Never really been enthusiastic about Picasso.  Still wanted to see the exhibition in case I was pleasantly surprised by the real thing. I wasn’t. Although, there was an excellent guide, podcasts and ten rooms with 150 paintings and sculptures on display, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I found them grotesque. Back to the Impressionists for me I think. The Village Dance, 1922 with it’s Renoir overtones and the Young Painter, 1972 were the paintings I liked most, as they stood out by far from the rest of Picasso’s work for me. This exhibition  Picasso: Masterpieces from the Musée National Picasso, Paris  was recently shown at the de Young Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco and they have information on the Village Dance and Picasso: The Women Behind the Artist here. Somehow, I found the advertising posters and displays preferable to the actual paintings. Perhaps, they highlighted the strong colours and made them more vibrant. Obviously, a matter of taste.

No High Tea today as I hadn’t booked so stopped at the cafe for scones. Sadly, disappointed as the scones were dry and had an indeterminate texture like they couldn’t decide if they were a scone or a butterfly cake.

As it was so swelteringly hot I now decided to take a walk through the nearby Botanical Gardens, down to Circular Quay and catch a ferry to Manly and enjoy the cool waves.