Ann Arbor-ites

I guess we're officially residents of Ann Arbor, now. We were here for two weeks, then to Utah for two weeks for a friend's wedding, and now we have been back in Ann Arbor for a week. We have Michigan plates and temporary Michigan licenses, and even an Ann Arbor library card! It's a small library - absolutely no comparison to the beloved BPL - but I think we'll survive.

Ann Arbor is very green. There are plants and wildflowers everywhere! I feel like we live in a rural forest. But we love it so far. Katsu loves to pick wildflowers to bring home. And by the time we finally got furniture (only 2 weeks of eating on the floor), our apartment looks pretty cute.

So, anyone and everyone, feel free to visit anytime you are out this way. Katsu started working at his lab but I"m still pretty free until September when school starts.

We're here

We've finally moved in and have become Michigan-ians, I guess. We're missing Boston quite a bit though ... So, we miss all of you.

Us at the never-ending gardens in Versailles.

Katsu in front of the clock at D'Orsay - the impressionist art museum that used to be an old railway station.

Us at the Louvre - what a great art museum ... we saw so many in Paris - Louvre, D'Orsay, Pompidou, Rodin, Picasso, Cluny, ...

Katsu in front of Sacre Couer.

Us in front of Notre Dame.

Amanda & the Eiffel Tower in the rain.

Back

We're back from Europe ... it was tons of fun ... and now the jet lag sets in. Unfortunately I got sick the last day there, so the plane ride was miserable. But hopefully I can recover and somehow Katsu and I can manage to get everything done in time to move in ... 5 days ... or something crazy like that.

Posting pictures soon.

Museum of Fine Arts

Okay - I admit - I am crazy. We went to an art museum again yesterday (that is two Saturdays in a row) right before our trip to Europe ... I sure hope we don't get art-museumed out. I feel like I can't. But, then, I definately got templed out in Japan.

But, it's been a year since I went (sad, but true) and I can't believe how much it's changed. I mean, the museum is always changing. Everytime I go, the pictures are in slightly different places. My freshman year, the MFA was a lot bigger. The basement was crazy. I got lost down their one time and ran into all these old buildings (churches, historical rooms, etc) that were transported down there. The museum seemed enormous to me. But they are attempting to expand the museum to double it's size. So, shortly after my freshman year they blocked the basement off, in prep for the construction I guess.

This time, the change was more than just minor - the pictures moving, etc. This time, they have completely redesigned some of the rooms and how they are displaying things (so far it seems just for the American Art rooms). They painted the walls. No more white, off white, or similar. Now they are warm blues and greens and such. Then, they took out some paintings and put in some furniture. Pre-this time I visited, the rooms were very segragated - American paintings in this room, musical instruments in this room, china & porcelien (how do you spell that word), furniture in another. But now, they are all combined. Stuart's George Washington next to period furniture and china. The portrait of Paul Revere next to his silver work. The effect is much more inviting to the eye. And before, I never particularly enjoyed looking at the furniture or the china. But now, I love it. I always loved looking at furniture, china, etc. in the Newport Mansions because it is in its place. In a museum, however, the anachronistic layout really didn't thrill me. But I love this new design.

And on a side note ... I got released from my calling. YEAH!!!

And on another sidenote - we are leaving to Paris in 2 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!