We have an eventful show last night! After all of us getting here with all the effort that that involved, not to mention the work on the show it's self, we almost had to cancel because Pilar was very sick. She managed to make it through just about all the piece with only one emergency exit! The audience did not know that anything was wrong. It made for a very attentive spirit on the stage.
Here we are, four intrepid travelers (Me, Casey, Karine, Ben) emerging into the Spanish south. We managed to make it with all our bags from Bilbao to Barcelona and from Barcelona to Jerez. Here we are waiting for a bus that will take us to the train that will take us to Cadiz. We discovered that the European discount airlines are not designed for people who are traveling with a month's worth of belongings as well as light and sound equipment and sets and costumes. Or at least we discovered how these companies make their money!!
Lily has stayed home for the last two days and will remain here tomorrow too because she came down with some fever in her class on Monday. But as always, her symptoms were extremely short-lived (no more fever yesterday and today) and she remains her joyful self through it all. Is it a regular flu or the new H1N1 variety? I have no idea, but all I can say is that her Happiness is at Level 1 and her Niceness is at prime level 1 as well...!
Here I am (as Eric asked asked for more pictures of me), venturing into the more exotic basque cuisine. We had bacalau pil pil, which is cod soaked in olive oil, and squid in it's own black ink and pig's feet! All was remarkably tasty though I would not eat it every day.
Here is La Fundicion, where we performed in Bilbao, a very tiny space that was crammed to the limit both on and off stage. It was too bad that we didn't have an extra show or two as they had to turn away many people at the door.
Here I am , back in Bilbao (the famous Guggenheim in the background). It is rare and very nice to come back to the same place two years in a row! It feels a little like coming home. All I need is my family!!!
In preparation for the upcoming visit of Professor Cole Harris, two great philosophers are joining minds in trying to reach the ultimate truth about cookies and time. First truth: Gabriela's oatmeal cookies rock! Another great truth is captured in the following irrefragable dialogue:
Like mother, like daughter. Lily gives her sisters a yoga class with the postures she learned in kindergarten (and some of her own invention!).
Thank you, Meo, for the lovely cut-out dolls book from Hawaii ! Lily and I have been playing with our two paper dolls over and over since it arrived by the mail.
Here's a drawing I made of YOU, Meo, at my daycare. (the black dot is the belly button and the squares are boxes and treasures!)
Our first performance of the new version of Fragil is tomorrow. Here you have Blanca warming up in the morning when the technicians were supposed to be doing the set up (or so we understood) and above you see the technicians setting to work just as we were set to begin rehearsal. They were a jolly crew and very good but none of them spoke english and I ended up trying my hand at some translating for our technical director Karine who doesn't speak Spanish. It is going to be a long day tomorrow!!
Here is Casey (my room-mate and the artistic director of MD) in her habitual morning state.
Here you have: Victor (video), Marc (music), Pilar (dancer), and Blanca (choreographer)
... and Robert.
The old city of Vitoria is built on a hill. They have made the life of residents easier by building these rolling side walks. I am not sure that they are improving the health of the residents but a least they have made them interesting to look at with their twisting geometric shapes.
Lily's class went to the Musée d'art contemporain this morning, accompanied by their teacher Lisianne (standing in the white lab coat) and myself. We saw two exhibitions and then had a lovely workshop in one of their superb sunlit studios, overlooking the Place des Arts esplanade.
Mommy is not the only one creating works of art in a Museum ! :-)
We didn't start rehearsal this morning until 11 so I had time for a walk. I passed through walkway after walkway of magnificent trees. I think these are plane trees. Am I right?
We have two windows in our little attic room; one the tiny one you saw from the outside, the other a big skylight. It is very nice to wake up to the bright sky in the morning. This morning we also woke up to a cement mixer right outside. They seem to be fixing things all over the city. No sign of the recession!
In the absence of our most enthusiastic food appreciator (maman Rachel, on tour in Spain), the proposed meals still try to impress the discerning tastebuds of the remaining bunch. Here on the picture, a variation on Jamie Oliver's experimental duck-with-pomegranate warm salad... which managed to provoke a few favorable grunts later on.
This is the view (Front and back) of our marvelous B+B in Vitoria - Los Arquilos. Our front door is in behind the first archway in the front view and Casey and my little window is the tiny white box second from the end at the back, just under the eve.
