February Begins

(un)happy Groundhog Day....

The damn rodent saw its shadow and of course that means more winter.

This past weekend was a good start to the 2nd month of 2009. I some how managed to not watch any of the Superbowl in years. Instead Kate and I had a busy weekend. Saturday night we had a nice meal at Antonio's of Beacon Hill. The atmosphere and food were great, although the service was a bit amusing. Rather "rough around the edges" Italian guys gruffly take orders and deliver food with a curt but efficient manner.

After dinner we saw "The Wrestler" which was very well acted but very depressing. Next time I think Kate and will opt for something a bit more "feel good" or "escapist". The film is essentially about several tragic characters who are victims of an environment that they actually participate in perpetuating for various reasons. It was realistic in other words....

On Sunday Kate ended up having lunch at Panera. We had intended to have breakfast at Zaftigs, but there was an hour wait so we opted out. We walked from Coolidge Corner to the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum. Kate and I had been meaning to go here for a long time. I was really pleasantly surprised at the museum, it is absolutely gorgeous and went far beyond my expectations. Isabella Stewart Gardner was a collector of art and artifacts and she created this museum for the public in 1903. Apparently Gardner was even a Red Sox fan, despite having been born in New York City. Anyway, Gardner apparently meticulously set up the displays her self, and many of the rooms in this building would be at home in a palace in Europe. The courtyard is perhaps the most surprising feature of the structure. Looking out into it you would never know it was the heart of winter.

After walking through the museum Kate and I headed over to "The Pru" food court for a snack before parting ways.