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Merry Christmas Happy New Year Season's Greetings from Laurel 2015 |
much achieved the life I want, as long as there are no glitches, it continues to be terrific. The apartment continues to be wonderful. The west side is perfect -- close to everything or nearly so. My tiny terrace garden continues to be fun, although I have given up on annuals. I have lost a total of six clematis in four years, so (sob) no more. And again I walked 1000 miles this year. My trips this year were excellent. In April I repeated the Burgundy, Franche Comte and Geneva trip that I had so loved in 2014. If it is good, why not repeat it, so I did. It was just as much fun and the food was excellent for the most part. Trois Gros continued as the standout restaurant in that area. Also the much smaller and more remote Jeunet in Arbois was worth a journey. That trip ended in Geneva, and I flew immediately to Munich where I had not been since the mid 1970's. Much to see. The trip continued to Prague and ended in Dresden. Dresden was especially good since I got to see my cousin and godchild who has lived in Europe for most of his career. So I have to schedule a trip to see him. In May I was in Paris and Brittany. In September I visited friends in Zurich before taking a Basel, Alsace, Luxembourg trip. And finally in October I explored the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies -- Palermo, Naples and Sorrento. My annual trip to the Glimmerglass Festival in Cooperstown was full of good music. I continued on to visit friends in Niagara on the Lake. There was theater, food and wine. I have been touting Niagara wines for many years now, and the Wine Spectator finally heard me. The latest issue actually had an article on those wines. In New York opera has been quite good. Just saw an excellent Lulu and a Tannhauser (James Levine in the pit). Other standouts were Blue Beard's Castle and Written on Skin, a new opera set in the 12th Century. At Carnegie Hall perhaps the outstanding recital was Diana Damrau just a few weeks ago. And the Met Orchestra performance there with Levine conducting and Bronfman playing the Brahms Piano Concerto No. 1 was a highlight. At the theater I enjoyed the King and I, The Audience with Helen Mirren and Charles III (the play begins after QE II dies). I even had some movie "likes" this year -- Inside Out, The Big Short and a biopic of Peggy Guggenheim.
Laurel P.S. I kept the page with pix of the wonderful sites that will be extremely difficult to visit again, since the turmoil continues and many of the sites have been defaced or destroyed. |
