Address for new blog 2

Started another blog and its address is:

http://jerry-alogy2.blogspot.com/

So follow along with us there.

Jerry

Day 41 Thursday, 5,822 mile trip

Some may wonder why I do this? I sometimes do also. It helps me remember the neat things we see during our travels. As I do the blog writing, Shirleen does the research on the next days activities. Hope you enjoy our efforts and to those who do not follow it, you know not what you miss. jerr

We are HOME!!!! Thursday 7:17 pm.

A couple of things I have forgotten. When in Memphis we finished our eating at Alfred’s on Beale Street. Shirleen and I split a Pig Heaven combo. It was a half split of ribs and a pulled pork shoulder pile with beans. If I were to eat only one place in Memphis it would be here. Duke our waiter liked to talk, he was an old Coast Guard sailor, and an Eagle Scout. Sounded like he was a musician but that is only because he went to South by Southwest in Austin. Just like Jan and Jim’s son Mike.

We also ate in Iowa City at the Iowa River Power Restaurant. We have eaten there often and like the food. Shirleen’s Filet sandwich and my pork tenderloin sandwich. The hard thing was to remember where this restaurant was, we drove all over Iowa City and on the way out of town remembered where it was.

Day 40 St. Louis to Quincy

Updated with pics still having problems with placement!!!!!!!!!!! jerr

We had read about the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Louis being the church with the most mosaic’s in the world.

It turns out it has 41.5 million pieces of glass tessera (small squares of glass) with over 7,000 colors. It is truly awe inspiring. The website has more pictures and more: http://cathedralstl.org/intro/

These pages describe the difference between Byzantine and Italian mosaics.

The basement has a nice museum that describes what went into building it. The forty or so craftsman who designed many of the different alters, domes and wall mosaics. This would be a must to see if one came here.

They also show the steps in making the tessera,drawings, process and tools that preceded the actual individual parts of a scene.

Down there they have two pages, 2 by 4 foot, song book used in the 14th century. The size was such that 50 to 60 people could sing from it in the choir.

Rose windows, mentioned at San Antonio.

Next was the Saint Louis Art Museum, this is one of the free ones. It is massive and partially built for the 1904 Worlds Fair. We hooked onto a tour and there was only one other person from Pennsylvania.

Our docent, Marsha, was a joy to be with. It turns out that they go through a three year training program and have to conduct 25 hours of training a year. That sure helps the depth of understanding and information given. The tour started in the ancient art section, looking at statues made of marble that had clothing looking like it was wind swept.

We then went into the Asian and Islamic art. She pointed out the significances of how the statues and rugs and doors were put together and what some of the fine points meant. The guides do tours a couple times a day. We spent an hour with her and her 3 carat diamond ring. The part we like is the impressionists and European and American early art.

One of the striking pieces was a water lily’s piece by Monet, look at the size. It stood against its own end wall, looked to be six by ten feet. There were paintings by Rembrandts, Cézannes and others. We ate lunch here at Wolfgang Puck’s café, Shirleen had a grilled cheese and I a chicken salad that had raisins in the mix, surprising to see his mug at the café.

This is for Abby.

Mansion in St. Louis.

Off to the north we went. Arrived in Quincy and called Randy and Pam S. no answer, called Steve and Julie J. and they were home and had not eaten as of yet. We met at a Ruby Tuesday’s for rib, Shirleen the sauced baby back’s I a new Asian peanut spiced variety. It was not spicy hot but had a lingering spiciness. jerr

Day 39 St. Louis PICTURES ADDED

Pictures New I still can't get everything placed right?
Day 39 Monday

Today we decided to go on the Budweiser tour. Found it easily.

As we entered, there were a bevy of 63 to 67 Corvette’s. Licenses from around the states, some heavily modified, and one with a 502 HP engine and a couple trailering. Never did see the people.

We went to take the tour which lasted for an hour. Starting with the Clydesdale horses and there accommodations.

Well polished brass on the halters, light fixtures and wagon pieces.

The hay even looked neatly placed.

Clydesdale Stable, built 1885. Home of the eight-horse hitch teams. It is on the National Historic Landmarks.

Cannot take pictures in the actual working areas. We went to the beech wood aging tanks, the wood is used 3 or 4 times before they dry and grind them, they distribute them to the local parks. The barrel held a million bottles of beer, what a thought. Then to the bottling plant. They bottle and cap 1,600 per minute and 1,900 cans per minute. We watched the palletizer place the cases on to shipping flats.

The tour ended at the beer garden. We were hosted to two 11 ounce beers. The glasses we used were specialized glass, nucleated glass bottoms. This causes small effervescent bubbles to flow through the liquid until consumed. We did end up buying a set of 4 of these.

