The other day, Al and I spent the day with one of his brothers, Ray. Our first stop was a flea market. Ray is an art collector and spends many a hour at the flea markets and thrift shops in search of those gems most of us would overlook. He found this creepy, electric cat that is just perfect for Halloween. It screeches, cries and sings…..it reminded me of the singing fish from back in the day! I found the perfect fruit bowl for the trailer. 🙂
Our next stop was a quick drive around Belle Isle which is a 900+ acre park in Detroit. You can visit the aquarium, the conservatory, nature center or just have a picnic and enjoy the views.
Belle Isle
Being with an art collector/dealer/restorer, we had to visit a museum so off to the Detroit Institute of Arts, or the DIA. Originally founded in 1883, this museum is home to over 65,000 works of art. We began our tour in the Ancient Times exhibit and the Assyrian Empire artifacts. Having Ray along was like having our own personal tour guide. He educated us regarding the artists, the story behind some of the works, and the value of the pieces. We wrapped up our tour in the exhibit hall of the masters and works from Van Gogh that were presently on display. We were privileged to see his priceless self portrait.
After a long day, we needed to eat. We choose Boukie’s Grill in Royal Oak. We filled our belly’s on traditional Lebanese and Mediterranean food. Fresh baskets of pita bread, soup, salad, vegetables, rice, kabobs, hummus and garlic sauce. We kept the waitress busy! Needless-to-say, gluttony won me over for sure. It was a beautiful day and we so enjoyed our time with Ray.
