You're wondering, Does this pair ever do anything except lunch?

Well, after an entire morning spent touring the Chinese collection at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, we needed a bit of sustenance. The Museum Cafe overlooks the lobby, and that wonderful burst of yellow to my left is a fabulous piece of Chihuly glass, hanging from the ceiling. The cafe serves interesting salads and sandwiches, and wine. I'm easy, really. Give me a place to sit down and a glass of red wine and I'm happy.

It was so exciting to finally actually see -- in real life -- so many of the exquisite pieces of Chinese art that I'd only ever seen in books. Like a dream come true. Guided by the immensely knowledgeable John Brooks (he and his wife also come to my class) we wandered through what seemed to be endless galleries full of marvels. Alas! I'm not as young as I used to be. After a couple of hours I was beginning to wish I could swap places with Bao in the stroller. I'll ride and you push, I told him.

He just looked at me.

After lunch, we continued on through the "highlights" of the European collection. My favorite was the Van Gogh. But my favorite is always the Van Gogh.

Lots of people have taken photographs of Bao, especially when he's in the stroller. He's become accustomed to it; he even poses for them. I often wonder what becomes of all those photos. Do they get entered in My Holiday Photos competitions? Do they win?

Seeing friends and familiar faces here in Minneapolis has been great. But today we regretfully turn our backs upon the wonders (and the traffic jams) of the city and head off on the next leg of our adventure, into the wild west.