Winter Break and Term 2

Hello to anyone who still checks this thing! I meant to write about my winter break two months ago, and it’s a bit strange to do it now in March, but here goes. We had about three weeks off from mid-December to the beginning of January for a break. Adam arrived in Elmsted and we spent a few days touring the village by foot, exploring the footpaths, visiting the ancient churches, and enjoying the country views that sometimes make me feel as though I’m moving through a painting. The trip itinerary from there followed Adam’s music tour and our first stop was London. We did as much sight-seeing as possible with limited time and the not-so-limited bags we were lugging around. I’d been into London numerous times already, but it was nice to do the tourist thing rather than the usual rush to a class at the Academy. Next stop was York for a top-notch, crowd-pleasing performance by Adam. Then we were back on a train to London where we would catch a bus (yes, a bus) to Amsterdam. Needless to say, it was a long journey feeling slightly guilty about the knees I might be crushing behind me by reclining my seat the full four inches, but indulging nonetheless. The more we traveled, the more strategic we became at choosing seats on trains/busses away from toilets, screaming children and people with obnoxious cell phone habits. The great part was boarding the ferry to cross the Channel from the port of Dover where we got a nice view of the strikingly white cliffs.
I won’t go into the details now of our miserable first excursion in Amsterdam (consider it a funny story for another time) from the bus to find the flat where we were staying and subsequently, the key, but suffice it to say that after 25 hours of hard-core travel, that last climb up several narrow, circular flights of stairs to the doorway couldn’t have made us happier to finally dump off the heavy suitcases. Once free of our bags, we had a marvelous time in exploring the old cobblestone canal streets, riding bicycles and wondering what it must be like to live in a houseboat. We visited the famous Anne Frank house. The photograph of the street in front of it on the day the family was brutally rounded up matched identically to where I was standing which brought a sense of physical/geographical nearness to the Holocaust which I had never experienced. Walking through the old Jewish quarter I could imagine the once bustling community there, but the four synagogues still standing are now largely in use as a museum complex and the streets are unnaturally quiet. We also went farther up north in the Netherlands to Drenthe for another great concert on the tour and I was excited to see the famous windmills on the way.
Back in London, we browsed quickly through one of the galleries in the British Library before catching our train to Glasgow. Apparently the New Year’s Eve Hogmannay celebration was already well underway in our packed out high-rise youth hostel. As tempting as it was to join in the fun with the drunken teenagers, it seemed that in all my packing for below freezing temperatures I had somehow forgotten my fishnet stockings, stiletto heels and mini-skirt, so we opted for a day tour to the highlands instead. It was stunning. We saw the beautiful Loch Lomond (no Nessie sightings) and continued into the snowy hills where the deer seemed to be just as eager to see us as we were to see them. There were magnificent waterfalls and we arrived just before dark to view a manmade lake built as a gift from a husband trying to persuade his wife not to return to her native Canada. Unfortunately, it didn’t work and his wife left, but his creation stands as one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen.
On to Edinburgh. An exciting medieval city crowded with people from all over the world who come to celebrate the New Year with the Scots. We walked the Royal Mile and saw the castle, cathedral and parliament houses and went on a ghost tour at night down into the underground vaults. The Hogmannay street parties were lots of fun and so packed with people that the only way not to lose the group you came with was to link arms in a chain and hold on tight. At one point I stopped walking and realized that I was still moving because the crowd was just pushing me along. Everyone’s there for the great fireworks display at midnight which explodes from four different directions followed by heavily amplified bagpipes belting Auld Lang Syne for everyone to sing along to even though no one knows the words. We hiked to the top of Arthur’s Seat, the highest lookout point to have one last look at Scotland from above before we had to leave. Then it was back to London and the airport to part ways again and I came back to the village to begin the second term here.
Back to practicing and classes. It’s been frustrating at times, but when I get overwhelmed by all the things that I’m trying to fix with my playing, I try think of how much I’ve learned here and the progress I must be making and then get back to work. Lorna McGhee came to give us a class at Trevor’s house which was a treat. We’ve been to several classes at the Academy with WIBB and visitors such as Eldred Spell and Daniel Pailthorpe. Juliet Edwards has come to teach us twice from the piano this term. We attended the Geoffrey Gilbert memorial concert at the Guildhall School where we heard performances by Ian Clarke, Sarah Newbold, Phillipa Davies, Averill Williams and speeches by Trevor, Peter Lloyd and Patricia Morris who will be giving us a piccolo class in a few weeks.
We spent a day in London sight seeing again while Trevor was away for a weekend and got a better look at the British Library and the British Museum which included the Magna Carta, Rosetta Stone, mummies from Ancient Egypt, the first Guttenberg Bible, original manuscript to Handel’s Messiah, Beatles lyrics as they were first scratched out on the back of an envelope and much more. Trevor leaves to teach a class in Japan soon and while he is gone, he has scheduled other flutists to come in and teach us. Our term papers on the history of the flute post-1720 will be due when he comes back at the beginning of April.
Evidence of Spring is here now and the most exciting thing is the lambing! We’ve seen five births and love watching the adorable lambs hopping around their pens and now into the fields. Wild daffodils are bloom and the banks are covered in a sea of bright yellow flowers. We’ve been warned of a bobcat spotted in the village, but haven’t had any encounters yet!
The last day of class is April 25th. Plans are underway to visit Croatia with Marta for several days and I will book a flight soon to go home after that. Ok, there’s three months of my life summarized as best as I can in two pages. Thanks for reading and I hope to hear your updates too.