Field Trip
Yesterday Heather and I, along with our respective Certain Someones, spent an afternoon and evening at the Museum of Science in Boston.
First we took in The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibit. If you're just a casual fan of the movies, well, you can probably take a pass on this. But if you're like me and you loved the movies there's plenty to enjoy. All of the major character's costumes and props. A frighteningly life-like dead Boromir in a boat. (Yes, I know 'frighteningly life-life dead Boromir' is an oxymoron. But what a detailed fake cadaver - right down to scratches on his knuckles). Detailed and interactive exhibits on the creating CGI battle scenes (Helm's Deep anyone?) and bringing the likes of Gollum and Treebeard to life. My favorite part was the long row of costumes against one wall: Moria orcs, Uruk-hai, Gondor soldiers from the Second and Third Ages, Ithilien Ranger, Haradrim. A fantastic amount of detail - up close you could see little touches and flourishes that most likely the creators knew wouldn't show up on screen but included anyway, as part of their painstaking efforts to bring Middle Earth to life.
After a brief interlude at a nearby bar, we headed to the Skyline Room on the sixth floor of the museum for A Taste of New Zealand, courtesy of The Kiwi Grille. This event was a cooking demonstration/wine-tasting/dinner and damn did we eat well (you can follow the Taste of New Zealand link for a detailed menu with recipes). The 'Taste' opened with a buffet of New Zealand cheeses and 'Kiwi Martinis,' which were much tastier than you'd think. Then we sat for the main meal. I managed to score a second helping of the Tuna Tartare (Yay for me!) which was duly shared with the rest of the crew. The main course, a rack of New Zealand Lamb with an eggplant and goat cheese roulade, was heavenly. Tentative plans for a trip to Newburyport and visit to the Kiwi Grille were made and I'd be hard pressed not to order the lamb again.
I should add that the view from the Skyline Room is, as you might imagine, is stunning. There was a rainbow stretching over Beacon Hill, and we could look directly down the Charles River to Fenway, where the white squares of the lights were on for the game. The rainbow faded away as the sun went down, but with the dark the lights at Fenway and of the city came into sharper focus, along with the Hood blimp circling overhead.
All in all, a lovely evening, and as fine a birthday present as I've ever had the pleasure of receiving.
UPDATE: Heather weighs in with a much more detailed account.
First we took in The Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy - The Exhibit. If you're just a casual fan of the movies, well, you can probably take a pass on this. But if you're like me and you loved the movies there's plenty to enjoy. All of the major character's costumes and props. A frighteningly life-like dead Boromir in a boat. (Yes, I know 'frighteningly life-life dead Boromir' is an oxymoron. But what a detailed fake cadaver - right down to scratches on his knuckles). Detailed and interactive exhibits on the creating CGI battle scenes (Helm's Deep anyone?) and bringing the likes of Gollum and Treebeard to life. My favorite part was the long row of costumes against one wall: Moria orcs, Uruk-hai, Gondor soldiers from the Second and Third Ages, Ithilien Ranger, Haradrim. A fantastic amount of detail - up close you could see little touches and flourishes that most likely the creators knew wouldn't show up on screen but included anyway, as part of their painstaking efforts to bring Middle Earth to life.
After a brief interlude at a nearby bar, we headed to the Skyline Room on the sixth floor of the museum for A Taste of New Zealand, courtesy of The Kiwi Grille. This event was a cooking demonstration/wine-tasting/dinner and damn did we eat well (you can follow the Taste of New Zealand link for a detailed menu with recipes). The 'Taste' opened with a buffet of New Zealand cheeses and 'Kiwi Martinis,' which were much tastier than you'd think. Then we sat for the main meal. I managed to score a second helping of the Tuna Tartare (Yay for me!) which was duly shared with the rest of the crew. The main course, a rack of New Zealand Lamb with an eggplant and goat cheese roulade, was heavenly. Tentative plans for a trip to Newburyport and visit to the Kiwi Grille were made and I'd be hard pressed not to order the lamb again.
I should add that the view from the Skyline Room is, as you might imagine, is stunning. There was a rainbow stretching over Beacon Hill, and we could look directly down the Charles River to Fenway, where the white squares of the lights were on for the game. The rainbow faded away as the sun went down, but with the dark the lights at Fenway and of the city came into sharper focus, along with the Hood blimp circling overhead.
All in all, a lovely evening, and as fine a birthday present as I've ever had the pleasure of receiving.
UPDATE: Heather weighs in with a much more detailed account.
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