It's been more than 2 1/2 years since Deb had been to Detroit, her last visit being early March, 2019. It turned into an incredible day all round. More on that in a few minutes. First, let me back up a day or three. Friday and Saturday nights turned into observing extravaganzas, with beautifully clear skies for observing distant galaxies! Because of the brightening moon the sessions are over now till mid November, but I managed to get out there 5 times in October! Both of those nights turned very foggy, with Saturday's drive home a white knuckle affair. Friday night, once in bed, we were plagued with ships sailing past, blasting their foghorns every minute or so. So not much sleep on Friday night.
On Saturday night, I managed to drive into a ditch as I was turning around at my lonely windmill site. My windows were fogged over, and I thought I was on the road, but soon found out I wasn't. I waited two hours and fifty minutes, but a tow truck finally arrived. It took but a moment to pull me out, but I got to bed Saturday morning (Sunday, actually) at 4:30 am.
Monday was Samhain, and we had our usual great party for two, with food, music, wood fire, tarot card readings for the upcoming year, etc. I went outside and took some photos. It has turned very warm again, but the fog was still around all day.
Tuesday was Detroit Day, and we made the most of it. We renewed our membership at the DIA. $80 gets both of us free admission for a year, and two tickets to any exhibit that requires a fee. So today we got in to the museum (total cost $28 for two), and saw the Van Gogh exhibit (total cost for two $48). So it would have cost $76. I'd say membership is a bargain, and it also gives you a discount at the cafe and book store/gift shop. We walked in hoping to see this year's Offrenda exhibit, but tickets for available for immediate entry into the Van Gogh exhibit!! In we went. The exhibit features Van Gogh paintings from New York, Paris, London, Berlin, Amsterdam, Chicago, Copenhagen, etc etc. It really is a mind blowing exhibit, originally meant to come in 2020. Covid shut down that idea, but somehow the dream was kept alive, and two years later it finally came to fruition. There are simply too many highlights to mention but a few. A self portrait from the Wadsworth Athenium was a highlight, as well as the Cincinnati landscape, familiar to us. Also familiar and excellent works from Cleveland, Chicago, and Toledo were there, and Kansas City, too. There were several works from the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, and also from the Musee D'Orsay in Paris. From London came works from the Courthauld and the National Gallery (both also old friends). The final painting in the exhibit was Starry Night Over The Rhone, a truly magnificent painting and a major highlight of the show. All five of Detroit's paintings were in as well.
We headed out for a walk afterwards, stopping for lunch and ale at Hopcat, then visiting two bookstores (Deb bought "On Tyranny: 20 Lessons From the 20th C., by Timothy Snyder) before heading back to the museum for the annual Offrendas exhibit. Detroit has a large Mexican population, and this annual exhibit (we last saw the one in 2019) helps the community celebrate the Day of the Dead.
It was a totally sunny day, with no clouds in the sky. It was 70 F! We went for coffee, and then to a comic and board game store (par excellence). We bought a little game called Trails, which we will try out next Monday. Then there was one more stop for ale at Batch Brewery (they had cask ale!!!!) before heading home. A really fun time was head by all!
It was a spectacular autumn day in Detroit. 
Mapman Mike
No comments:
Post a Comment