hit of the day for both of us was the outstanding design and craftsmanship in the "Past Is Present: Revival Jewelry" collection. Be sure to pay very close attention to the micromosaic items in the cases. It could be easy to miss the fact that these images are made up of hundreds of tiny, tiny bits of material.
One of the best things about being a member of the Museum of Fine Arts is the ability to stop in often and see some of the featured topics or exhibitions (large and small) as they call them. We included three on a recent visit.
The major event of the summer is "Matisse in the Studio." It was interesting to see the collection of objects he used as inspiration for his work. It was also great to see more of his sculpture. Unfortunately our time viewing this collection was spoiled by a disruptive visitor, so we did hurry through.
This chair and the shadows it cast fascinated Penny.
She couldn't resist creating her own artwork from Matisse's studio inspiration object.
We were ready for a quiet break and Matisse inspired lunch at Bravo. We enjoyed duck liver paté, a dish of mushroom pasta, and sipped an excellent Rosé from Provence. It was a meal, we think, Matisse might have enjoyed.
After lunch, we visited "Imogen Cunningham: In Focus" in the Herb Ritts gallery. We love the fact that the MFA is paying attention to great photography.
The hit of the day for both of us was the outstanding design and craftsmanship in the "Past Is Present: Revival Jewelry" collection. Be sure to pay very close attention to the micromosaic items in the cases. It could be easy to miss the fact that these images are made up of hundreds of tiny, tiny bits of material.
The shopping is done and Sparkling Rosé “Turbullent” Domaine Serol is our choice to toast the month of June.
Translate the word "Turbullent" from French to English and you find that it means: boisterous and unruly. "Is that a good thing to say about a wine?" you ask. "Why not?" we reply.
Grab some happy time beads and your own bottle of a boisterous and unruly sparkler and join us as we say goodbye to May and hello to June.
We'll be clinking glasses of this well-regarded 8.5% alcohol by volume wine. So while the wine may be a bit rowdy, our June 1st group should be good-natured and fine to walk home.
"This is Robert Serol's most fun take on Gamay, but its delightful effervescence belies some serious thought and effort. Made in the méthode ancestrale, this lovely sparkling wine comes from 100% hand harvested grapes, followed by natural fermentation with no chaptalization (added sugar). …so pour it generously to kick off your next dinner party. It's electric pink lemonade for grownups, and a great introduction to Pet-Nat."
"Light, bright pink, with a frothy mousse spicy red currant, blood orange and rhubarb on the nose. Juicy, expansive red berry preserve flavors are given a dry edge by a slow-building talc-y note. Manages to be both sweet and nervy, and finishes with very good thrust and lingering raspberry and strawberry notes. This would be great with stinky washed-rind or blue cheeses."
We picked up our bottle at Formaggio South End for just under $20. Their description is above.
Post Toast Update:
We both enjoyed this highly sippable wine. It goes down easy with a summery, fresh fruit opening note. As your glass empties, you sniff the lingering aroma and find yourself reaching for the bottle to pour a bit more.
June 1st turned out to be one of the best weather evenings this spring. We gathered a group of friends on the roof deck to join in our toast to June. Everyone brought a favorite beverage to lift a glass.
Naturally, we wanted to have more opinions of our wine of the month, so we passed out samples and even those who preferred different types of wine seemed to like this one. Fans of sparklers were happy to take a second glass and this was one of the bottles the group emptied before the evening was done.
Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston and the MBTA schedules for Memorial Day – Monday, May 29, 2017. This is now a permanent resource page that we will update from year-to-year.
We publish these reminders before a holiday to give our readers a nudge to finalize their holiday plans. This is the first big weekend of the summer. Get going on some fun plans! And plan your shopping for adult beverages because this is one of those Blue Law holidays!
Will you stay in the city or enjoy a holiday weekend at a great beach house with a view like this on the harbor in Provincetown? Or will you put the boat in the water and get out on your favorite bay?
Restaurants, bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open
Supermarkets: Open
Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Plan ahead if you need wine, beer, or spirits for your holiday event.
City, Town, State, and Federal offices and facilities are closed:This includes Schools, Libraries and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
Financial Services:As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the U.S. closed. Some international markets are open.
Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters on Monday. Other parking rules apply.
