Cell phone, Artists and Verdi Requiem

Steve Carell from 'THE OFFICE' hooking up my cell phone
just kidding ... it's Patrick who works for the Mayor of Antibes

Today I received a new cell phone - compliments of the city. It's difficult when you prepare for months ... making lists, lists of lists ... pages of notes and reminders ... organizing everything to a 'T' ... and in one fell swoop, have it all taken away from you in the night.

But ... things are coming together again and, if you going to lose everything, what better place to lose everything than the French Riviera. It's paradise here ... the MOST beautiful place that I have ever seen. My days consist of painting and swimming and walking and operas and jazz ... and the artists of the Artists Market ... and crusty baguettes and salad and fromage and wine ... and Champagne ... oh ... maybe I didn't lose everything ... but found .. everything !

Today was the monthly council meeting. I'm telling you, trust me on this, the French can talk ... and talk they do. This council meeting was five hours long !!! WHO can speak for five hours straight !!!
I say have the council meeting 30 minutes and then wine and dine for 4 and a half hours ...

So, I slipped out of the council meeting and walked over to the Artists' Market and the Marchè Provençal. I joined my friends Audouin and Jean-Paul for a beer and then talked with the wonderful artists there. There is pottery and jewelry and paintings and sculpture ... a wonderland of shopping possibilities. My friend Jean-Paul presented me with my favorite sculpture - a 'wire sculpture' man with a balloon tied to his ... ahem ... penis. It's whimsical and sweet and I will cherish it always as a reminder of my happy and care-free days in Antibes.

Jean-Paul Mouisset at work

Jean-Paul's van

This is Ivo Marando - sculptor of necklaces and bracelets

This beautiful heart necklace reminds me of one of my favorite movies
' LOVE ACTUALLY '

Voila! - another beautiful present which I shall wear to the Verdi Opera tonight !

Back home to get ready to walk to Eilenroc

This dove has visited me three times: the day before my robbery, the day I found my purse ... and today. I don't know the significance of this ... but it seems to me, that this little bird is there to keep an eye on me - to let me know that that even in times of potential dispair, there is happiness and hope. As I type this, I hear my dove again flying past the window ...

There are unlimited beautiful things about Antibes ... and, one of the great things is that they have replicas of paintings along the walk where the artists painted them. It's a fantastic feeling to see the two Claude Monet paintings here, facing the old village of Antibes, along the breath-taking views of the sea and the boats ...

I walked all the way to Eilenroc for the Verdi Oprea this evening. It took about 1 hour and 10 minutes - but that was with sandals on - not my KEDS - and included a short visit with Jean and Claudine Cèpi who I saw picnicing with their family on the beach. I love my long walks around Antibes, Cap d'Antibes and Juan-les-Pins.

American women - pay attention - behold these beautiful young men - the future of Antibes ...

The Opera Verdi's Requiem - unbelievably fantastic !!

Dinner under the tall palms

the tables are set

not bad, eh, for a girl from S. Hall St. !!

from left: Sylvie BRUNET, Eve RUGGIERI, son of Cècile PERRIN, Cècile PERRIN

A few word about Eve Ruggieri: Following a family of professional musicians, Eve Ruggieri won first prize in piano from the Conservatoire de Nice. In 1982 she created 'Musiques au Coeur' (Music of the Heart), which quickly became a benchmark issue. She was appointed program director of France Inter and made a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor, a decoration to be added to that of Knight of Arts and Letters. Today, Eve Ruggieri is a producer and artistic director of the 'Musiques au Coeur' being in it's 21st year under the stars in beautiful Villa Eilenroc, Cap d'Antibes. That's just a little nut shell of her illustrious career.

Ok all you people out there sitting on the couch and watching tv ... there is a whole world out there - opera, jazz, music lessons, painting, socializing, walking and exploring ... and it's the way of life in Antibes and all over Europe - cities of culture like beautiful Schaebisch-Gmuend - Bethlehem's sister city - where people live for culture and strive for excellence - just their natural way of life - and I love it, I do ... to live this way ... to live LIFE !!!

So, the Verdi Requiem:

The Messa da Requiem by Giuseppe Verdi is a musical setting of the Roman Catholic funeral Mass (called the Requiem from the first word of the text, which begins Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine, meaning, "Grant them eternal rest, O Lord". It was first performed on 22 May 1874 to mark the first anniversary of the death of Alessandro Manzoni, an Italian poet and novelist much admired by Verdi. The piece is also sometimes referred to as the Manzoni Requiem.

Tonight's performance includes the Soprano, Mezzo, Tenor and Baratone -AND - the CHOIR de l'Opera and Choir Philharmonic de Nice - AND - the Orchestra Philharmonic de Nice.

Need I say more !!!

Oh ... well maybe a few things more ... after the Opera, I was invited to join the VIP people for dinner - ok - I guess you can still call it dinner even if it's served approximately midnight !!! So, at our table, the two incredible Opera singers (and her son), the Mayor of Tourisme and the Mayor of Culture, the founder of the Conservatory Music School in Antibes ... oh ... and Moi !!! How's that for a dream ... unbelievable ... my life here in Antibes ...

n'est-ce pas ?