Wow, it's been a while since we've done a blupdate (blog update). I don't think we've written since we arrived in Troy, MI, so it's time to rectify that. So much has happened!
We got to Katie and Dan Lorts' house on Thursday morning after an overnight bus from Buffalo, via Cleveland. From there we headed up to meet Katie at Cranbrook School, which is linked to Cranbrook, Kent, where my Dad is Head of Music. I had stayed with Katie and Dan before when the English Cranbrook toured to the American Cranbrook, but Charlie hadn't met them before. Cranbrook, MI is one of the largest private schools in the States in terms of sheer size, sitting as it does on 350 acres of land, and the whole area has been beautifully landscaped. Within the grounds sits the high school, split between two campuses (originally the boys school and the girls school before they merged in the 80s), designed by visionary Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen. It really doesn't feel like a school when you're there! The boys school was designed to look like an Oxford college, and the girls school is very art deco, with a large copper roof and incredible open spaces everywhere. Also at the school is an Art Institute and Museum, which also offers post-graduate degrees, and a Science Museum, which is where we spent our Thursday afternoon. It's a special place, Cranbrook.
After we visited the Science Museum we headed to the Franklin Cider Mill, where they've been brewing (non-alcoholic) cider since 1832, and they make a range of apple pies and maple syrup too. You know that you're getting near when you can smell the cinnamon! We grabbed an apple crumble pie for pudding, and then met Katie back at her house for a nice, chilled evening in. Dan was at work until stupid o'clock, so we only got to see him briefly. Friday we spent up at the school, where Katie took us on a long walk through the beautiful grounds. The colours of the trees were just coming out, and its just such a nice place to be! On Friday night Katie and Dan's son Ted was playing in a Symphony Band concert up at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The concert was fantastic, and then we went to the Jolly Pumpkin Grill and Microbrewery, which was just brilliant.
On Saturday we went to the Detroit Institute of Art, which is apparently the sixth largest art museum in America, and home to a famous mural by Diego Rivera. The place is absolutely massive. We spent several hours there and barely covered a floor! Saw a whole room full of Picasso, and a Van Gogh display, which was wonderful. Afterwards we went with Katie to the Traffic Jam and Snug Grill and Microbrewery (notice a delicious theme?), where they had sweet potato chips (divine) and stuffed deer heads on the wall (a bit creepy). After a tour of Detroit we headed back to the house and introduced Charlie to the delights of Arrested Development ("It's not a trick, Michael! It's an illusion!), and learnt a new card game called Euchre, before heading out with Dan and Katie to a grill (no microbrewery) called Ticondaroga. I had Buffaloaf. Buffalo meatloaf. Buffaloaf. Gonna just, gonna give you a minute to think about that.
Buffaloaf.
Charlie ate Buffalo Balls, which, it turns out (thankfully) are Buffalo Meatballs. Buffalo Balls. Gonna just, gonna give you a minute to think about that.
This morning (Sunday) Katie and Dan drove us to Ann Arbor, where we are currently staying with Ted. We went to a great place for breakfast called Afternoon Delight, where Charlie ate a Belgian-style (naturally) pecan waffle and Dan and I both had a Meat Boule, which was a massive hollowed-out bread roll filled with ham, bacon, sausage, swiss cheese, mozzarella, cheddar cheese and scrambled eggs. Meat Boule... Gonna just, gonna give you a minute to think about that.
So we have had a fantastic few days staying with Katie and Dan in their beautiful home, it really has been so much fun. We're currently at Ted's in Ann Arbor, and tomorrow we're heading over to Chicago, for the last new city on our trip. Hard to believe that we started almost 2 weeks ago! We're about to go out to a Mexican Grill (I'll keep you updated about the microbrewery situation), and hopefully it won't be so long until we blupdate again!
Ciao ciao,
Chris & Charlie
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