Bud used to make their own yeast and used the elephant as the logo. The picture is for Michelle and her collection of elephants with trunks up.

Just down the block we ate at the Sage Restaurant, we split a threesome, like tapas, crab cake – beef with horseradish sauce - terryaki sandwiches, accompanied by a small salad and house prepared potato crosscut chips.

We went then to the Laumeier sculptor garden, a must miss event for me. They had three girder like pieces similar to the Mankato piece, which is now in storage.

Thank goodness we called Jan as she tried and apparently had the wrong number. We went to see her and Jim’s red C-6 Corvette, he is actually now wanting to get a Z06. we chatted for quite a while and headed for supper. I mentioned I would like to eat on

The Hill, Italian section. She suggested Zia’s, http://www.zias.com/, what a find. We ordered a bottle of Parducci Wine Cellar Pinot Nior wine and Shirleen had the Soto, a filet with a tasty sauce of white wine lemon butter sauce, Jan the special a chicken plate well sauced, and I the Veal Oscar, veal scaloppini with asparagus, mushrooms and seafood pieces on top in a creamy sauce. The meals were accompanied by pasta, red, white or oil topped. Great meal, but the best was in the beginning. The salad was one of the best flavored salad I have ever tasted, Ray’s salad fell to number two. No idea why it tasted so good, it was topped by provolone cheese. Back to the house for more talking. We caught up on the kids and grandkids, Jan’s jigsaw puzzle attraction, Charles Wysocki Americana pictures and other painters, six or seven new ones a week. She does keep the stored neatly in the basement, some in plastic bags. She ended up giving Shirleen four puzzles. jerr

Day 38, Festus MO

Look who we ran into while walking up the street. He still sounds the same and looked fine.














We went to the Cotton Museum at the old Memphis Cotton Exchange. Nice clean layout and a very good exhibit. Learned some more.

Some old signs of traders, sellers and weavers.





Cotton on the stem.

We then went on a tour of the Gibson guitar manufacturing plant. Here is where the luthier work on the string instruments. The company makes mandolins, bangos and guitars.

The body is glued together and takes three weeks to make the entire process, start to finish,because of the need to dry them adequately.



Finished product

He told us that only 5% of the guitars fail final inspection for a variety of reason, paint, scratch, out of alignment. They take these fails and cut into four pieces, place in a dumpster which is under survellance. When the bin is full the incinerate them.

A couple of things I have forgotten. When in Memphis we finished our eating at Alfred’s on Beale Street. Shirleen and I split a Pig Heaven combo. It was a half split of ribs and a pulled pork shoulder pile with beans. If I were to eat only one place in Memphis it would be here. The food was moist and delicious. Duke our waiter liked to talk, he was an old Coast Guard sailor, and an Eagle Scout. Sounded like he was a musician but that is only because he went to South by Southwest in Austin. Just like Jan and Jim’s son Mike. jerr

Day 37

Happy 64th B-day Denny!!!!!

Day 37 Memphis

Memphis Botanical, nice walk.


Double daffodils










Michelle, remind you of anything?











The Dixon Gallery and Garden
http://www.dixon.org/



The picture is a sitting area, the images are raised slightly to give them depth, neat.






Streaked azaleas








The gallery had many famous painters, even some I recognized. Cézanne, Renoir, Chagall, and more.


This picture of Venice was as clear as if you were standing there. It was painted by William James (no relation?) in the mid-1700's.










This was a hard place to find but owrth the effort. National Ornamental Metal Museum.






This is the outgoing director Wally (Mr. Wallace) he was forging a clanker for an old bell.





We viewed from here the swollen Mississippi from high above the river.


Alongside this Museum was an old raised mound, built by ancient peoples, they did not even guess. Tthe local Indian tribe then used it as a burial mound. Then the next group used it as cannon stations, guarding the river and I suppose demanding payment for passage. During the civil war it was used to house the military and its munitions.







Eating on Beale Street at the Blues City Cafe.


Known for their ribs and quaint atmosphere.

Beale street is really only two blocks long or four. The buildings as seen here are supported to keep the street scene. Many second floors empty. See it once just to say you were there, loud music even at 5 pm but louder later.

When in Memphis we finished our eating at Alfred’s on Beale Street. Shirleen and I split a Pig Heaven combo. It was a half split of ribs and a pulled pork shoulder pile with beans. If I were to eat only one place in Memphis it would be here. Duke our waiter liked to talk, he was an old Coast Guard sailor, and an Eagle Scout. Sounded like he was a musician but that is only because he went to South by Southwest in Austin. Just like Jan and Jim’s son Mike. jerr