HNHM

Runi is on leave this week & she has planned to go to HNHM or the Harvard Natural History Museum.
Yash goes out for work more or less early. Boudi and Runi are engaged in cooking, while dada and myself  are preparing for the trip. I learn that the museum closes by 5  P.M.

After a quick lunch at about 1100 hrs. we all are ready and move on. A Green line train  and then a Redline train in the subway, bring us to Harvard Sq. Stn. We walk thru Harvard univ. campus area upto the main street which leads us to HNHM. Runi gets the passes (She is a Harvardian) for us & we enter within the museum.
The botanical gallery feature the internationally acclaimed glass Flowers. One has to marvel at the perfection (even from a botanical pt. of view) and the creation of a father-son duo of glass artists viz. leopold & Rudolph Blaschka. There are more than 4000 models of plants , created by glass & having wires within which are replicas of the original variety. many snapshots taken by dada, Runi and even  a few by me. The gallery is sort of a wonder & the Harvard museum has added a feather in its cap, by patronising the art of the said 2 artists.

The mineralogical gallery has many minerals like oxides, sulfides, sulfates, calcites, carbonates, borates & many ors. Crystals of Gypsum etc. catch the eye.  Also there are meteorites which provoke many thoughts of an onlooker.

Children were there looking at the gallery and reading the introductory writings & some more writings which were benificial to them, for gathering knowledge. Adults also enriched themselves by reading such explanations.  One Mr. Sadasibyya of  India, Bengaluru befriended us  &  we had tit-bits of things to discuss among ourselves.

New England forest gallery:-----  It  showcases the ecological  &  natural  regional forests of Massachusetts, Rhode island etc. & White Pine, Birch, beech etc are displayed.

The zoological gallery has a large collection of fossils & other extinct animal life. Vertebrate Paleontology  showcases Dinosaurs.

 the  Great  Mammal hall shows  fossils of mammals of the past. Africa gallery showcases replicas of Gorilla, African elephant etc.

 We saw replicas of Bison,  very large  skeleton of whales hanging from the ceiling in a gallery, Bengal Tiger  (replica), Lions, giraffe, reptiles also.

 We also saw  Maya and   Aztec  murals.

 We made our exit at about 4-40 P.M and walked to Harvard Sq., thru   harvard univ. bldgs. where we pose for photographs before the statue of John  Harvard. We touched  with one hand  one of the feet of the statue. Runi said to do so and actually many younger visitors  were also posing themselves  in the same way & their friends were taking snapshots.  Next we peeped into COOP --- a bookstore with a good collection of books. No Books or mags. were  purchased , however fm the store.

 We availed trains & came home at about 6 P. M.     Boudi had tea for us within mins.,  following which Poha was served by Runi for us.  The earlier day Chandi wrote in his e-mail------" Those who love to eat, learn Cooking fast."
As  Runi is learning to cook fast, Chandi's opinion must hold good in the reverse order also i.e Runi loves to eat.