A weekend in Houston

Menil Collection building

We started our weekend in Houston with a picnic in the grounds of the Menil Collection, admiring the outside of the building and the trees.  The Collection is in a suburban setting and the park was clearly a neighbourhood meeting/picnic place.  

The Collection is reminiscent of the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich - the eclectic collection of a wealthy couple (surrealism, cubism, impressionism, American postwar art and some very striking Pacific Islands and African works), all beautifully displayed and lit.  

Interesting tree roots

After checking in to our hotel we took the new tram/railway system to the university district, walked several blocks admiring the mix of housing, including some very striking architect designed modernism and found Cafe Rabelais which turned out to be as authentic as a French cafe can be outside France and had a great meal! 

Next day, after contending with a scrum in the hotel's breakfast area, we went to the museum quarter - again by rail/tram - and after looking round the sculpture garden, lost ourselves in the Museum of Fine Art.  First stop was the special exhibition showing treasures from the Venice Ghetto which had been miraculously hidden and only rediscovered recently.

Sculpture garden 

Sculpture garden

The museum is well laid out, wasn't crowded and had a good selection of something by just about everyone.

I think this was one of my favourites.

When we couldn't absorb any more, we went to the Contemporary Art Museum and didn't think much was going on there!   Now we have looked it up on the web, we realise we must have gone to the wrong place so there's a treat in store next time we go to Houston. Next was the Museum of Health where we pottered for a while and then went for a walk in the park opposite and came across a wedding taking place in the rose garden. 


After a recuperative nap at the hotel we took a taxi to Hugo's, a Mexican restaurant where Peter chose well and I chose badly, but I could see that there were some delicious meals floating around.  I hope to go back there some time and have another go!

On Sunday we went to the Natural History Museum, first to the butterfly house which was very enjoyable and then round the palaeolithic gallery where there was a fine display of dinosaur bones which a small boy of our acquaintance would have enjoyed.  

Reminds me of someone...

Ditto...sorry, couldn't resist! 

The labelling and explanations were not always very clear.  These fossils were stunning, but we couldn't work out how they were formed.

 Then lunch!

And finally a trip to Bayou Bend - a house built in the 1920s which now houses a collection of American furniture.  Sadly our walk round the garden was curtailed by thunder and lightening.

And then a chance on the way back to snap this road sign which has amused us every time we pass.  We have such a childish sense of humour!