Holiday Wishes

To faithful or first time blog readers and friends who are checking in after receiving my shameless blog promotion with your holiday cards, here's my holiday wish for you and all those you hold dear:

Opera for Everyone

Today was a weather mess around town with rain, sleet, and snow falling non-stop. We could have hit the malls for that second to last weekend of frantic Christmas shopping, but nixed that idea for an afternoonof beautiful music and theater. Today was the first in a series of eight high definition transmissions of live performances of the Metropolitan Opera. So, a couple of friends and I parked ourselves in stadium seats--heck, we could have had a tub of popcorn as well--at Tinseltown, our local movie-plex for Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. We joined people from all over the U.S. and over a dozen other countries in experiencing a live performance from the great Metropolitan Opera.

What a wonderful performance it was. The great Placido Domingo was the conductor and what an intimate feeling it was to be in the orchestra pit watching him interpret Gounod's sensual musical score. I had no idea that he ever conducted, thinking he was strictly an opera singer. In a later backstage interview we learned that he has conducted for many performances and enjoys that role equally well. It was sad to see how he is aging, but good to see him still able to deliver a peak performance.

The young star-crossed lovers were perfectly cast. Soprano Anna Netrebko sang the role of Juliet and tenor Roberto Alagna was Romeo. On-stage the chemistry crackled and I was actually surprised at the sensuality, both passionate and innocent, of the marriage night and death scenes. Both played their roles as doomed lovers with a sense of hope but with an inevitable despair.

One of the great perks of these HD performances is that you see in the orchestra pit and backstage setups for the different scenes, including the back and forth interactions among performers, stage hands, and assistants. Today we saw an impromptu last minute rehearsal of the fight scene. This behind the scenes look doesn't detract at all from the actual performance. Instead, you think, so that's how it happens for real.

During the intermissions the stars sit for interviews(in photo below) with other stars in their own rights. Today Anna and Roberto are interviewed by the great Renee Fleming.
Right after this interview Romeo and Juliet will play their most intense love scenes. So, Renee is asking Anna and Roberto how they manage to pull off the love scenes. Roberto very charmingly talks about the need to be healthy, physically fit and spark some chemistry with his leading lady. He claims shyness which neither Anna nor Renee buy! He then clinches the interview by telling Renee that he would love to sing with her some day. Those charming Frenchmen!

If this description has piqued your interest in opera,here's the remaining HD performances for the 2007-08 season. As you can see, there's some biggies--Macbeth, Tristan und Isolde, La Boheme--to come. Just go to www.metopera.org/hdlive to find the closest theater for your area as well as directions for ordering tickets online.

Opera goes to the Dogs as Well--when I was looking on the Met web-site for schedule and program information I was amused to learn about these special posters and photographs of the Weimaraners shot by William Wegman to promote this season's new performances. Sales of these posters and photos benefit the Met.

Hansel and Gretel







Macbeth











La Fille du Regiment











It's hard to believe that my "culsha" friend and I have been opera regulars for only one year. We agreed to try one live performance by the Kentucky Opera and now, thanks to this smart public education decision by the Metropolitan Opera, we can enjoy beautiful music by renowned performers without having to get into our little black dresses or find our opera glasses. How bad can that be?

Photo/image credits: Metropolitan Opera web-site; Weimaraners,William Wegman 2007

Yorkshire Dales Walk

(Read December 2 and 5 posts for Parts 1 and 2 of this tale of two friends walking across Northern England.)

Day 2 Walk, Leaving Lake Windermere -- from our overnight lodging near Grasmere we followed the shoreline of Lake Windermere for much of the morning with rain threatening. By mid-morning Dave, our walk leader, called a tea break in the lakeside town of Ambleside. How long before the Wayfarers learned? This stop was the first of many tricks Dave would play on us. Any kind of treat like shopping, tea break or ice cream parlour stops meant that we would soon be huffing up a mountain or slogging through bogs and streams. Immediately after tea, Dave fulfilled his evil plan by leading us out of Ambleside and up the Cumbria Mountains in the rain.


