Opera, Sleep, Shopping & Packing

Walking past Parliament
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We are back in the Hague between trips again, resting from Amsterdam and yet another round of hauling bags on trains and trams. Last night we started with Chuck and Kees on a laserdisc of Richard Strauss' opera Der Rosenkavalier as performed by the Vienna State Opera in Vienna 13 years ago under the direction of Carlos Kleiber and Otto Schenk. I have to be honest that I don't know much about opera, or those artists, but we are committed to a multinight attack on this hefty cultural feast over three nights, the last of which will await our return from London. Tonight will be Act 2. It involves a mix of love, money and intrigue with lots of German soprano and some witty acting performances, overall. It is not the sort of thing Guy and I might ever do at home in Casper, but we yearn to grow more rounded and experienced as artists, and our kind hosts are so very musically aware, that we treasure the nights in to experience these cultural treasures, followed by further discussion of impressions and history at tea the next afternoon.

This abstract sculpture of the queen-before-last is a favorite of ours, but controversial
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Today's shopping outings through the market streets of the downtown closed in on the search for just the right belt, however, the quest for the perfect white shirt remains ongoing. Admittedly, the stop for a few crisp tapjes -- draft beers -- might have derailed our efforts.

A word on the beers: each is so very tasty

A word on the beers: we have been drinking the main house draft beer in our wanderings, which changes from bar to bar between Heineken, Dommelsch, Grolsch, Amstel and Hertog Ian. (In Berlin, it was often Becks). While each is so very tasty, I don't think I could tell you which was which if you lined them all up in front of me in unmarked glasses. Which is more or less what has been going on. The London pub beerdrinking will make a worthy contrast (and contest).

Tonight after dinner (and more coffee and more chocolate) and opera we will pack for London, including a bit of laundry to power through at our hosts' invitation. This will be our first visit there together, my first also and Guy's third, and we have sketched out some plans for museum and palace visits, nightlife and quality time with dear and long-lost friends. So it's back onto a tram in the morning to a train to an airport to commuter rail and a quick car trip into the southeast London suburbs.