Coffee, Tea, Sweet Treats, Main Meals and Fine Dining
Sunderland Museum and Winter Gardens
May 2019
I visited Sunderland on a warm day in May, I studied at Sunderland University it was nice to go back and visit a museum I had regularly visited as a student. Walking around Mowbray Park prior to visiting the museum as its located just outside the museum. There are several memorials in the park which I wished to look at. A particular memorial commemorates a Victorian disaster in which 183 children were trampled to death. I find it very moving and how a small mistake can cost lives.
I walked in the light reception area and through a little shop. The Leonardo da Vinci national exhibition was on and I was excited to see it, however, I was ready for something to eat so I headed straight for the café. The museum is a real community hub having a library and a child friendly garden space.
Holmeside Cafe
I entered the café it was a little confusing, I am not a big fan of bench seating However, I found a little spot with a view over the winter gardens. Ordering from the counter a nice glass of wine and a posh cheese on toast. The cheese on toast was very nice and its a lovely little place for a snack. It was lovely to look out over the gardens while drinking a nice glass of red wine.
I walked upstairs to the Da Vinci temporary gallery. I walked into a gallery space using Da Vinci as its theme the portraits of older people was really interesting. The gallery has a excellent collection of fine art it was excellent. Sunderland Museum has an excellent Lowry collection well worth a visit on their own.
A Life in Drawing Leonardo Da Vinci
I arrived outside the Da Vinci exhibition I watched the two interesting short informative films then went inside. The images were amazing I spent a long time gazing as these wonderful sketches. It was great how the museum used it s collection of drawings and sketches as a comparison and to show interesting working focusing on a local subject. The portrait of a lady, a costume of a prisoner were highlights for me. However, the standout drawing for me was a drawing Leonardo did later in life called A deluge a image of a storm highlighting his feelings at the time, I seamed to see faces screaming in the storm drawn image. Maybe I just stared at it for too long, but that image stayed with me. I was a really special experience.
Life in Sunderland
The museum provides an insightful exhibition into 20th century life in Sunderland some of the videos went on too long but they were very interesting I spent far longer than I intended here. The ship building gallery provides the visitor to Sunderland with a great understanding of life in Sunderland in the past. Ship building was very important source of work in Sunderland and the museum gives this history appropriate recognition.
Sunderland
The ground floor has a range of fascinating galleries exploring the areas links to mining a very moving exhibition space. It highlighted the work and home life of mining communities and the injury and illness that miners suffered from. It was still sad how the industry ended and how it impacted the local community. The other gallery explores the areas history with a large pottery gallery. A very interesting archaeological gallery tracing the Roman and early Christian history of the area.
The museum has strong links to its local community exploring key industries that were based in Sunderland the heavy industry of the pits and the miners and the shipyards through the glass and pottery. It is well worth a visit a great asset for the city of Sunderland.
Kirkleatham Hall Museum and Sophellies
April 2019
The museum is located in Kirkleatham a quiet peaceful village area located within the busy seaside town resort of Redcar. Whose hustle and bustle seems a million miles away from the museum. The museum building was originally a free school for boys and it is located in a magnificent 1709 Queen Anne building. Which is set in beautiful park grounds with good car parking, a nearby Owl Centre and the Scare Factory, a perfect place for a fright near Halloween.
The area around the entrance to the museum features an interesting modern water fountain and a pavilion providing extra exhibition space. The entrance to the museum is light and welcoming. The museum has very friendly staff and a good shop area. The first gallery room explores the areas connection with the First World War. It is very interesting exhibition which focuses on the local airfields that operated at that time. The recreation of a pilot’s bed, a large plane model. Are key exhibits in this room. A roll of honour of those killed during the war recorded in honour on this impressive memorial created by an important local employer. Is the most poignant feature in the room.
The Steel Stories
I really was interested to visit this new exhibition. It focused on the areas steel history and heritage. The exhibition filled the majority of the gallery space in the museum. The first room looked at several artists work focusing on the local closed steel works. The locker room, focused on how the workers locker room had changed with the different equipment and personal belongings hidden behind lockers which a visitor can open. The audio of workers telling their stories was really powerful in making visitors connect with the experience of steel workers.
The corridor room showed a timeline of the local steel industry and provided video and children’s interactive activities it was really well done. The next room looked at how steel workers had adapted after the steel works had closed providing insights into their new careers. The final film room provided three interesting short films. An additional art exhibition was located in the pavilion it had a selection of really interesting images relating to the steel industry and was a good way to finish off the exhibition experience.
The Saxon Princess
On the top floor of the museum is the Saxon Princess exhibition. It explores a Saxon burial site found in East Cleveland. The exhibition is very interesting and includes a short film exploring the archaeological dig. It tells the story of the early death of a high ranging Saxon Lady and her bed burial. There is a great area for children to learn about Saxon games, dress up and a nice area for storytelling. The key room is the jewellery room where the exquisite finds are displayed. The jewellery and other finds are well displayed and beautiful to look at, well worth a visit.