Street Sweeping:The city site says: "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night. On the weekends, we sweep some streets at night. Please always check posted street sweeping signs for information. If you still have questions, please contact 311."
More information after this ad
Save storage space with these collapsible coolers. Perfect for small city homes. We had many years of use from an older version of the Arctic Zone 30 model. It was amazing at keeping things chilled. We not only used it for picnics, but also grabbed it to go grocery shopping.
Boston Trash Collection
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to thecity site and look up your specific addressin order to get information.
Here's a rundown of what's open and what's closed in Boston and the MBTA schedules for Memorial Day – Monday, May 29, 2017. This is now a permanent resource page that we will update from year-to-year.
We publish these reminders before a holiday to give our readers a nudge to finalize their holiday plans. This is the first big weekend of the summer. Get going on some fun plans! And plan your shopping for adult beverages because this is one of those Blue Law holidays!
Will you stay in the city or enjoy a holiday weekend at a great beach house with a view like this on the harbor in Provincetown? Or will you put the boat in the water and get out on your favorite bay?
Restaurants, bars: Open
Convenience stores: Open
Supermarkets: Open
Retail stores: Are allowed to open if the owners choose
Plan ahead if you need wine, beer, or spirits for your holiday event.
City, Town, State, and Federal offices and facilities are closed:This includes Schools, Libraries and the Postal Service (express mail will be delivered). Only emergency services are available.
Financial Services:As the British would say, this is a Bank Holiday with both Banks and the stock markets in the U.S. closed. Some international markets are open.
Boston Parking: You don't have to feed the meters on Monday. Other parking rules apply.
Street Sweeping:The city site says: "On City holidays, we suspend street sweeping during the day, but we still sweep streets at night. On the weekends, we sweep some streets at night. Please always check posted street sweeping signs for information. If you still have questions, please contact 311."
More information after this ad
Save storage space with these collapsible coolers. Perfect for small city homes. We had many years of use from an older version of the Arctic Zone 30 model. It was amazing at keeping things chilled. We not only used it for picnics, but also grabbed it to go grocery shopping.
Boston Trash Collection
The city has changed the way it publishes the schedule for holidays so that you now have to go to thecity site and look up your specific addressin order to get information.
We have recently returned from a trip to Provincetown where I realized that my morning walks in both that town, at the tip of Cape Cod, and Boston pass by a sculpture by Penelope Jencks.
In Ptown, I pass Dune Woman relaxing on the front lawn of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM.)
In Boston it's her bronze & granite sculpture of Samuel Eliot Morison that attracts my camera (especially in the fall) as I walk the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
If you like one piece by a certain artist, do some research and see what else they've done and where it's located. You might find that you can fit a visit with another piece of their art into an upcoming summer trip.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
We have recently returned from a trip to Provincetown where I realized that my morning walks in both that town, at the tip of Cape Cod, and Boston pass by a sculpture by Penelope Jencks.
In Ptown, I pass Dune Woman relaxing on the front lawn of the Provincetown Art Association and Museum (PAAM.)
In Boston it's her bronze & granite sculpture of Samuel Eliot Morison that attracts my camera (especially in the fall) as I walk the Commonwealth Avenue Mall.
If you like one piece by a certain artist, do some research and see what else they've done and where it's located. You might find that you can fit a visit with another piece of their art into an upcoming summer trip.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Yesterday the morning fog edited out the "high spine" of the Back Bay and reminded us of a former view from the Public Garden.
Sometimes we need the fog to remind ourselves that all of life is not black and white. – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!
Yesterday the morning fog edited out the "high spine" of the Back Bay and reminded us of a former view from the Public Garden.
Sometimes we need the fog to remind ourselves that all of life is not black and white. – Jonathan Lockwood Huie
About Photo Tales & Quotes: We keep hearing that people miss our cover photos that ran for years in the Back Bay Sun. That assignment was to provide a photo that showed what the week was like in the neighborhood. Often the photos illustrated favorite quotations. Photo Tales & Quotes is an occasional offering to our BostonZest readers featuring photos along the same theme but taken wherever we happen to be.
Do you have an Amazon Gift Certificate to use? Or do you need to buy one for a gift? Remember to click over to Amazon from here to support this site!