Massachusetts Whirlwind

Bobby and I went on a last minute business trip to Cambridge Massachusetts last weekend. We were able to get a great internet deal on a room at Hotel Marlowe - I recommend the place completely. Late Saturday aft, we had time to meet up with equine artist Helen Scanlon and her husband Steve. Helen and I have maintained an online relationship for some time. It was just like picking up on a conversation that we started online. Lots of laughter and art talk! We met up at The Museum of Science. We saw the poster for Body Worlds and decided to go see that exhibit.

Body Worlds was tastefully done for the most part, and there was no covering up of nudity – one saw everything the human body has to display. My favourite display was “The Yoga Lady”, a woman who had done yoga all her life. No spring chicken, her eyebrows were gray, but her body was flexible and toned, with no evidence of arthritis, etc. Made me want to take up yoga! Also part of the display were organs – lots of them. Healthy versus not. It was an eye opener to see in 3D what coal and smoke really does to lungs. Photos were not allowed, but you can read about it here. I do wish I had brought a sketchbook with me. What a life drawing experience it would have been!

After this experience, we were definitely hungry for some fava beans and a fine Chianti, so we headed to an Italian restaurant nearby and gorged ourselves on LOBSTER RAVIOLI... Papa Razzi was the restaurant’s name, so we acted accordingly:


(photo: Steve Scanlon)


As the sun set, we bid them farewell, and headed off to our business event. We drove the long haul back to Canada the next morning. What a fantastic place Massachusetts is - we both kept saying we must make a trip back someday to explore the area further. So many galleries and bookstores in Cambridge alone! I was drooling as we drove past gallery after gallery on our way out of town, wishing we could have afforded another day, and time for me to paint.