Father's Day
The incredible and intimate Antibea Theatre
The fantastic young musicians of Schwaebisch Gmuend and Antibes
The elegant conductor (also a pilot)
The chorus and small band at Safranier
The man at the bar ... didn't I photograph him before ?
Yes .. playing 'boules' ...
I love this photograph of him ... and I never thought to ask his name ...
Cathedral ... concert tonight ...
Incredible Choir
Can life be more beautiful than listening to these voices in this ancient church. ...
I woke up this morning and readied myself for the concert featuring the young musicians from Schwaebisch Gmuend, Germany and Antibes, France. Although I just met these girls last week, it seems like I have known them for much longer. I've become friends with 'Vesna' a beautiful girl who is also brilliant on the viola. So, arriving at the ancient and tiny Antibea Theatre, I see Audouin. He escorts me up to the balcony and I am lucky to sit front row center. The concert features one musician from Schwaebisch Gmuend and one musician from Antibes for each selection. They are all very skilled -- remarkable -- it makes me wish that I have applied myself more in life ... these young girls ... swimming in the Mediterranean and splashing about and laughing and playing ... who would have thought the next day you would see them in beautiful formal attire playing difficult beautiful pieces in Antibea Theatre.
So ... afterward Audouin told me he had to hurry off because it was the festival for Fathers. So, France also celebrates Father's Day. Of course that hit the trigger because I could feel the 'here come the tears' missing my own Father. It's not quite a year since we lost him ... and then only a year since we lost Mom. It's been a crazy two years ... very high highs ... and very tragic lows. The happiest and the saddest. The French Riviera ... and the passing of my Parents ... and very little inbetweens. I decided not to join the Schwaebisch Gmuend gang at the incredible restaurant on the beach today ... instead, I would go back to the villa and be by myself ...
So ... it's a culture day in Antibes ... and there is music in many, many places. Rock bands, heavy metal (?), Reggae ... but I only wanted to stop by the Safranier and see the local music for a while and then head to the ancient Cathedral to sit and listen to the fabulous choir.
After the Safranier, I walked a bit through the market and decided to stop in the pub for a Leffe beer. There was an old man sitting on the stool next to me and although I tried not to stare, I knew I had seen him before. I ALWAYS have my camera with me ... and with this incredible OLYMPUS E620 Camera, I can store all of my photos on it and then retrieve them when I need to. So ... having not deleted the photos, I rifled through them until I came to the portrait photos that I had shot of a man watching 'boules'. I studied it to make sure it was him ... and then I said, 'excuser moi monsieur, mais, je crois que cette photo est de vous'. (excuse me sir, but I believe this photo is of you'). And, sure enough it was !!! So ... I bought him a beer and he allowed me to take some more photos of him ... and, what a goof, I forgot to ask him his name ... BUT ... I do know where he watches 'boules'. I'm going to make a copy of the photo of him sitting on the bench -- and, of course, one for me, too.
After finishing my beer, I headed for the Cathedral. The church is very, very old and built of stone. Beautiful and accoustically incredible. Those voices filled the air and your mind and your heart. It was overwhelming. Many of the selections I knew from years of Catholic church ... but some seletions were in French and ... honestly ... heaven. Then, two soloists were featured with the choir singing behind them. The one woman had a voice just like Edith Piaf. Fantastic. It was so moving ... and it was exactly where I wanted to be.
All of a sudden it was pouring outside. So, I walked about the chuch and viewed the statues. The one was of St. Teresa - my Mom's name ... so I put some coins in the coin box and said some words to my Parents. For as sad as the day could have been, it actually turned out to be quite incredible and moving.
Bien sur
So ... afterward Audouin told me he had to hurry off because it was the festival for Fathers. So, France also celebrates Father's Day. Of course that hit the trigger because I could feel the 'here come the tears' missing my own Father. It's not quite a year since we lost him ... and then only a year since we lost Mom. It's been a crazy two years ... very high highs ... and very tragic lows. The happiest and the saddest. The French Riviera ... and the passing of my Parents ... and very little inbetweens. I decided not to join the Schwaebisch Gmuend gang at the incredible restaurant on the beach today ... instead, I would go back to the villa and be by myself ...
So ... it's a culture day in Antibes ... and there is music in many, many places. Rock bands, heavy metal (?), Reggae ... but I only wanted to stop by the Safranier and see the local music for a while and then head to the ancient Cathedral to sit and listen to the fabulous choir.
After the Safranier, I walked a bit through the market and decided to stop in the pub for a Leffe beer. There was an old man sitting on the stool next to me and although I tried not to stare, I knew I had seen him before. I ALWAYS have my camera with me ... and with this incredible OLYMPUS E620 Camera, I can store all of my photos on it and then retrieve them when I need to. So ... having not deleted the photos, I rifled through them until I came to the portrait photos that I had shot of a man watching 'boules'. I studied it to make sure it was him ... and then I said, 'excuser moi monsieur, mais, je crois que cette photo est de vous'. (excuse me sir, but I believe this photo is of you'). And, sure enough it was !!! So ... I bought him a beer and he allowed me to take some more photos of him ... and, what a goof, I forgot to ask him his name ... BUT ... I do know where he watches 'boules'. I'm going to make a copy of the photo of him sitting on the bench -- and, of course, one for me, too.
After finishing my beer, I headed for the Cathedral. The church is very, very old and built of stone. Beautiful and accoustically incredible. Those voices filled the air and your mind and your heart. It was overwhelming. Many of the selections I knew from years of Catholic church ... but some seletions were in French and ... honestly ... heaven. Then, two soloists were featured with the choir singing behind them. The one woman had a voice just like Edith Piaf. Fantastic. It was so moving ... and it was exactly where I wanted to be.
All of a sudden it was pouring outside. So, I walked about the chuch and viewed the statues. The one was of St. Teresa - my Mom's name ... so I put some coins in the coin box and said some words to my Parents. For as sad as the day could have been, it actually turned out to be quite incredible and moving.
Bien sur
posted by PaintingEachDay at 6:28 PM
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