When we crested the mountain we had our last views of Lake Windermere and walked on toward the village of Troutbeck. Just outside the village we stoppped at this little jewel of a church, Jesus Church Troutbeck, known for its beautiful stained glass windows. About this time we began seeing our first "free range" sheep which meant that we were getting closer to the Yorkshire Dales farmland. At Troutbeck Church I was amused to see sheep "trying out" the resting places in the church yard.












By mid-afternoon we stopped for our customary pub lunch at Mortal Man Pub in Troutbeck Village. The pub sign read: "O Mortal Man that lives by bread, What is it makes thy nose so red? Thou silly fool that look'st so pale, tis drinking Sally Birkett's ale." The Wayfarers enjoyed some of Sally Birkett's ale and a rest while looking out over the rolling farmland.


We end Day 2 of the walk in Crook on the eastern border of the Lake District.


Days 3 and 4 Walk, Yorkshire Dales--we are definitely in the countryside made famous by the Yorkshire Dales vet, James Herriot of All Creatures Great and Small fame. Walkers are permitted to pass through farmers' fields of grain or sheep pastureland. However, there are rules to follow. The last walker to go through a gate must be sure it's closed. If there's no gate, you climb over fences and the dry stone walls using stiles of all varieties--stone,wood,
ladder,kissing(a double style that ensures close encounters). Once in the field, walkers are expected to keep to the paths by the fence. And just in case you forgot, watch out for a multi-tasking border collie to warn you to mind your manners.


Sheep's Wool and Sore Feet--by Day 3 several of us were walking on feet that hurt despite all the blister remedies that Dave and Bill, our walk manager, had to offer. I no longer had Happy Feet.The combination of climbing up and down rocky hills and walking for long distances had turned my feet into a mass of blood blisters from heel to toe--up hill your heels got it, down the toes. At stops we lost interest in drinks and snacks, instead comparing the sad condition of our feet. That's when the sheep became important. As we walked across the sheep pasture, several of us started collecting wool to pad our boots the next day. It wasn't a cure for sore feet, but at least made walking another day more bearable.

At the end of Day 4 we had a wonderful surprise waiting. We followed the banks of the River Ure, tired and dispirited after a hard day of walking in the rain and wind. Dave kept building our anticipation that something good was going to happen. Boy, he delivered as always. We came off the river path near the town of Masham onto a vast parkland to find this castle at Swinton Park waiting for us! Our rooms were totally luxurious. In fact, someone from our group said that her bath was large enough to fit a small 3rd world county in it-not much of an overstatement. At any rate, it was just what we needed to restore body and spirit for the final push to the North Sea in the final two days of walking.



WALK CONCLUSION--NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS TO NORTH SEA, POSTED MONDAY, DEC. 10

Lake District Walk

(Read December 2 post for Part 1 of the tale of two friends walking across Northern England.)
Day 1 Walk--early in the morning the Coast to Coast Wayfarers leave the Swan Hotel in Newby Bridge for a short hike to an inlet where we ceremoniously dip our boots in the Irish Sea to mark the eastern beginning of our walk through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors National Parks. In six days we hoped to walk 85 miles to finish the trek in Whitby on the North Sea.

Already, as we left the sea and began to climb the first mountain,I decided that to finish the walk I would have to attack it in stages. I would walk to our mid-day stop and then set another goal. Dave, our walk leader,(kneeling, blue sweater)very wisely didn't reveal that we would cover 16 rough, hilly miles the first day. The walkers began to sort themselves out--the competitive lead dogs, the sociable middle group and the rear guard--my position for most of the walk. Sally, my walk buddy, was a stronger trekker than I, so we didn't spend a lot of trail time together. That was probably a good thing because in a couple of days she was asking "Exactly when does the vacation part of this trip begin?" or "Who's big idea was this?"

Foot Triage--this photo is of our first break. Bill, the walk manager, met us twice a day at accessible points with the supply van. We began cheering on seeing the white van with Bill's smiling delivery of drinks,(barley lemonade-yum!) snacks and Compeeds! As you can see, many were already having foot problems from shoes or boots that weren't properly broken in. So, Dave and Bill began their ritual feet inspections and dispensing Compeeds, English industrial quality blister patches. At this point I'm feeling smug about my happy feet, but in a couple of days it gets ugly!


