Growing up, not only were our next door neighbors Greek, but so was my classical guitar teacher (with whom I studied for years). It gave me early exposure to Greek food and culture. Mrs.Dadas, our neighbor, was an elegant lady and a wonderful cook.
My family was somewhat adventuresome anyway from a culinary standpoint (at least for the 1960's) and so I developed a real taste and appreciation of Greek food. Our favorite Greek restaurant was the Parthenon, located in Chicago's Greek Town. Last Wednesday night, while I was staying in the Loop, I paid a visit to the Parthenon, which is still in operation. It's been at least 30 years since I've been there.
Chicago has a whole class of restaurants that hardly exist in Seattle. Family-style restaurants that have been in operation for years serving the same specialties, year in and year out. I had the dolmades and they were exactly as I remembered them.
Juan Diego Florez got quite a bit of mainstream media attention when he nailed the nine high C's of Fille du Regiment not once but twice (the second time in a near unheard-of encore of the aria).
Last night at Seattle Opera we experienced something that I think is equally amazing:
Lawrence Brownlee took a high F (that's 3 notes above a high C) in full chest voice. He sang the note so strongly that I could literally feel it hit me (physically).
Not even Pavarotti could sing that note in chest voice - he sang it using head voice (falsetto).
Not to reduce Brownlee's performance to a single high note. He's got the total package - an absolutely amazing voice for the bel canto repertoire. It makes it seem so effortless.
I still think it's fun to go through the car wash!
This is about as hot as it ever gets in Seattle, even mid-summer. I had planned some pie-baking over the weekend, but did it last night because I sure as heck won't fire up the oven when it's in the mid-80s.
We've had some lovely fresh local rhubarb, which I've turned into a couple of Rhubarb Custard Pies:
I'll be gone next week - in Chicago on business, with a quick visit up to Northbrook to visit my Dad's wife. I'm on a rather challenging work project currently and the distance from the client (who is based in Chicago) doesn't make it any easier. Mostly I work with clients who are local (in Seattle). I am hoping the Chicago trip gives me some traction there. I am hoping for some decent weather to make up for what I experienced in my February visit.
I was vaguely aware that there was a marionette company in Seattle that did an opera production each year. And when it crossed my consciousness I would think, "well that would be interesting to attend sometime."
This year, we did it. And boy am I sorry we didn't take advantage of this sooner. First of all, the production is not for children. But, I wasn't sure who might show up at a marionette opera-- opera people? early music people? (a number of notable early music musicians were performing) -- puppet people? I'm still not sure. It was an older crowd - older even than the symphony crowd - but there wasn't anyone we recognized. We go to enough music in Seattle that we are familiar with a set of "usual suspects" that show up to various types of classical performance.
The opera was Don Giovanni, done in its entirety, with only very minor cuts. Rather than sing the recitative, it was spoken, in English, much of it quite funny (and adult -- again this was not for kids). The English dialog helped move the drama along. But the marionettes were amazing dramatically. It's hard to explain how expressive they were--both in the spoken dialog and the aria singing. The singers (local favorites, including a couple from the Tudor Choir) were accompanied by a string quartet plus flute. They were seated, dressed in black, in front of the stage. The experience was so intimate--it felt like you were in someone's salon. It was an incredible theater experience.
They announced next year's opera, which is Don Quixote. Marionette opera is clearly something we're going to be looking forward to each year. Marionettes have a very interesting history in theater--particularly in Italy--which you can read about here.
I'll have Drake take some photos this weekend of me and the sweater I finally, finally finished. Darn that looped crochet trim almost had me beat. But I would not surrender. Not to the looped crochet trim!
Up next is a shorter, summery project:
The yarn is beautiful mix of silk, linen, rayon and nylon (I'll be making it in a denim blue color):