Getting ready

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!!

Casey in the morning

Here is Casey (my room-mate and the artistic director of MD) in her habitual morning state.

Robert and Co.

Here you have: Victor (video), Marc (music), Pilar (dancer), and Blanca (choreographer)

... and Robert.

A little modern help

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 at the Museum

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 ! :-)

Rehearsal

Here are Pilar and Benoît in rehearsal today.

Windows

I can't get over these windows! This is where we are dancing from outside and in.

Trees!

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?

Out my window

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!

Meanwhile, back at the house...

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.

Artium

This is the Art Gallery where we will be performing. Marvelous space both inside and out.

Mama in Spain

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.

Halloween 2009

Voici quelques photos croquées sur le vif par Gabriela de nos deux petites fées des fleurs, merveilleusement costumées par notre cher ami Marc et accompagnées de leur sorcière-marraine Marie-Claude !

Un petit aller-retour sur notre rue Fabre a suffi pour remplir les paniers de bonbons et les coeurs de joyeux souvenirs.

Photos du 50e anniversaire de Éric et Louis #1

Photos du 50e anniversaire de Éric et Louis #2

Photos du 50e anniversaire de Éric et Louis - les premiers arrivants

The REAL 1st day of school !

Ah, enfin, c'est lundi et c'est le VRAI premier jour d'école de Lily (la maternelle). Les enfants font la file dans la cour de l'école Paul-Bruchési, à dix minutes de marche ou vélo de la maison.

Rachel: "They were waiting to go through the "haie d'honneur" when the kindergardeners go under an archway formed by all the older kids of the school. A lovely way to welcome the new arrivals!"

Euh... no, THIS is the 1st day of school

Deuxième visite (demi-journée seulement) à l'école de Lily.

1st day of school

Lily on the morning of her first day in Kindergarden.

Some kind of a dance?

... or is it just one little girl kicking some sand in the general direction of her little cousin?

[as for the anonymous bystander, I could have cropped her out of the picture, but I figured I'd leave her in for the sake of photographic balance and composition, what do you think?]