Sunday, 5 November 2017

Day 13 Last day of Festival and Museum of Fine Arts

I'm struggling with anything tonight after just hearing of yet another shooting and this time two hours away in Texas. I met people from the San Antonio area during classes. It seems so horribly callous to choose people at a church as your victims. 
I was in a church, in Texas this morning. I came out and had a great day, but not these people nor their families.

There was a very strong police presence at the Quilt festival for public safety and security.


We had a wonderful sunrise this morning and one extra hour of sleep. Deb left at 7:30 to meet Jess and fly out to Paducah. Hopefully avoiding the predicted storms in Chicago.
After breakfast I went to mass at the nearby church. Let’s just say that this church is “possibly pre Vatican”?  However it was in English and it is a historic church and the stain glass windows were spectacular, but it was also the coldest church I have ever been in. The a/c was up full blast and I was right underneath. I only had the briefest of moments to snap a photo because they do back to back masses. One in /one out. 

Frozen In walked up to the GBCC for my last visit. Thankfully it was warm walking the short distance, because once inside I discovered the centre was having an “Arctic day”. All this was to punish me for foolishly only bringing my light cardigan on this trip. There were not many people inside, so I was able to find the ruler for Deb. I had a chat with Mary and Joe Koval.
I ate my lunch and had a cuppa at the centre, to warm up. Then I walked back to the hotel and dropped off all the non- essentials, including foolishly number 2 my "big" camera. I asked the very helpful hotel staff directions to the museums and was out the door again. I caught the train/ light rail up to the Museum district to the Museum of Fine Arts.  Oscar de la Renta exhibition.  Houston has so many museums and other interesting places to visit.
$1.25 for three hours on the train. Seriously why would you use anything else? So for $2.50 I went there and back! Side issues: some of the patrons appeared to have serious health issues, but they didn’t annoy me at all and the train had many other customers. It is quite confusing to know where to catch the trains because of the one way streets in the city.

I paid $20 concession for a general admission plus the Oscar De La Renta.  The fashion exhibition was just STUNNING. 70 beautiful garments. They also had a video which showed women wearing the different ensembles to various functions. 
Then I thought I would see what else was here, so I crossed over to the other building via underground tunnel.  A variety of smaller exhibitions over there, but some beautiful pieces. One amazing backdrop in the China section was created by gunpowder. Well worth seeing the video. Back to the first section for a cuppa- no GF in sight- before going upstairs and having my jaw hit the floor once again. The donated masterpieces they have in the Straus collection, once owned by the chairman of Macy & co stores, is beyond belief.  I was so glad I chose this option for this afternoon and that I bothered to go up the stairs. In 2020 there will be a new Museum combining all the works in one building.
 
Definitely money in Houston. But there ares also obvious signs of the very poor and marginalised of society.
Deb just wrote to say she had her Paducah -Chicago flight cancelled because of bad storms. So she is spending the night in Chicago. At least they had accommodation with Jess's auntie not like most travellers.

Issues posting tonight with internet dropout. I had to re connect. This hotel has had brilliant fast Wifi, which has made uploading so easy. 

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