Museumgeek Mom's Top Ten*

Having a very well-traveled mother brings big advantages--like being able to corral her to submit items for your blog. Since she's been to many places farther afield than me--Russia, Morocco, South Africa--she has a much more eclectic top ten list than my earlier one. Hope you enjoy it. And, um, thanks Mom!

1. Ephesus Museum, Selcuk, Turkey, has exhibitions by
local artists in a side room. Area suffered a severe
earthquake since. (museumgeek comment: The statue of Cybele/Artemis is wild. The area may have been settled by Amazons, a tribe of female warriors.)

2. Galerie Damgaard is Essaouira, Morocco. Owner of this
"museum-shop" came here, I believe, from Denmark and
never left. Promotes work by local artists. Extremely
colorful, fanciful work. Interesting article in Travel & Leisure here.

3. Musee de Marrakech, Morocco, temporary exhibitions on
contemporary art and heritage museums. Hosts concerts,
theatre, films, etc. Musical instruments, hamman,
workshops, library, cafe.

4. Sculpture and theme gardens around back side of Table
Mountain in Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. Garden
for the blind, water pathways garden, sculpture
garden. Takes all day. Concerts held.

5. The Drostdy Museum, Swellendam, Western Cape, South
Africa. The Drostdy was built by the Dutch East India Company in 1747.

6. Jewish Museum of Greece in Athens, on a winding
street. of apartment-like housing. It may have a # on
the building, but is hard to find. A gem. Spiral
staircase goes up 5 floors, 3d is the Holocaust part.
Upstairs 4 & 5 to establishment of Israel. Very well
done, just a counter or two to shop; a prayer corner,
just so well done. tele. 47.73526568.

7. I thought I remembered a Holocaust Museum in an old
fort near the water in Oslo where you wound thru a
horrific underground museum, but all I can find on the
internet is the Jodiske Museum in Trondheim, and it
looks just like a large building. ????

8.Back to Greece, Athens - The Ilias Lalaounis Jewelry
Museum. Yes, it would be nice to link to something in order to see the jewelry, but the links are being persnickety.

9. Villa Imperiale, ancient Roman villa at Casale at
Piazza Armerina. Sicily. Incredible mosaics, room
after room. You follow a "boardwalk". Lightly visited,
but so gorgeous. Makes you feel you were right there.

10. A marvelous and refreshing modern art museum right
next door to the Galleria Regionale della Sicilia,
Palazzo Abatellis Museum, Palermo, Sicily, in a large
square. Everyone else in our group went to the big
museum; I found this jewel by the chance opening of a
door.

11. Newark Museum, NJ. Great collection of Chinese art,
beautifully painted Tibetan Temple blessed by Dali
Lama; Japanese art, American art and traveling
exhibitions, like the Aztec ball park; also the
restored Ballentine home, Victorian (just like my
Nana's house).

*Okay, like mother, like daughter. She listed 11. Now I will do my daughterly duty and try and find links for those entries!