Exploring Worcester on a chilly, rainy day.

Thursday was rainy and chilly, and we opted for a day to catch up on chores and reading, and by  late afternoon, we had changed into long pants and sweatshirts, as the chill overtook us.  Some of the hearty New Englanders were still walking around in shorts and tee shirts, but we Floridians were COLD!!  Clem wanted to turn on the heat, but I fought him....go put on more clothes!

We had dinner in, and watched a good movie, and threw an extra blanket on the bed!




  Kitties wondered what WE had for dinner!

Friday dawned with more clouds, and cool  temps, and since the kids were going to be busy for the evening,  we decided to head to Worcester and check out the Art Museum there, which is rated very highly.   Worcester Polytechnical buildings sprawled across the city, and some old architecturally interesting buildings were scattered about, and we finally got a closer look at Union Station, whose domes rise above the freeway.  I had seen them so many times, but don't think I had ever actually been in the city, except for a performance by the Boston Pops we took  Chris to when he was young.

The museum was very large, and did not disappoint, with what seemed a little bit of everything, from Renaissance art to Modern Masters, Roman and Egyptian, Americana, and a fantastic mosaic floor rescued from an Antioch house, once a part of Syria, and now part of Turkey.  A Chapter House, this one a rare example of  medieval  architecture from western France, where monks gathered daily to discuss matters of business, was  reconstructed within as well.  A very impressive collection.

 

lobby of the museum

12th Century Chapter House of Benedictine  Monks

Early  use of the arched ceilings

 Some of the armor from Higgins Armory, which the museum purchased when the Armory closed its doors some years ago. So glad Chris knew about it then, and we had had all visited  while it was still in operation.

Madonna and child, around 400-500!

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow with his grand daughter!

After the museum, Clem was ready to head home, but I petitioned  for a short diversion in order to locate one of my Roadside Attractions......I'll drive!!!  So I entered it into the GPS, and high upon a hilltop, driving up what was probably a 10% grade, located in a park, we found Bancroft Tower!  My 297th Roadside Attraction!  The tower was built by Stephen Salisbury, the very wealthy founder of the museum we had just visited,  to honor his friend George Bancroft, who became secretary of the Navy, and founder of the Naval Academy, and Minister to Great Britain and Germany.  

My Roadside finds have ranged from the largest this and that, to the birthplace of Johnny Appleseed and the schoolhouse from Mary's little lamb, and I love finding them and checking them off my list.  This one was odd, and yet somehow meaningful.....I had never even heard of George Bancroft, and yet he accomplished so much!  neat find.  

Just to prove we were there!  

We chatted with a couple of folks who arrived on motorcycle to view it.....must have been a lovely view of the city when it was built,  but now the trees have grown too large.  The drive down was past a neighborhood with huge gorgeous old homes, no doubt home to the  wealthy  from that time.  

We arrived back in time to meet friends David and Cindy for dinner at a fabulous Italian restaurant, where we enjoyed delicious meals and topped them off sharing a piece of Amaretto Cake that was fantastic!  Clem and David have conjectured that we have had thousands of dinners together in all the years we have known them, which is most likely true!