I have returned from Detroit with many rolls of film to be developed and lots to talk about. Though I doubt that I'll be able to talk of it all in this post, I'll hopefully talk about it over the course of the next few.

The drive down to Detroit is unbelievably easy, but the sheer number of trucks is scary, as is their sometime utter disregard for the smaller vehicles on the road. Once you've passed the suburban sprawl of Toronto, the highway becomes quite a bit more attractive, with the rolling farmland of the Halton Hills and then the verdant, wealthy farms in the London area. The last hour before Windsor is pretty boring, flat, dull, and, of course, full of tractor-trailers. The border going into Michigan was easy as pie, with not too bad a wait, but the trip back was a pain in the neck once we'd crossed over. My advice is to use the bridge as it takes you straight out to the 401, whereas the tunnel routes you through Windsor and the traffic is ridiculous.

Detroit is shocking. I thought I was prepared having spent many hours looking at the photographs of ruined buildings, but from the start, as you come through the downtown, it's unreal how empty it is. Probably 60-70% of the shops at the base of the skyscrapers are closed and boarded up, there is no one out walking (because there's nothing open), and there is a general sense of despair in the streets. The drive up Woodward (the main drag) to the place we were staying at was hardly an improvement, with boarded up buildings and broken windows interspersed among still functioning stores and a few restaurants. Life returns to the city when you enter the Cultural centre of the city, where all the museums and Wayne State University are located. This is where we stayed at The Inn on Ferry Street.

The Inn is, in fact, a large bed and breakfast, and is set up in four grand houses that have been designated as historical buildings. There are also two carriage houses that are used for business, etc. The houses, as we learned from one of the lovely staff, Jonique, had been abandoned for at least a decade and were falling into terrible disrepair (as is generally the case in this once stunning city) when they were bought by two women with the support of the Detroit Institute of Arts. At the not insignificant amount of 7.5 million dollars, the houses were restored to as close to their original condition as possible, with additional upgrades like sprinkler systems, etc. Most of the trim and interior design is original, including marvelous stained and cut glass windows and the seven-foot-long cast iron bath tub (in our room !!). Breakfast was served from 8 until 10am and included a waffle maker for fun and deliciousness as well of tons of fresh fruit and really scrumptious coffee.

Minutes from the Inn were the major museums of Detroit, including the Institute of Arts, which was the whole purpose of our pilgrimmage, the New Science Centre, the Museum of African-American History, the Detroit Historical Museum, the beautiful Public Library, and of course, the University campus. There is much parkland around these institutions and public sculpture, with beautifully planted gardens and lovely mature trees. The DIA was our major stop as it was hosting the traveling exhibition, Magnificenza! The Medici, Michelangelo, and the Art of Late Rennaissance Florence. This was no typical traveling show, let me tell you; it was enormous, taking Mom and myself about two-and-a-half hours to go through. It took up a floor of an entire wing and had sixteen gallery rooms devoted to it, each with well displayed art and text. The spacing allowed for maximum viewing, even with the crowds that sometimes amassed. Highlights were some of the extraordinary sculpture by Michelangelo and Cellini (pronounced Chel-EEN-ee), as well as the incredible portrait and narrative works by painter Bronzino. Other lovely surprises in the exhibition were the ceramic works created under the Medici name. This wasn't an exhibit about Michelangelo, as apparently some people thought (who obviously didn't read the show's title), rather, it was a show about how he and the Medici family left their imprint on Florentine art for more than a century. It was incredible.

The DIA is what any world class museum should be. It is well laid out, peopled with knowledgeable and friendly staff, has a fantastic little restaurant (none of this Druxy's bollocks that the ROM has) with a salad bar, hot entrees, and exquisite desserts. I didn't like the museum as much as I do the one in Philadelphia (which is a place of magic), but the collection is vast and stunning. After spending the better part of the day there, we walked back to the Inn through the side streets and returned to our room. Mom lay down for a nap and I went out to explore the neighbourhood.

I think I'll leave off here for now as I have been typing for about an hour now and I have work to do. Perhaps I'll write a little more later, but if I do not write again until Sunday, forgive me, it's Rick's sister's wedding this weekend and I'll be away in the Hamilton area.