Stratford the Third

[neadods]

Waiting for Godot was quite the Rorschach test: I heard people murmuring "Magnificent!" Near me. I also watched about 5 people leave during the first half without even the grace to wait to intermission.

I had the grace to wait, but I didn't stick around. Side note: when the Avon is open for a show, the balcony lounge 1) has comfy chairs, 2) has blessed air conditioning! and 3) has a strong wireless signal. My phone is, contrary to expectations, working as a phone and receiving/sending texts, although I'm sure my next bill will be high. But I don't have data roaming and refuse to pay for it when I can get wireless in the B&B and all the theater lobbies.

Robbed of my chance to buy a purse from my favorite leather guy at Art in the Park, the Tourist info told me where in town sold his stuff. Although M and I were both eyeing the only one of a style, I bought it and she got a teal tote that's lovely.

Loving the new purse! It'll be my work bag.

Also went nuts in Olive Your Favorites, the place with the flavored olive oils and vinegars. This meant I had to haul another box almost a mile back home, but they say they don't ship to America, so I must do what I can with the opportunity presented.

I MUST learn to flavor oil and vinegar!

The night show was a STUNNING production of Mary Stewart. Lucy Peacock stepped up to the plate better than I would have given her credit for as a riveting Mary, while Seana McKenna was an incandescent Elizabeth. And for the fangirls, Ger Wynn Davies played Leicester.

There was thunder in the soundtrack, but nature provided much more, often nicely punctuating scenes. In the intermission, I went out to watch the lightening light up the river. Fortunately, it had passed by the time the play let out!

Today, the same actresses read actual letters between Mary Stewart & Elizabeth Tudor. And I want to go to a drop spindle class. But most of the day will be packing - tomorrow I come home, and hopefully will find the one shy cat that has not let any of my assorted caretakers see her!

Comments

[jennetj.livejournal.com]

Where are they teaching drop spindle?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

New place - "String Fever" at 78 Ontario. Around the back and up the alley with York on your left, where that very poncy clothing shop used to be. $40 gets you a quantity of roving, a teacher, and the spindle.

[jennetj.livejournal.com]

Nice. Stratford needed a yarn shop.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

This is its second; there's been one on Downie for a couple of years now. The new one does spinning and weaving too.

[signeh.livejournal.com]

I so wanted to go to Stratford this season....

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Does it help or hurt to know that there are only one play and event to mourn? The rest are good but not incredible that I've seen.

[signeh.livejournal.com]

A little of both. I miss the entire place so much that the plays are only a part of it, but I love Scott and Seana and Lucy, and they are all having a really good year. Is Callan's Books still there?

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Is that the used bookstore? Yes.

[penguineggs.livejournal.com]

I'm incredibly amused. I went to King Lear in Stratford in 1985 (it was a road trip from my Master's at U of T; we piled into a hire car and snarked all the way South and all the way back, and given that there were 2 from the UK (one from England, one from Ulster), one from the Republic of Ireland, one from Alberta and one from Australia (there may have been others coming in a separate car) the snark was fierce.

The things I remember:

1) it was an OK Lear but nowt to write home about, though I expect I did.
2) the Canadian explaining to the lad from Newtonards why we were hiding the beers in a string bag in the lake.
3) the swans biting the fingers of the lad from Newtonards as he was taking the beers out of the string bag in the lake.
4) the air-conditioning. Christ, I was cold in that theatre. Practically the coldest I'd been in my year in Canada, it felt like.
5) the friend who didn't make the trip owing to acute appendicitis hearing my account of it and complaining bitterly that her stitches hurt when she laughed. Me: "Lear is generally considered one of the bleakest tragedies Shakespeare ever wrote." Her: "Not the way you tell it."

[neadods.livejournal.com]

First time I went to Stratford 13 years ago, there were 2 Chicagoans and me from DC in a car driven by an Austrian, which gave the border guard pause. This year, the air conditioning would probably feel cold if the humidity wasn't so grinding. Instead, it's an incredible relief!

How did you get out in the lake to sink your beers without being caught by more than a swan?

[signeh.livejournal.com]

We had so much fun that trip! And it really was 13 years ago - how time does pass me by!

[neadods.livejournal.com]

I can't believe it's been that long!

... I also can't believe that autocorrect turned Australian into Austrian. Wha-?

[penguineggs.livejournal.com]

Sitting on the banks of the lake, and no-one cared.

[tchwrtr.livejournal.com]

So I'm not sure if I should tell you about the shop in Annapolis that has flavored vinegars and oils...and will sell you a small six.pack of your choosing to play with.

But I guess I just have.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

Name, please? I'll check them out!

[tchwrtr.livejournal.com]

http://www.cleosfineoils.com/

Cleo's Fine Oils. They let you taste everything, and recommend pairings. Also sell salts in blocks.

Cleo's happens to be across the street from a la mode, my bra shop. And it's down a few stores from Coldwater Creek, my current-favorite clothing shop. Target's also across the way, with a frozen yogurt shop under it...

Be warned. It's a dangerous shopping center. ;-)

[melusinehr.livejournal.com]

Somewhat belated (I've been out of town myself), but there's also a fantastic one in Shirlington, if you ever get down that way, called Ah Love Oil & Vinegar. You can only buy big bottles, but you can taste everything. The cherry bordeaux balsamic is amazing.

[redpanda13.livejournal.com]

If it's any comfort, C thinks she glimpsed Gytha under a bed after she hauled some stuff out of the way.... Something mottled gray, anyway.

[neadods.livejournal.com]

If it was the bed upstairs, yeah, that was Gytha. I hope she's coming out to eat and drink. I also hope that she doesn't change her safe space now that we found this one!

I know she comes out to check people out eventually, but I think that's when she hears me or M talking. No us, no reassurance nobody will eat her face.

[tikiera.livejournal.com]

There is a flavored olive oil and vinegar place in CA that has free shipping 4x a year if you sign up for their emails.

http://www.oliversevoo.com/

It's one of the better ones I have been to.

It's easy to make the flavored oils and vinegars if you plan to use them right away, harder if you want long term storage.