By mid-day we reached Beacon Tarn(lake). In the distance we could see the "Old Man", a craggy outcropping towering over Lake Conistan. Dave gave us a mini geological lecture about how over 400 million years ago the Lake District hills and valleys were formed from smooth Silurian rocks, providing the softer wooded landscapes of Conistan and Windermere. Glaciers following the Ice Age scraped through the valleys forming huge bowls for the lakes. Frankly, we feigned interest, but our honest reaction was "Yeh, yeh, yeh--whatever." We were just grateful for a chance to sit down by the lakeside and rest our feet! That is, except for some of the lead dogs who actually took notes. . .

Dog a Day--in the village of Conistan on Conistan Waters we stopped at a local pub for a traditional pub lunch. The Ploughman was a hefty serving of bread, cheese and ham spiced up with a relish called Branston pickle--very good, but I have no idea what made it brown. We met these two pub dogs, one inside waiting for his person to finish a drink and the other out on the patio with us, hoping to share the hearty ploughman.

Fueled by lunch, petting the pub dogs, and a bit of rest, we headed back up the mountain. We climbed a natural rock quarry--should have listened to Dave's geology lecture--and walked through a deep, quiet almost primal forest. Once through the forest we looked down at Little Langdale, a valley that has some of the most dramatic scenery we'll see along the entire walk.We curve down the Langdale Pike into surrounding farmland for the last leg of this first day of walking.


The Concierge--our first night on the route was spent at Skelwirth Bridge Hotel near Grasmere. The 17th century inn was charming with its beautiful gardens and comfortable rooms. However, all of us were captivated by The Conceirge, this beautiful black lab who greeted arriving guests with tourist information and peppermints from his spot under the table. The following morning Sally and I spotted him from our window coming across the carpark with a leash in his mouth--ready for his walkies before getting on about his work. The only thing that would have made us happier with this place would have been to have The Concierge sleep in our room that night. Instead, we leave Skelwirth and start Day 2 of our walk.

TO BE CONTINUED--See Dec. 7 post for Yorkshire Dales Walk.

Coast to Coast Dogs

It was decided. In July 2003 my good friend Sally and I paid the fees and made travel plans for the most physically and mentally challenging adventure either of us had ever attempted. We were going to walk 85 miles coast to coast across northern England from the Irish to North Seas. We would walk through three national parks: Lake District, Yorkshire Dales, and North Yorkshire Moors. It would take six days of walking, averaging 12-15 miles per day, to complete the route through hills, dales, and moorlands made famous by the likes of Wordsworth, James Herriot, and the Bronte sisters.

Joining Up--the wayfarers flew from Philadelphia to Manchester, England. From the Manchester airport we bumbled our way to the BritRail station and completed a tag team effort to find our train stop--and figure out the right side of the station to be on to travel to Windermere where we would meet up with our walking group. We were delighted with this little comfort center for dogs at the rail station. It reads: "This facility is for use by our four legged friends. Please quench your thirst with our best wishes. Virgin Trans" A big downside to travel is that you miss your animals so much. Sally and I both left several much loved dogs at home. From a previous trip to England, I figured our chances of meeting some dogs along our walking path would be pretty good since it seemed that the English love dogs and cats a lot. From coast to coast we were successful--look for the "Dog a Day" photos throughout this tale.

Newby Bridge and Windermere--we had a day to recuperate at the Swan Hotel in Newby Bridge, within walking distance of the Irish Sea,the starting point of our trip. On arrival, we explored the village and hotel grounds to get our internal clocks adjusted to local time. And voila! We meet our first Dog a Day. Sam, the Staffordshire terrier, lived with his owner on a boat tied up on the waterway running in front of the Swan Hotel. Now tell me, is this a face to fear?"


On our second day at Newby Bridge we explored Bowness-on-Windermere lovely small town on Lake Windermere that catered to tourists,including hikers because this area was the start of several walks around the Lake District and beyond. We had a great day wandering through all the shops and looking for arts and crafts of the region. And of course we had to stop in one of the outside cafes for tea and scones with cream and strawberries. While we sat there people watching, we spotted this fellow patiently waiting outside the OXFAM for his owner to finish shopping.

