Boston loves Impressionism (...and pizza)

When life kicks off your weekend on a rough note, you go to brunch. Actually, if life is going swimmingly, you should probably go to brunch. Brunch is where it's at: either side of the river, Saturday, Sunday, or every weekend, do it. Go to brunch.

Then you can have magical things like breakfast pizza: baked runny eggs, garlicky spinach, brown sugar (!) glazed bacon, and crispy, crispy crust.

You could survive on a serving of this for a week, no joke. Russell House Tavern, check it out!

The Museum of Fine Arts opened it's first guest-curated exhibition, "Boston loves Impressionism" on V-Day appropriately. You could vote online in the weeks leading up for your favorite and earn free passes! 

We popped into see the winners - and the favorites (notice the heart?)

I was very pleased to see what good taste my city has - we didn't go for the obvious Monet 'Water Lillies' - not that there is anything wrong with Monet...

Speaking of Monet...

After a quick spin around, we decided we needed food. I'm a sucker for museum cafes, but the MFA's is in a glass artium between the original museum and the new wing and is incredible.

Give me free bread and I may give you my heart.

We shared some fablulous cod cakes served with bacony, smoky white beans. It was a perfect snack in between all the cooking I've been doing lately. For some reason these cod cakes like being viewed at a strange angle and will not cooperate today...

Weekends around town when we don't have any plans are some of the best times - we always find good food and something to dazzle the senses!

Animal Tales & Birthdays

Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer in New England and thus is the last hurrah before school starts and work gets (more) serious again. My birthday typically falls during or near Labor Day, so I always treat it as an excuse to celebrate for three days instead of a measly one.

We kicked off the weekend at the freshly renovated Aquarium,

then took an inaugural ride on the new Greenway Carousel.

After adventures with our animal friends, we moved on to finding an appropriate birthday meal before the weekend is out.

A meander around town

When the sun is shining, there is nothing nicer than a walk through the Public Gardens,

snake your way through the cobblestoned streets of Beacon Hill.

Stop by a historic 19th century house museum for a private tour, 

and admire the butler's pantry; it's just as interesting as high society's tapestried rooms.

And when you feel a bit peckish, join the party in the North End (Little Italy) in honor of St. Anthony.

I'd recommend the pasta.

Rockport: Swapping the TV for the Ocean

Fleeing the eerie silence of an empty city under lock-down, we headed North to the coast of Cape Ann. It had been a surreal week but we had had these weekend plans in place for a while and they proved to be a much needed break from the endless hours of watching the news of the manhunt for the Boston bombing suspects. 

Rockport, MA

Leaving the city is always a bit of a shock, even though I am from the ‘country’. Rockport was so quiet, so still and rather empty. We stayed at the Tuck Inn and immediately set off to explore the beautiful colonial downtown and the harbor. Rockport boasts the most painted building in America a red barn referred to as “Motif #1” because of it’s popularity with the painters. Bearskin Neck juts out into the harbor and is lined with shops and restaurants.

There's a few red barns on the harbor...

We spent our weekend walking and snacking and not watching the news. Lobster rolls are a must have; on Bearskin Neck just find the hole in the wall on the right headed out to sea and find a seat on the patio out back. Nothing beats fresh seafood overlooking the source.

Lobster - and love - is all you need

Since eating the main focus of the time not spent walking, the elephant ears / fudge shop on the neck is worth a stop too. Elephant ears are thin flaky spiral shaped pastries of cinnamon and sugar and butter.

A dinner plate sized snack

Sunday we stopped in Gloucester on the way home and visited the Fishermen’s Memorial for all the men of Gloucester lost at sea. The New England town was made tragically famous by the 90’s film “The Perfect Storm.”

Fishermen's Memorial

Sometimes all you need is the ocean.

An Ode to Jane and Lizzie and even the prat Mr. Darcy

In honor of the 200th anniversary of the publishing of Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice", the wife and I had a regency tea party. Mostly, this meant we ravaged the house for potentially authentic clothing and got to work. 

In charge of bevys...and dressed up as a man as usual

We quite often have tea (very often indeed for Americans)  at our place; our combo bridal shower was a huge tea party at my Mom's house. We have a steadily growing collection of tea pots, accessories,and a multitude of tea varieties alongside access to genuine clotted cream, so it's a serious business come tea time.

Roses!

The menu consisted of the more traditional, like goat cheese and tomato tea sandwiches, scones, and Earl Grey tea and the more unique, like edamame, cheesy bread bites, and apple slices. 

Clotted cream...mmm, English heart attack

We ate, we drank, we made gin fizzes (historical accuracy could only go so far) and gossiped about who we could marry off to local eligible bachelors in true Austonian character style. I think I a much better scone maker than matchmaker, truth be told...

My 12 dollar Goodwill find. Swiped it out of the window display

Friday Funday: Some bunny That I Used To Know

Now and then I think of when we were together  
Like when you said you felt so happy you could die
I told myself that you were right for me 
But felt so lonely in your company  
But that was love and it's an ache I still remember
 
You can get addicted to a certain kind of sadness  
Like resignation to the end, always the end  
So when we found that we could not make sense  
Well you said that we would still be friends  
But I'll admit that I was glad that it was over

 

 But you didn't have to cut me off  
Make it like it never happened and that we were nothing  
I don't even need your love, but you treat me like a stranger  
And that feels so rough
 
No, you didn't have to stoop so low 
Have your friends collect your records  
And then change your number  
Guess that I don't need that though  

Now you're just some bunny that I used to know
Now you're just some bunny that I used to know 

Now you're just some bunny that I used to know

 
Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over  
But had me believin it was always something that I'd done  

But I don't wanna live that way 
Reading into every word you say 
You said that you could let it go 
And I wouldn't catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know-oh-oh
 
But you didn't have cut me off 
Make it like it never happened and that we were nothing (oh) 
I don't even need your love, but you treat me like a stranger and that feels so rough

No, you didn't have to stoop so low  
Have your friends collect you records 
And then change your number (oh) 
Guess that I don't need that though 
Now you're just some bunny that I used to know

Some bunny that I used to know Some bunny (now you're just some bunny that I used to know) That I used to know  

Some bunny that I used to know Some bunny (some bunny) (now you're just some bunny that I used to know) That I used to know
I used to know That I used to know I used to know  

Some BUNNY!

 

Emo Bun from Cuteoverload.com
Other bunnies from http://www.disapprovingrabbits.com/

and google image search.  No bunny theft intended!
Original song (C) Gotye