Travel

After a SARS scare, which turned out to be just that "a scare" for the most part, with a minimal amount of new cases, the Canadian government quickly used all its resources to put Toronto back together again. It now has grand plans to make Toronto a world cultural tourism destination. I have always considered the province of Ontario the most Anglican in all of Canada and I particularly felt that the welcome mat was out for me and all stateside Americans. Language is not a problem since the official language is English here and not French as in the province of Quebec. Particularly exciting are the plans for the expansion of the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) which are going full speed ahead. Commissioning architect Daniel Libeskind to design the new addition to the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is another reason for the great pride the Torontians are taking in this $200 million expansion project known as Renaissance ROM.Daniel Libeskind, a resident of New York City, is also the master planner of the decimated World Trade Center. He believes that the art of meaningful architecture has to make a contribution to civic life. He has been quoted saying, "Every building from skyscraper, museums and shopping malls tells a story, usually about self interests including costs and construction in addition to pleasing the client". However, Libeskind believes that a building to be great must be about time, history, memory and legacy. His buildings are famous throughout the world. The huge undertaking will also include the renovation of most of the ROM's existing buildings that were built in various stages since 1914. Even during construction, the Museum will stay open. The Crystal, the name given to the building, and a Libeskind trademark of glass ceilings is expected to be open in late 2005. It is sure to become a landmark and one of Toronto's favorite and most recognized buildings. Actually, the ROM is one of the museums with a double mandate covering "the record of nature through the ages" and "the arts of man through all the years." I found the Natural History of Pearls an awesome exhibition of more than 500 objects illustrating the natural and cultural history of pearls. Between the Public Broadcasting Station program, "Nova," and ROM I have become a pearl maven. I did take an Adult Education Course in "pearl stringing and knotting" and can save a lot of money restringing my favorite pearl necklaces, but I doubt that I will ever find or own the Perfect Pearl since I really haven't ever developed a taste for oysters. Among the highlights at the ROM are some of the world's oldest, largest and most valuable pearls as well as the jewelry and fashions that have been worn by Queen Victoria, and Hollywood Royalty like Gloria Swanson, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Monaco's Princess Grace Kelly and First Lady Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy. It is believed that the first pearl was discovered in the 12th Century by the Chinese in the China Sea. Then, in the 19th Century a Japanese noodle maker named Mikimoto developed a process to culture pearls by introducing an irritant into the shell of a mollusk; a round pearl emerged which was coated with nacre. Thus the cultured pearl was born. Today, the Mikimoto Company is known for the high end of cultured pearls and represents 5 percent of worldwide sales. Pearl divers can be found in Chinese, Japanese Seas as well as the ancient cliffs off the Kimberly coast of Australia and in the waters of Burma and the coral coast of Tahiti. I also learned that gem quality pearls are very rare, and sometimes the shells themselves are used for decorative purposes. Black Pearls, which are actually different shades of gray and can be from 10 to 17 millimeters in size, are the most costly. The value of pearls is judged for shape, color, luster and size. The moat popular pearl necklaces are about 6 1/2 to 7 millimeters. Sotheby's holds the record for selling a perfectly matched necklace for $2.3 million at auction. You can visit the pearl exhibit at the ROM until Jan. 9, 2005 and perhaps find that huge 17-millimeter pearl in an oyster.© Copyright by Marcia AbramsonE-mail: mascribe@aol.com