Relentless.
Last summer in Rome, there was a relentless musquito that hovered around my bed for about 5 weeks. I thought I'd never meet another one with such fierce endurance. Well...it appears that the Motherland has Rome beat where musquitos are concerned. These beasts are fierce. They fear nothing. It seems they're true Stakhanovites. I now have about 40 bites on each arm, and the worst part is that by the time morning rolls around they stop itching and the marks go away, so I can't even fully relish in the process of complaining about them! Sigh.
Went to hear a concert at the Kapella on the Moika Canal. I wonder if it's too much to ask that an orchestra play TOGETHER?!?! Nevertheless, Carmina Burana was great fun to listen to. I had never heard the piece live. The Tchaikovsky Violin concerto was a whole other story. The poor soloist really looked like she was struggling to get to the end. The orchestra couldn't really follow her, and the woodwind & brass sections just proceeded to ruin the evening whenever it was time for a solo...Let me tell you, it wasn't no Gergiev conducting!!!
Watched the Tchaikovsky Competition awards ceremony on TV the other night. I didn't know that Rostropovich was the President of the Jury....sad. I'm decidedly NOT a fan of the Roccoco Variations. can you say BOOOOORRRRING????? ugh. that same theme. over and over and over again...The cellist didn't help much. The winning violinst was stunning. The pianist left me entirely cold.
Took a daytrip out to Tsarskoe Selo, but some Oligarch had booked the palace for a private party, so we couldn't get in. Of course the mere mortals were told that the palace was closed due to "technological problems."
Guess what? Midwesterngal is surviving in the Mutterland without ANY water! As per usual, the hot water went off on July 1, but then yesterday, out of the blue, the COLD water went bust as well!!!!! The charm wore off after about 22 seconds, let me tell you.