SHARING WITH ME

This was the first march I have ever been to. Jerome added, and « I hope the last ». He was right and the question that was foremost in my mind « Could this ever happen again? » I have lived France in adversity many years ago when the population rose to vote against Le Pen (far right) in the final round for the elections for the President of France. This was an invisible vote but France was there and voted massively against Le Pen. (2002) Yesterday was something else. No-one could not have been touched by these events. For three days we lived glued to our radios, television sets or Internet following step by step news « in live » Charlie Hebdo to begin with then the atrocities in the Kasher supermarket. 17 people were killed. We were scared. On the Thursday I crossed Paris on foot trying to seize the atmosphere in the different quartiers. It was as if a black cloud had descended upon us. Faces were torn with grief, people looking at the pavement and e...

Another year has started although I will not be posting this chapter for maybe another week. Belated perhaps but a very happy 2015 to you all. 

Between the two festivities, I went to Lyon. My main reasons were to see the Antonín Leopold Dvořák (1841-1904) opera Rusalka at the Lyon opera house and « The King and I ». The latter we had seen in the Chatelet theatre earlier in the year - or last year now. With Lambert Wilson in the role of the King and the Anglo-Swiss soprano Christine Buffle. The show had excellent critics. I was very disappointed. « My » King of Siam is and always will be, Yul Brynner. Although a vague attempt was made to turn Lambert into the Siamese King- this tall, slender, French-English actor just did not convince me. His singing voice next to the soprano’s was just not up to it. What would Lyon bring? No décor and cut to nearly two hours without an interval, it was enchanting. And the main characters were endearing and credible. Rusalka was pure...