How to Spend a Fall Day in Cleveland

I spent the night in Cleveland, and decided to take full advantage of my extended morning, before having to report to work.

I went to the Inn on Coventry, which prepares my favorite breakfast: two eggs, toast, hashbrowns, English muffin, OJ and coffee. Nothing fancy, mind you, and that is the point. They make it fast, good and cheap. It is the perfect breakfast. I used to go there so often that I wouldn't even have to order...I could just go and sit down and start reading and it would all show up before me like magic. That's the kind of service that gets great tips.

It was a glorious fall day, bright and sunny and still enough leaves left to be colorful. I went to the Cleveland Museum of Art and took in the exhibit: Dukes and Angels: Art from the Court of Burgundy 1364-1419. While this particular period is not a specialty of mine, it really was a fascinating exhibit. I spent a great deal of time enraptured by the many manuscripts. The detailing of the backgrounds in the illuminations were mind-boggling, and only serve to prove my point: Look what can be done when you don't have cable.

Following this, I wandered upstairs and caught the Needful Things: Recent Multiples exhibit, which is made up of very contemporary art that is not unique. I loved this exhibit so much...they had a paint-by-numbers set by Damien Hirst, one of my favorite eccentric artists, and well, really, each item in the exhibit was worth investigating. I liked the "cocaine" and "heroin" porcelain salt and pepper shakers. What was really exciting was the juxtaposition of this cutting edge art after being enveloped in the gilded pages and religious stone work of the 1400s earlier.

On the way out, they had some very exquisite and moving photographs by Luc Delahaye. His prints are enormous, 4 feet tall by 8 feet long. The most impressive, though they were all stunning, was his photo, Taliban. It is a masterpiece.

Finally, they had moved Spencer Tunick's photo taken at the Rock Hall to the New Acquisitions wall (it had previously been in the basement by the restrooms). It is a wonderful photo of 3000 naked folk laying together in the street. Check out his work, he is quite cool.

The Inn on Coventry 2785 Euclid Heights Blvd, Cleveland Heights 216-371-1811