Undaunted by the continuing rain Mattie and I spent Tuesday out and about in Rochester. First stop City Hall and a photography exhibition and then to the Library to listen the the Director of Public Health review a recent book on international health policy. Coming just as the President was signing the new Health Care Bill this attracted a large audience with pertinent questions from the large audience on the impact of the reforms. Everyone agrees that service demand will increase and more practitioners will be needed. After lunch (salad and freshly made crepes) we continued to trace the history of the women’s rights movement with a visit to Susan B. Anthony’s house.
Susan worked with the abolitionist Frederick Douglas and there is a statue of them taking tea in a nearby square. The house has been faithfully restored with much of the original furniture and sets the scene for the life of this woman who campaigned for women’s suffrage across the US, delivering speeches written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton. We ended Tuesday at a concert of music in a city church to celebrate the work of Emma Lou Diemer
. Organ, guitar and choral pieces were interspersed with poetry (by another local woman) and the finale was the premier of a Variations on a Theme piece for piano and string quartet. The organ in Christchurch is magnificent; over 2,000 pipes and hand bellows.
Sunny Wednesday started with a breakfast meeting with three of Mattie’s colleagues at the University of Rochester who run an interprofessional masters in education programme. Two hours of great conversation, good food and a real insight into how the IPE agenda is growing apace these days in the US. Later that morning I listened to another of Mattie’s colleagues present their research on palliative care teams in hospital settings –it was good to be back in work mode for a very short while. The highlight of the day was the Kimono exhibition at the Museum of Art. Over 100 kimonos showing the range of designs and literature to explain the language of wearing these stunning yet simple garments.
Later that afternoon I met some of Mattie’s family, Jennifer, Ted and grandson Griffin before supper at Lento’s (slow food). I recommend the vegetarian shepherds pie and the Finger Lakes Chardonnay accompanied by their guitarist who gave a great rendering of a Whiter Shade of Pale. We finished our day at the Film Theatre watching the Jacque Tati movie –Trafic.
My three days in Rochester are now over –a wonderful experience of history, culture, politics and geography thanks to the hospitality of Mattie and Michael. Now I am (once again) in Chicago Airport, this time waiting for my plane to Denver .. . the weather has been rough there but I]m told the 10 inches of snow was of the wet variety and unlikely to cause any delays.
