Travels in the 2nd half

  When you visit Old San Juan, you can spend a lot of time walking the streets, looking in the shops, and eating in the cafes. But there are two museums that offer excellent explorations into the history and art of Puerto Rico. They should be on the “to see” list for anyone who comes to San Juan. Museo de las Americas Cuartos de Ballaja The Museo de las Americas (Museum of the Americas) was founded in 1992 with the purpose of exploring the history and culture of the Americas, with a focus on Puerto Rico. It has five permanent galleries and run two or three special shows at any given time. The museum has had sections closed recently, as its building has been undergoing an extensive renovation and modernization project, but when I was there in Feb. 2025, the newly redone Hall of Indigenous People was now open. The main feature of the Hall of Indigenous People is a set of life-size statues by Felipe Lettersten (1953-2003), a Swiss-Peruvian artist. Lettersten would travel throughout t...

  Puerto Rico is an island where history is around every corner. While you might think I am talking about Old San Juan or Ponce, this is even more true when you travel out to the towns around the island. On a recent trip, I visited the town of Fajardo, and got to take a walk through its historic center. Fajardo is in the northeast corner of the island of Puerto Rico. Today, it is the home of the largest Marina in the Caribbean Sea. Most visitors to Puerto Rico know the town as the place to catch the ferry to Vieques or Culebra, or to start a day trip to one of the small coral islands for sun and snorkeling. Its large natural bay has made it a home for fishermen since its founding in the mid-18th century. As in many of Puerto Rico’s towns, Fajardo’s center is a mix of buildings that span its history. Fajardo’s City Hall was built in 1898 and it has been expanded over the past century. Today, the complex includes local offices for commonwealth and federal agencies. The Cathedral Sant...

  Sitting on a hill in Greenwich, Connecticut, overlooking the center of town, is the Bruce Museum, one of those gems of a small museum that I search for. It is the kind of museum that has been endowed with an excellent collection of art, and also has mandate to include the natural sciences. In 1858, Robert Bruce (1822-1908) bought a house and land in Greenwich, near the rail line to New York City, where he was a textile magnate. When Bruce died in 1908, he deeded the estate to the town of Greenwich to serve as a museum of science and art for the community. It opened in 1912 with an exhibit of the Cos Cob artist collective. In 1993 the Bruce underwent an extensive renovation, with a new building constructed around the original house. This building provides modern gallery space for the art exhibits. Plexus No. 43 by Gabriel Dawe The Bruce provides wonderful examples of how a small museum can present multiple show of really interesting art simultaneously. While these exhibits might b...