Les Halles and Chatalet - vast underground maze!

Yesterday Rosalind and I spent a relaxing day exploring around the Les Halle area and I found myself quite breathless on several occasions because of being in such a breathtaking city. We roundedoff the day seeing the new film about the Boleyn sisters and Henry 8th. - most intriguing, brilliantly cast and magnificently filmed - oh, those costumes... My last visit to Paris was a few years ago, to be with Adrianne Pieczonke, the Canadian soprano, for a Verdi Requiem at The Stade de France - laser projections, vast choir and orchestra on circular revolving stage - mind boggling, and at the same time spiritually uplifting - woooow. Earlier, in the mid seventies I was at the Palais Garnier with K.te K. when she sang in "Cosi fan Tutte", and I was rehearsing the same opera, which we took to the Dordogne area eventually, and played it "al fresco" in the grounds of an old castle - what a rich and varied life one leads in the cause of Opera !! That's why I don't consider my occupation as work but an extended holiday, or being paid to indulge in my favourite hobbies ....it can't be much better than that.....Today is the General Dress rehearsal of the double bill, "Le Prisonnier" in which Rosalind plays the tormented Mother- toi,toi,toi, and Dale Duesing - you'd have to see him to believe it- a "drag" outfit a la Marilyn /Monro for the Schoenberg "Ode to Napolean" - incredible "sing/spiel" technique par excellence - an interesting pairing....The performances are at 20.00, so I was taken around the Garnier by various members of staff to the museum, and "props" dept., one of my favourite haunts, having spent much time in that dept. for various companies - my speciality was sculpting statues and monsters, and making anything else required.! Whilst at Glyndebourne I also restored beautiful antiques, staying in the manor house with George and Mary Christie - those were the days, eating smoked salmon sandwiches, on comfy sofa, by log fire in stimulating cosmopolitan company - such glorious memories - and they're still being created...who'd have thought I'd be here in Paris now...better to be born lucky than rich they say ..... !!! So you never know what will turn up next - for me a trip to Zurich in June, (with hopefully) Stockholm in between ..happy days ...k..p b.......g....Dear Readers.....