After a leisurely day in Windermere we finally meet our Wayfarer Tour Leaders Dave, Bill, and Alan and the ten other people on the tour at a Welcome Dinner and Introduction back in Newby Bridge. We came from all over the U.S. and France for this challenge. We would not be strangers for long because we would be partners in keeping up with our leaders as we covered the 85 miles to our goal--the North Sea. Early the next day we would begin our walk with a ceremonial dipping of our boots in the Irish Sea. . .

Part 2--Newby Bridge to East Witton posted on 12-5-07

Sweet

Some things that you get to do are just plain fun. Plus, if you learn something you didn't know already, that just adds an extra oomph to the experience. Yesterday was that kind of day when I met up with a couple of friends to check out an exhibit of Kentucky antique sugar chests at the Speed Art Museum. What made the outing extra sweet(get it?) was that we could have so much fun in the middle of a work week. All three of us are retired--or will be soon. One of the great perks of retirement is to be able to do things on your own schedule. That means no lines, crowds, time limits. And let's not forget the unexpected luxury of seeing a movie in an almost empty theater.

For those readers who are not knowledgeable antique buffs or owners--including me--here's the deal on sugar furniture. In the early to mid nineteenth century, sugar was a precious commodity in the home. In Kentucky, loaves and cones of sugar were shipped inland from New Orleans and the West Indies and kept under lock and key in the more affluent homes. In the sound tradition of form following function, furniture makers in central and western Kentucky crafted a variety of sugar chests, desks, and boxes which were kept in the public rooms of the house such as parlor or dining room for all to see. This furniture was a symbol of the family's social status. These beautiful but simple pieces kept expensive sugar convenient for sweetening drinks and also held the liquor served to frequent guests in the homes.

The Speed Museum had around 40 different examples of sugar furniture on display. The earliest pieces were simple divided boxes, mostly on legs that became more intricately carved as the century progressed. Most pieces had two separate bins for the refined white or cane sugar and the more common maple or brown sugar. Some had drawers for valuables and cubbyholes for liquor bottles. All had locks to keep out samplers. Most pieces were singularly lacking in ornamentation, depending on beautiful wood graining, simple inlays, and dovetailing to make each piece unique.

Today I'm thinking about a couple of the chests we saw. I now have more appreciation for these antiques. It's almost like if you look closely enough at the worn places, scratches in the wood, or decorative elements of a piece you can create a story about the families who owned and used them to entertain friends and family. It would make me much happier to have an antique sugar chest in my home than the most expensive new piece. With the antique I'd get another family's history to which I could add my own memories.

Winterfair!

Yesterday morning, Black Friday, the smoke alarm chirped Willie and me out of a sound sleep at 2:30 a.m. The wake up call would have been fine had I intended to be in the Wal-Mart or Best Buy bargain shopper's line early in the morning. I think not. I would have preferred to sleep in a few more hours before observing the day after Thanksgiving in a less combative manner. However, no big deal. I shushed the smoke alarm and coaxed Willie from under the desk where he kept pleading "Make that thing stop hurting my ears!" Finally, after restoring the calm I left home to meet up with some friends in Frankfort for a day of fine arts and crafts.
We drove to Covington, just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati, for a preview of Winterfair!,the Ohio fine art and craft
exposition. Every state has it's own variation of this type of show which spotlights its state artists working in a variety of media including ceramics, metals, fine art, jewelry, fiber and more. At every booth we found works that were beautiful, functional, and whimsical. We tried on handmade clothing and jewelry and laughed and chatted with the artisans, learning about their works.

There were artists that stood out for all three of us. My friend kittyhawk was eager to have us see the blown glass work of Michael J. Mikula which combines brilliantly colored,intricately shaped glass with metal in strikingly architectural designs. They became friends through a special book project and she has come to really appreciate his artistry.

My favorite artist was a young silversmith from Berkley who specialized in making ancient coin jewelry such as you see here. He was totally full of himself in a good way and kept us lingering at his booth with a combination of real information about the origins and symbolic meaning of the coins he used and good salesmanship.

I closed out a very successful day with my first Starbucks Peppermint Mocha of the holiday season and memories of a great day traveling with friends and sharing appreciation for the artists among us. I'm not regretting a single Black Friday bargain that slipped through my fingers while at Winterfair!