Places to Visit: Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and a lovely muted Outfit of the Day!

Hi - As you all know, I just got back from Boston.  Amidst the shopping sprees, Coldplay concert, and visits to the ducks at the Public Gardens for sartorial advice, we also sought out some culture. 

One place I have always wanted to visit,  but had never made it to, was the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum.

This, my friends is a magical place.  Isabella was THE original collector of things she loved!  You think you have an obsession with shoes or pencil skirts?  Pshaw!  Isabella wanted to own the world and bring it back to Boston!  She was the original shopaholic and none of you will feel badly that you stalk the JC site each morning after you visit this museum!

So

 

Isabella and her husband roamed the world and bought everything they saw.  Oh, I know, that is a gross exaggeration, but only slightly.  Egyptian Art?  Check!  Old ruins? Check!  Amazing period furnishings from last 500 years? check?  Mosaic tiles from ancient Rome?  Check! Priceless artwork?  Check!

So they decided to build a museum to house it all.  And they designed same-said museum to be exactly like a 15th Century Venetian Palace.  This is making my laundry room reno seem quite insubstantial....

And my Goodness, this is quite the place - From the 4 story courtyard:




To the floors and halls replete with priceless works of art:



Sarcophagus: Revelers Gathering Grapes about 225

The portrait of Mrs, Gardner in white by John Singer Sargent:



When the museum opened, Mrs. Gardner said:

"Years ago I decided that the greatest need in our Country was Art… We were a very young country and had very few opportunities of seeing beautiful things, works of art… So, I determined to make it my life's work if I could."

What a great life's work.  I encourage you to visit this fine museum if you possibly can!  We all (including three teenagers) loved it!   Or visit it online here.

While there, we had a wonderful lunch at the in house Cafe G.  The food was wonderful and it overlooked some lovely gardens.  We were served by a bright young thing who oozed intellectual angst and bad hair!

A great menu.  What did I have?  Ah - Courgette blossoms, fried in a light batter and then dipped in pure maple syrup...What do you think Tabitha???  I felt very Dani BP and WFF whilst eating these.  I love courgette blossoms, and was feeling quite sad that I had not planted any courgettes this summer from which I could nab these golden beauties!





Do not ask me why this is sideways.  A technical glitch?  The Rose below?



And I washed the courgettes down with a Rose...

And here we all are, enjoying our meal, a photo taken by our long-suffering waiter...

Finally, my OOTD - kind of green and navy, with a dash of stripes...

Old Jcrew Jackie Cardigan, 2011 J Crew navy circle eyelet pencil skirt,  Max Studio stripe tshirt, new sensible shoes from Fugitive, Le Chateau costume jewellry.

Have a great day!