A Night at the Opera
No, not a Marx brothers comedy, although at times I thought I had landed in one!
Yesterday, Mel and I planned to go to the market in Sarlat but when he went down to the next street to get some Pain Chocolat and croissants for breakfast, he saw a poster advertising the Metropolitan Opera HD series on the Tourist Office bulletin board. The opera was "L'Elexir d'Amour" starring Anna Netrebko. It was partially covered by another poster so we waited until the office opened and asked the person in the office to give us information about buying tickets and the location of the movie.
She explained that we had to go to the Maison Presse (a book store) in Le Bugue to buy tickets. She explained that if we just go to the village and walk down the Main Street we would see it. We did. There was a huge line waiting for the person at the cash register, who spoke no English. When it was my turn, I asked for tickets to the opera, she looked at me like I was crazy. Luckily a man in line spoke English. He explained to me that we just register to go at this location then pay when we arrive. Then he told the clerk we wanted to register. She handed me a piece of paper and asked me what place I wanted. I picked two of the numbered spaces and wrote our names in them. The man explained that the movie would be shown in the chateau in Limeuil. He also explained that the road to the chateau was under construction so we should park in a certain lot at the bottom of the hill and a bus would take us to the,chateau at the top of the hill.
We went to Limeuil to scope it out. We were not sure which of 3 parking lots he meant but decided to park, later, in the one near the sign advertising the opera.
When we arrived that night, no one was in that lot. We asked in a nearby restaurant but no one had heard about the opera, parking or bus. By now, time was getting tight so we followed some people up the hill, and I mean up the hill! When we arrived at the chateau, there was a crowd of less than 90 people, milling about, drinking wine and champagne. We paid and found our numbered places.
The Mayor of Limeuil greeted the crowd in French and English, but when laughingly challenged also greeted in German. He got a huge laugh when he mentioned the non existent bus. The movie was, indeed, shown in HD with an excellent sound system to this room full of French, Germans and Americans, and it was gorgeous. Subtitles, by the way, were in French. We coped. At intermission, out came the wine again, and they sold little plates of pâté, cheeses and sausages on bread.
Afterwards, we made our way down the extremely steep hill, in the dark, laughing about this wonderful adventure.
Yesterday, Mel and I planned to go to the market in Sarlat but when he went down to the next street to get some Pain Chocolat and croissants for breakfast, he saw a poster advertising the Metropolitan Opera HD series on the Tourist Office bulletin board. The opera was "L'Elexir d'Amour" starring Anna Netrebko. It was partially covered by another poster so we waited until the office opened and asked the person in the office to give us information about buying tickets and the location of the movie.
She explained that we had to go to the Maison Presse (a book store) in Le Bugue to buy tickets. She explained that if we just go to the village and walk down the Main Street we would see it. We did. There was a huge line waiting for the person at the cash register, who spoke no English. When it was my turn, I asked for tickets to the opera, she looked at me like I was crazy. Luckily a man in line spoke English. He explained to me that we just register to go at this location then pay when we arrive. Then he told the clerk we wanted to register. She handed me a piece of paper and asked me what place I wanted. I picked two of the numbered spaces and wrote our names in them. The man explained that the movie would be shown in the chateau in Limeuil. He also explained that the road to the chateau was under construction so we should park in a certain lot at the bottom of the hill and a bus would take us to the,chateau at the top of the hill.
We went to Limeuil to scope it out. We were not sure which of 3 parking lots he meant but decided to park, later, in the one near the sign advertising the opera.
When we arrived that night, no one was in that lot. We asked in a nearby restaurant but no one had heard about the opera, parking or bus. By now, time was getting tight so we followed some people up the hill, and I mean up the hill! When we arrived at the chateau, there was a crowd of less than 90 people, milling about, drinking wine and champagne. We paid and found our numbered places.
The Mayor of Limeuil greeted the crowd in French and English, but when laughingly challenged also greeted in German. He got a huge laugh when he mentioned the non existent bus. The movie was, indeed, shown in HD with an excellent sound system to this room full of French, Germans and Americans, and it was gorgeous. Subtitles, by the way, were in French. We coped. At intermission, out came the wine again, and they sold little plates of pâté, cheeses and sausages on bread.
Afterwards, we made our way down the extremely steep hill, in the dark, laughing about this wonderful adventure.
posted by Mel and Janet Muchnik | 3:36 AM
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