Sophellies
The café is located a short walk from the main museum building, it is a lovely light airy space, it offers a wide selection of main meals, snacks, and treats. The staff are very friendly and provide excellent customer service.
It is locally famous for its cheesecakes and regularly sells out. As I visited during the Easter period, they had a special treat on a selection of cheesecake eggs. I chose the galaxy caramel one. It was delicious I can highly recommend the cheesecakes. Sophellies offer a great selection of food and drink and the café adds to a great day out for a family or a group of friends visiting Kirkleatham Museum.
The museum is set in a rural village within Redcar. It was a lovely day on my visit and it is well worth having a walk around the church and the village. I really enjoyed a quiet stroll around the village before heading to the bus stop.
Zetland Lifeboat Museum
After an enjoyable few hours, I travelled into Redcar town centre. I decided to visit Redcar sea front and the small but interesting Zetland Lifeboat Museum. It contains the world’s oldest surviving lifeboat. The volunteer staff provided a very warm welcome. The beautifully restored lifeboat is an interesting and poignant attraction saving over five hundred lives over its working life. The museum offers visitors an opportunity to view the boat from the outside and the inside from a raised viewing platform. It also has some fascinating upstairs galleries which explore the history of Redcar and what the lives of fishermen were like. It is well worth a visit.
Science and Industry Museum Manchester
March 2019
The museum provided a temping opportunity for me to visit. While I was in Manchester for work. Arriving at the museum, I was warmly greeted upon walking up to reception. A member of staff explained key information about the museum and that part of it was closed for refurbishment. A leaflet, I was given gave me further information telling me about the great talks that were on that day. I set off to explore the museum. I was instantly struck by the rocket exhibit. A lovely staff member was discussing interesting details of this locomotive with other visitors. A show was starting shortly after I arrived, so I waited around the entrance area waiting for it to start., It was a really interesting show exploring the uses of electricity. The show was really interactive and would be appealing to a wide-ranging audience including children and adults.
The museum is well set out with a wide range of interesting exhibits. The museum offers visitors a leaflet telling visitors of the many daily events that the museum offers. A range of talks explored the history of the cotton industry. The cotton industry gallery was interesting space on the museum ground floor. It contains many large machines on display, I waited for the demonstration of one of these machines, the staff were really informative and interesting as they showed one of the working machines and how it would have been used and its role in a cotton factory. I missed a later demonstration when several machines are demonstrated to visitors which I would of liked to seen.
The Bistro
I explored the first floor of the museum’s main building. Which is great place for children. Its filled with engaging activates that children can easily have fun and be able to learn as they play. I enjoyed going on the cycling machine which shows how the skeleton works. It was lunch time and I was ready for some food.
I walked into the bistro entrance and waited to be seated. The staff member provided me with a very warm and friendly greeting. The bistro is a warm light and airy space, I was seated in a booth. I was handed a menu and informed that I needed to order at the counter. Looking through the menu I ordered a pizza, a nice refreshing bottle of a local breweries brown ale and a portion of chips. The pizza and chips were very nice a perfect lunch time snack. The brown ale was cold and refreshing.
After lunch I enjoyed the electricity temporary exhibition. It was fascinating learning the early history of it and how it has evolved from the power stations to the cables. Visiting the other museum buildings which included an old warehouse building which hosted an interesting exhibition focusing on different forms of media including TV and radio. Crossing the courtyard to the Victorian Station Waiting Room, provided a fascinating insight into how a railway station would have looked for wealthy travellers. The final building I explored covered a range of different trains and carriages and large machinery. It was interesting space to explore.
Café
I ended my visit with a piece of cake and a cool drink in the museum’s café. It is located at the visitor entrance. The cake was delicious. It is a lovely little venue for visitors to the museum or those simply passing by. It offered a good range of sandwiches and snacks, it was a great place to finish off my visit to the museum.
I really recommend this museum, it offers a great family experience and exhibits an interesting selection of exhibitions. On my next visit to Manchester I look forward to visiting this museum again.
Musee du qual Branly
February 2019
The Musee du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac is a highlight of any visit to Paris. The museum explores the indigenous art and cultures of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. It is located on the left bank of the River Seine.
The museum possess a fantastic collection, I wrote about the Benin Bronzes a number of years ago and I wanted to see some of the them which this museum possesses in its collection they were fabulous. I was really looking forward to seeing these objects. I am fascinated by the skills needed to produce them. These objects highlight the skills and civilisation that existed in Nigeria in Africa at this time. The museum’s non European objects within its collection show examples of the cultures and the skills needed to create these beautiful objects.
