A day trip to Winterthur, Delaware
Winterthur is the 175 room mansion which was the home for Henry Francis DuPont and his family. It has the original furniture as it was when the DuPonts lived there
Winterthur is the 175 room mansion which was the home for Henry Francis DuPont and his family. It has the original furniture as it was when the DuPonts lived there, with all the beautiful pieces of furniture, paintings and numerous pieces of American decorative arts. It also has a beautiful gardens, which we did not get to fully enjoy because we visited in December; it must be awesome in the spring. The grounds have an exhibition center which when we visited was hosting a dress collection by the fabulous Ann Lowe who designed Jacqueline Kennedy’s 1953 wedding dress (to John F. Kennedy); it was delightful to see examples of her designs and learn about her life. We did not make it to the library, which we heard is remarkable. We also did not get to see the smaller house the Mr. DuPont later moved to when he got older, downsizing to mere 60 rooms. December was not the busiest time to visit, but we still were happy that we purchased the tickets to the exhibit and to the house in advance (you should too). There was a line to enter the house, as only a certain few number of people are allowed to be inside at the same time. There was a model train exhibit when we visited, which delighted many children (and adults); admission to this one was free but I am not sure off it is a permanent feature or seasonal. Many beautifully decorated Christmas trees were also at display. There is a small rest/information area at the entrance where you could buy tickets, get information, buy souvenirs and buy coffee, drinks, and food (and use the restrooms).
https://www.winterthur.org/ann-lowe-american-couturier/
For staying the night we chose Hotel DuPont in nearby Wilmington, which is more than 100 years old and used to be the headquarters for the DuPont Company. It is beautifully decorated; our room was large and had a large update bathroom. The hotel restaurant, Le Cavalier, is gorgeously decorated, and the food is very tasty. We would definitely eat there again if we are ever in Wilmington for any reason (service by the way was excellent).
The house
Inside the house
The model trains
Le Cavalier restaurant at Hotel DuPont
The beautiful spring in Washington, DC
Spring is beautiful in Washington, DC, as it is in other places around the world. Here the city has so many varieties of flowers and roses in full bloom,
Spring is beautiful in Washington, DC, as it is in other places around the world. Here the city has so many varieties of flowers and roses in full bloom, including camellias , daffodils, and tulips to name a few. There are also many varieties of beautiful trees that have flowers of different colors: whites, reds, purples, and yellows. I especially enjoy the look of flowers on taller trees against the blue sky on sunny days. On a recent day the wind was blowing agains the trees and made the flower petals swirl in the air like beautiful confetti . The best thing, though, are the chirps and songs of the birds, especially early in the morning.
Croissant Brioche: the best French bakery/cafe in Houston (and beyond)
If you are a bakery/cafe connoisseur, you will LOVE this place.
Hands down this is my favorite French bakery in the US, and perhaps in the whole world. I have had coffee, bread, sandwiches, and pastries there many times since around 2001, and I can safely say it has not changed much. The same high quality, tasty, and fresh products that consistently taste the same today as it has many years ago. The staff is very friendly, and the crowd is usually of local Houstonians and some foreigners who work in Houston; you can also find families with kids. It is most busy on the weekends and would be hard to find a place to Sith then. The safest times to go are at 7:00 AM and perhaps mid morning and mid to late afternoons on weekdays. I think they close about 6:00 or 7:00 PM except Sunday when they close at 5:00 PM. They are open every day, except New Year’s day, and of course if there is very severe weather. If you go at 7:00 AM you will find many of the repeat customers who go there almost every day, and most importantly you will see the breads and croissants being taken out of the oven and get to taste them when they are very fresh. My favorite is the 7 grain bread (a small size) that is sliced inn the middle with 2-4 slices of Swiss cheese inserted to make a sandwich. They usually ask me if I wanted warmed to melt the cheeses and I always say no. I sprinkle some salt on it and enjoy eating it with a large cup of Cafe Latte which I ask for it to be extra hot. The distinct taste of the fresh bread and the cheeses come together in an unbelievable tasty way. I also usually have with this combo and almond croissant. Let me tell you, I have tried an almond croissant in many places in the US and abroad, and NOTHING really compares; it is the best ever. These are usually gone by early afternoon, but occasionally you can find one later. Other sandwiches that I like include the chicken salad in baguette, and I also like the French dip and the French onion soup, the occasionally sausage croissant. They also have several other pastries that I sometimes take as a substitute for the almond croissant if they are out, or in addition to if I am craving pastries (which I usually am). So, if you are in Houston, TX for any reason, try this place for breakfast, lunch, or a cup of coffee with bread or pastries. You will thank me later.
