Calling Those London Bullets Again...
*Chamber music concert tonight at St Martin in the Fields-- unexpectedly sexy. First of all, I decided to go after going in the church the other day and OMGLUV. Not always a big fan of Baroque architecture, but this is just so light and perfect and full of delicate roundnesses. I bought a ticket which permitted me to sit anywhere I wanted provided I couldn't see, and since I thought I mainly wanted to hear (and look at the church) I reckoned that was fine. Also I was alone in my pew so I slipped my shoes off and put my feet up. Anyway it was a bit too Masterpiece Theatre for my taste at first, but then I forgot about that and it was just great, especially when I moved so that I could see the dozen astonishingly cute musicians, moving around with their bows and things. The soloists were excellent and there was rhythmic clapping at the end until they came back and reprised the 2nd movement of Bach's concerto for violin and oboe. BTW oboe? So Snape's instrument. Lucky we've got ellen_fremedon.
*At first I was confused by my mother's cousin commenting that I seemed 'very contented with my own company,' and pointed out that I had barely dined alone since being in the UK, until I realized it was English for 'why aren't you married?'
*Why didn't anyone tell me snowballjane works for the coolest magazine in England? And not just works for, actually writes serious shit for. Anyway she was lots of fun and politely pretended to not be familiar with the various things I repeated to her, having already put them in my LJ.
*Yes, Charles and Camilla are getting married on Saturday, the very day I leave. Coincidence? Perhaps. I have seen exactly one commemorative plate.
*I forgot to tell this story here. So in the waiting area at JFK they had the tv on, and it was some CNN tabloid show ('Most Popular' or something?) with a big rotating-arrow logo and a circuit of stories including Terry Schiavo of course ('Clinging to Life!!'), Jacko, latest teen murder, footage of a guy almost getting shot, etc. Loud and completely free of information. Then when I got off the plane and onto the Heathrow express, they had the TV on, and it was the BBC talking terribly urgently about Kofi Annan, who was also on the cover of the paper. But the hot story that really had everyone's knickers in a twist was 'British School Lunches: why aren't they more nutritious?' Jamie Oliver has played his part.
*Speaking of the aforementioned excellent question, I don't so much love all the same very heavy English foods I did when I was a kid. Though I still love a scone with jam and double cream. And food in restaurants here is absolutely astonishingly expensive. New York is like a big food yard sale. That said, Yorkshire ale, fish Balti, and a properly fried bit of fish YAY.
*The emperor Constantine- yes, the emperor Constantine- both was born and died in York. And two other Roman emperors lived in York, including Severus Septimius. OMGWTFYORK. Have you got any idea how far York was from Rome or London or anywhere in 300 AD? So, like, outside the Minster (which the guide assured us could not properly be called a minster, long story) there's a statue of Constantive reclining in a most ungodly fashion in a sort of Brad Pitt legionaire costume.
*Tomorrow night I am going to see Derek Jacobi in Schiller's revolutionary potboiler Don Carlos, on which Verdi's great opera is based. Cheapest seats again, but may I point out that both tickets together cost less than my share of the Indian meal in Notting Hill, or a night in a four person room at the York YHA.
*Monday I spent most of the day at the National Gallery. I did see the Caravaggio show ('the last years'), only about 6 rooms but CHOICE, dude, really moving. Clearly, toward the end of his life he repented that his earlier work wasn't slashy enough (is that even possible?)
*Botticelli fandom- I'll have to come back to this and other topics, as my time is running out. Luv you luv!
Sent many many postcards. suzanne_laura send your zip code pronto I put the stamp on already!!!!!