Day 4: Pittsburgh

Day 4: Pittsburgh

QOTD:  The names of the three sisters bridges are: Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol and Rachel Carson

Weather: COLD! Starts out in the low 30s and “warms” up in mid to late-afternoon into the high 40s; clear with big visibility

Pics: In and downtown, Duquesne Incline,  Fabrizio Gerbino, Mancini’s, Rockefeller’s Grille fare, Ed Eberle work and great mini-desserts, work from the Enough Violence show, Eleven

THB sleeps in, so much that the FitCtr is given a day off. Today, the gluten free area is next to the rest of the buffet and the real bread has its own stand-alone area AND toaster. THB has great toast (they have fresh well-made bread you slice up yourself), yogurt with that cute little honey attachment and fresh berries, and one link sausage.

The bus departs on-time at 9 with Tracey Myers, a curator at the Carnegie Museum (in architecture) aboard to give us a tour of the city and an overview of the big moments in Pittsburgh’s building history.  She’s a live wire! Even explains the work in front of hotel is refurbishing of an urban park (THB assumed more construction being done).

Lots of info as we troll downtown, and then it is up to the top of Mt Washington on a funicular, the Duquesne Incline. Tracey groups us outside in near-arctic weather (thank goodness the wind is not blowing or we’d all be frozen solid) for more discussion. THB wanders back inside even though his hand-me-down leather jacket from his dad is doing a great job warding off the chill (again, it’s great the wind isn’t blowing).

From Tracey to Italy: our next stop is at the studio of Fabrizio Gerbino; he grew up in Italy, became an artist, married a Pittsburgh gal living in Florence, had a kid, and then they moved to Pittsburgh. Large paintings, work on paper (a few bought by tour members), and installation artist (the remains of his most recent piece are all over the studio). THB stops along the way to visit Fabrizio’s landlord; she owns the local bakery, Mancini’s. Unwittingly, THB manages to buy the entire tour group day-old raisin rolls. Hmmmm..a tarnished reputation?

Lunch of oversized portions at Rockefeller’s Grille (from the looks of it, probably better known for beer and football),

 followed by a visit to a very well known ceramicist, Ed Eberle. Much buying here, including a painting; Ed’s ceramic work is really painting on porcelain in recognizable shapes (or deconstructed recognizable shapes). And, one of the best dessert tidbits ever: intense mini-browning, dark chocolate icing and some hard candy-like item pushed down into the icing. Many of these disappear, only to be replenished. THB holds back.

The last tour stop of the day is a revelation: Enough Violence at the Society of Contemporary Craft. Much strong work, very moving when you hear the backstories (as told by the director and curator). One of the pieces, a menorah made of guns, is done by an artist in THB and DB’s collection, Boris Bally, a Pittsburgh native with a long background of fighting gun violence.

Dinner with E&J (same E, different J), our co-leaders, at Eleven, a repeat visit for THB and DB from our last trip to Pittsburgh. The food is excellent: THB has oysters and roast chicken breast with prosciutto, the others start with pumpkin soup and then have starters (scallops, pasta, salad), all of which are big enough to be entrees, cocktails, wine, a local pilsner (excellent), $50pp.