Things you'll like about ROM's exhibition Pompeii (2)

The Royal Ontario Museum's new exhibition Pompeii: In the Shadow of the Volcano will be on until January 3, 2016. 

What YOU will love about it:
The casts of Pompeii citizens frozen in time.

What YOUR KIDS will love about it:

The cast of a dog that could not escape because he was chained to his dog house... And the mosaic of a dog which said "Beware of the dog", which was found at the house of this dog!... And the T-shirt of this dog mosaic you will find in the gift shop at the exit of the exhibition.

Related post:

Things you'll like about ROM's exhibition Pompeii (1)

How it's made: Pompeii body casts

Interesting facts about the casts

• People were buried in the ash, which hardened to form a porous shell, meaning that the soft tissues of the bodies decayed, leaving the skeleton in a void. Fiorelli, the director of works in charge of the excavations in 1863, had plaster poured into the cavities and then chipped away the ash, exposing the cast of a person killed during the eruption almost 1800 years earlier. 

• Some 100 casts were done of the estimated 1,100 bodies found. We think there were 12,000 people living in Pompeii at the time.

• The casts at the ROM's exhibition which are made out of resin are actually 3D prints of the original casts. 

I recommend you watch the BBC movie Pompeii: the Last Day with your kids AFTER attending the exhibition, for more impact.

Still no hockey games? The Hockey Hall of Fame has extended hours until Jan. 06

Here's an idea

The suspense continues regarding NHL lockout and another batch of games has been cancelled until January 14. Depressing to you? Maybe a visit to the Hockey Hall of Fame would do the trick? Even I, who's not a hockey fan, really enjoy this sports museum (especially the beautiful Great Hall capped with a dome 15 metres above, adorned with superb stained glass and where you can see the Stanley cup).

The HHOF is linked to the Fairmount Royal York by the underground PATH.

I was at the Fairmount Royal York this week and saw that they have an exhibition of 8 tallow sculptures in their main lobby. They're the work of the hotel's residence food artist Chef Fred Marquina.

Wondering what "tallow" is? (Even at the hotel reception, they couldn't tell us.) I looked it up and it's a sort of shortening made out of animal fat.

HHOF Christmas extended hours are:
From December 26 to January 6, Monday to Saturday from 9:30 am to 6 pm, and from 10 am to 6 pm on Sundays. (Admission is $17.50/adults, $13/seniors, $11/4-13 years, free for 3 years and under.)

Le Marché in Brookfield Place:
Le Marché is a fun restaurant to go with the whole family. It is right across from the Hockey Hall of Fame in the same building. You can go just for a hot chocolate and dessert, but there are many food stations to choose from. The kids love to free-roam around the place (and nobody will mind).

More posts of Christmas fun.

Visiting the AGO on the free admission Wednesdays at 6 pm

I did it. I visited the AGO on the free evening starting at 6 pm. Saw tons of girlfriends enjoying the privilege. The big line-up at the entrance? It was for people who wanted to see the Picasso special exhibition. Those of us who simply wanted to see the rest of the exhibits could enter right away.

What a treat! You don't need to visit it all until you[re exhausted. You can just come back another Wednesday.

Bad news: the breathtaking tree sculptures of Giuseppe Penone we could enjoy in the Galleria Italia are gone...
Good news: they've created a new café space in the Galleria Italia, which, I must admit, is a great way to admire the gorgeous Galleria Italia.

A visit to the AGO is a nice complement to Stroll 4 (QUEEN Street Smart Stroll) in my guide Toronto Urban Strolls... for girlfriends.

Fun idea when visiting Spadina House

Before and after
We visited Spadina House recently. I found a great way to amuse the teens who were accompanying me. 

We took a picture of an old photo of the house, displayed inside, and tried to reproduce it. My young friends had a blast. Here's the result.

(By the way, I had never seen it and knew that it had been fully restored to its state in the 1920s. Well, don't go expecting Art Deco all over. As it was in the 20s still was pretty much Victorian. The decor is splendid!)