This morning we got an early start and headed over to the Bruce Museum which opened at 10am. In our travels we have patronized many museums and this one has the distinction of having the most eclectic collections I have seen under one roof. In one section there were fine European and American paintings and sculptures, including Rodin's "The Kiss," created in 1886. While another area displayed a photo exhibit of famous jazz singers from the 1940's, like Tony Bennett, Lena Horne, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald and Joe Williams.
For a complete change of pace, there was an exhibit called, "Changes In Our Land," which contained an informative video, fossils and minerals and a marine tank with living plants and animals. This section opens with the quote, "If we are to survive as a global community in the next century, it will be here, where we began, on Earth. There is nowhere else to go." In the past 20 years we have altered the rhythms of the earth, sometimes in drastic ways. This part of the museum hopes to make both the young and older viewer aware of the delicate balance needed to maintain a promising future for the earth.
A popular exhibit was the "Dog Family." Here there were lots of interactive areas where kids could learn about dogs, while giving them a great introduction to art and museums. The dog has been represented in art from the Renaissance to the present and there were many paintings displayed here of man's best friend, in every setting imaginable.
The Bruce definitely had a varied slice of life in their changing exhibits - dogs, the earth, jazz greats and fine art.
We checked into the Delamar Hotel, again another hidden gem. This grand hotel was built in 2003, along the lines of the finer European hotels and sits on the waterfront of Greenwich. The atmosphere is elegant, but still warm and friendly. We stepped into a large lobby area, decorated with marble floors, a piano, fresh flowers and paintings on every wall. Off the larger foyer is a parlor with comfortable chairs and couches and coffee and tea always ready. This hotel caters to the business traveler and the guest who seeks out a luxury destination. Many of their clients come here by boat and the waterfront property truly adds to the sense of being farther away from home than you might be.
Our room was a spacious two room suite, with two of everything - bathrooms, phones, televisions, robes and slippers. We also had a balcony overlooking the dock area and the water. In addition to amenities like complimentary bicycles, a business center, fitness center and an outdoor bar and eating area, the Delamar is home to the restaurant, L'Escale. The decor here is Spanish, accented by a large fireplace, white rustic plaster walls, hanging light fixtures and a single, colorful flower on each white cloth covered table.
Our lunch was delicious. After a Caesar salad, I enjoyed a House Smoked Lobster Club Sandwich. I knew this was going to be my last taste of lobster for a while. As an added taste treat, it was served on raisin walnut bread. Don loved his generous portion of clams on a half shell and then the crab cakes.
Though I wanted to revisit the shops in town, Donald was excited to check out the Bush-Holley Historic Site. Since I was so stuffed from lunch, I hardly had any energy left to argue with him, so with my friend the GPS unit, we traveled down the roads, past one beautiful home after another. The Bush-Holley Historic Site was displaying paintings of John Twachtman in their exhibit area. Twachtman was an Impressionist "Painter's painter" who lived and taught classes in this house when it was an artist colony in the late 1890s. Unfortunately, as with many artists, his work was received with far greater admiration by his fellow artists than by the art collectors of his time. His paintings, many of which were painted here, display a sense of mystery in nature and a love of wintertime, "Never is nature more lovely than when it is snowing." Tell that to Donald when he needs to shovel out the driveway.
The white colonial house, built in 1728, was owned by two families, thus Bush and Holley. When the railroad came through here in 1848, that opened up the area to travelers and to painters looking for a rural area to practice their art. Holley bought the house and rented rooms to artists from the city, making it one of the first Impressionist Art colonies in America. Art instruction at that time cost $15 a month and room and board cost between $8-$20 a week, depending on the size of the room and the view. This is a must-see stop for anyone interested in art or history.
In Norwalk we had dinner reservations at Tuscan Oven, a 12 year old Italian eatery. This lovely restaurant was decorated with ceiling grape arbors, brick walls, white tablecloths, cobalt blue water glasses and colorful blue and yellow plates. Music played and tea candles flickered, creating a wonderful atmosphere. The restaurant features an extensive wine list, with over 150 wines.
Donald's eyes lit up when his appetizer of fried calamari arrived. Not only was it crispy the way he likes it, but the portion was huge. My spinach salad, sprinkled generously with walnuts, raspberries and sliced apples was probably the tastiest salad I've ever had. Dinner for Don was the Linguine with clams, while I sampled the Tagliatelle Bolognese, a pasta with a rich meat sauce. We were happily stuffed, but not too full for some gelato and biscotti.
A short distance away, we traveled to the Westport Country Playhouse and enjoyed a wonderful night at the theater. The theater has a long history of attracting big names, talented casts and directors. The Archbishop's Ceiling, a political drama, was playing and besides the fine acting, the set itself took center stage.
Delamar Hotel
Connecticut has so much to offer - incredible opportunities to shop, browse first class museums, dine and catch a show. Tomorrow we have a few more places left to check out before we leave for our short ride home.