The entrance to the museum is through a small garden area, tickets are purchased outside before you walk up a path towards the entrance with a large shop on your left hand side which offers an excellent selection of products. The entrance to the museum is a little non descript. The galleries are upstairs and are accessed via a ramp, a word stream flows down this ramp up into the gallery space a really affective entrance.
Les Ombres
The museum has a food and drink building located within its gardens. I had decided to visit the expensive Les Ombres restaurant. Its amazing views of the Eiffel Tower. Its pre-book only, so if you fancy visiting book first via the phone or website. The online form is in French only so be aware of the prenomes or you may end up putting the wrong one like me. Its also useful to know the French name for United Kingdom which is Royaume-uni took me a while to find that out.
The food places within the museum are in a little separate building across a lovely garden area. The café looked very welcoming. The entrance to the restaurant was a little difficult to get to due to winter development work. I had to exit the museum and walk around the lobby area, where I took the lift to the terraced restaurant.
The welcome was excellent, I was seated at a lovely table with a great view of the Eiffel Tower, on a warmer day the outside seating would enhance this excellent experience. The service was superb and exactly what I had expected. I treated myself to the three course set menu with an excellent glass of white wine (Chablis Savage). The prawn starter was amazing, the main course Pollock, I was slightly disappointed but a nice dish. A lovely chocolate desert provided a fine finish to an excellent meal.
The food was excellent, although I was disappointed I didn’t find it value for money whether my expectations were to high, I am not sure. The service and views made up for the minor disappointment regarding the pollock.
The Museum
The non European cultures displayed in this museum, presents an opportunity to engage with the ‘other’ and immerse yourself in the unfamiliar. The religious and cultural objects on display enabled me to gain an insight into a wide range of cultures, it was a great experience. I wish to visit similar exhibitions exploring other cultures to find out more about the world I live in.
The museum offers a fantastic experience of non-European cultures and their histories, I really enjoyed the experience, I look forward to trying the café on my next visit.
The Louvre
Café Richelieu @ The Louvre
Hello
Welcome to my first blog post. I decided to start writing my museums and food blog in Paris. A great city with many museums with cafes and restaurants. I hope you enjoy my writing and enjoy exploring the museums and their food places I visit.
There is not much I can add to the great writing that exists about the Louvre in Paris. However, I will give my thoughts on the combined food and museum experience, that the Louvre offers. Food and drink are an important aspect of any museum visit.
January 2019
It was a cold January day when I visited this world famous museum. Arriving in Paris the day before, I had been looking forward to visiting the Louvre for several weeks. I arrived early at the museum during a wintery snow shower. Joining a short queue after taking a few photos of the amazing buildings. After passing security and entering the glass pyramid into the dry and warm. I took the escalator down into the entrance area, it is an overwhelming space. It took me a little while to work out where to start.
An interesting starting point for visitors are the walls of the original fortress, it highlights the defensive building that the Louvre was before it became a palace. They provided an interesting insight into how the Louvre originally looked collection. It provides interesting comparison with the ground floor and its thin decorated palace walls and these fortress walls provide a striking difference. I like the way a buildings architecture can help tell the museum buildings life story and about the different uses over its life.
Café Richelieu
After an entertaining morning I found the Café Richelieu ready for a treat. I queued for around 10 minutes then I was ushered into the café. I sat down at a comfortable table, they are reasonably closely packed but with enough space to relax and enjoy the experience. Have done a little research I had to have their famous hot chocolate. I also ordered a refreshing glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and a sweet treat chocolate mousse. The service was good attentive without being intrusive.
The hot chocolate is served in a small jug with a pot of cream and a delicious chocolate biscuit. I poured the thick rich chocolate into my cup adding a generous spoonful of cream. I slowly mixed the two in my cup, seeing the cream slowly disappear and the beautiful patterns created as I mixed the two. After a blissful minute or two indulging in the rich thick hot chocolate drink. I turned my attention to my sweet treat. After breaking the thin chocolate shell, it revealed a luscious chocolate mousse, cold chocolatey delight it was excellent.
Denon Wing
Floating on my lunchtime delights, I continued my exploration of this vast museum. I turned my attention to the other wing with its grand gallery. This space in the gallery is wonderful, I really enjoyed strolling and engaging with all the art down this large space. I found the Mona Lisa disappointing luckily the queues were small due to winter. The wider experience gallery was much more fulfilling. A gallery space which contains empty frames, highlighting the lost art during the Nazi period very moving. This wing of the museum also features several fantastically decorated rooms including the Napoleon 3rd’s suite which was a real treat.
The museum is huge and its difficult to see all that it offers in one visit. All the amazing objects make a visit really special. The art and the highly decorated rooms made the trip really special. The Louvre offers a great range of food options for visitors and the Café Richelieu provides a marvelous experience. The bookshop upstairs in one of the shops was great, I really enjoyed exploring the wide range of books with many in English. Overall a great experience and look forward to returning in the future. The café added to a great museum experience, although a little expensive it was a nice treat for a special day out.