The address is:
2435 Rice Blvd Houston, TX 77005
Cafe latte with almond croissant and chicken salad on baguette 5 years ago.
Cafe latte, almond croissant and seven grain with Swiss cheese sandwich last week.
Earlier last week when they were out of almond croissants, it was easy to find other great pastry choices.
Frist Art Museum, Nashville
The painting “Mending Nets” by Claude Howell was one of many impressive pieces of art at the museum .
We were in Nashville, TN, recently for a few days and someone suggested we visit the Frist Art Museum https://fristartmuseum.org/ so we did. Luckily for us we were there at the time the museum was running three exhibits:
1) SOUTHERN/MODERN
2) MONUMENTS & MYTHS The America of Sculptors Augustus Saint-Gaudens and Daniel Chester French
3) CARVING A NEW TRADITION THE ART OF LATOYA M. HOBBS
There were amazing pieces of art that we enjoyed seeing and learning about the artists and their creations. Latoya Hobbs is an incredible artist and her carvings and prints depicted scenes from daily lives of African American families. Perhaps my favorite two paintings were “Nigro Baptism” by John Kelly Fitzpatrick, and “The Lightning That Struck Rufo Barcliff” by Carroll Colar.
The sculpture exhibit featuring some of the works of Daniel Chester French had some very interesting pieces of which my favorite was the model he made for the seated Abraham Lincoln statue which now sits in the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. There were several other pieces by French and by Augustus Saint-Gaudens at display.
If you plan on visiting Nashville, checkout the museum website for current exhibits and make plans to visit.
PS. The featured painting on the blog page is titled “Mending Nets” by Claude Howell.
A spectacular performance of Swan Lake
Swan Lake is my favorite ballet. I have seen it performed by several companies over the years, and all were great performances. However, the best performance that I have seen was the one by the American Ballet Theatre with Skylar Brandt as Odette and Odile and Herman Cornejo as Prince Siegfried. The performance was spellbinding from start to finish. Skylar was incredible: elegant, graceful, expressive, athletic, and incredibly flexible. The swans gathered at the lake were also amazing; it was as if you were watching humanized swans. It does not matter how many times you have seen performances of Swan Lake; if you have chance to see it performed by the American Ballet Theatre, then don’t miss out.
The Japanese Magnolia
With all attention on the cherry blossom in Washington DC, a beautiful blooming tree in the same area is hardly being mentioned. The tree is also known by a variety of names including Saucer Magnolia, presumably because it resembles a saucer when fully open. It comes in different varieties with variations in color. The amazing thing about these magnolias is the flowers bloom in early spring before the trees have leaves! It is also very fragrant. If you are enjoying the cherry blossom in Washington D.C., look out for these beautiful trees.
Rivian needs to do a better job to attract customers
Rivian builds great electric SUVs and trucks, so why, as I read in the news today, are they having problems selling them? The high price point may be one factor, but this may not the only reason. One thing to consider may be how they are viewed by potential customers. If you tried to reserve a vehicle from Rivian, you probably got an email from a person who signs it only with first name and initial of the last name with no contact information or job title. If I am a potential customer, my first impression is that I may not be dealing with a legitimate business representative. Then, there is the lack of support for Apple CarPlay. When Mercedes, BMW, Porsche and others support Apple CarPlay, there is really no excuse for Rivian not to support it. If you read tech forums you will find out that many potential buyers would never consider a car that lacks support for Apple CarPlay. People like familiar technology and prefer to use it across all their technology-powered assets instead of having to learn, remember, and deal with different implementations of seemingly similar instruments.
The face in the tree
I looked at the tree across from where I was sitting, and found the tree staring back at me. They say trees are alive; now I know what they mean but I guess most of them are subtle and don’t show their faces like this.