Scheherazade at the PSO

The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is performing Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade" and other works (see below). 2 p.m. Sunday at Heinz Hall. I went last night. Awesome, beautiful, moving.

Yan Pascal Tortelier - conductor
Leila Josefowicz - violin

Kodaly: Suite from Háry János
Prokofiev: Violin Concerto No. 1

Mothwing

Small World "microphoto" competition announces winners.

Abovet: Ninth Place
Charles B. Krebs
Charles Krebs Photography
Issaquah, Washington, USA
Wing scales of a Urania ripheus (Sunset Moth) (6.25x)
Reflected light

Overheard in Westmoreland

Customer: Hello, Phyllis, how are you today?
Worker: I'm not Phyllis, I'm Kay.
Customer: Your name tag says Phyllis.
Worker: No, it doesn't. It says Kay, see? P-H-Y... oops!... wrong name tag.

Westmoreland Mall
Greensburg, Pennsylvania

(from Overheard in the Office)

Notes from Basque Country II

(Continued..)

Later that night, Iggy Pop and the Stooges. Mike Watt is on bass. Iggy is out of control, getting almost naked onstage and inviting fans up to jump around with him. The security guard looks like he’s going to kill himself.

Next day, Gang of Four plays and they’re also extremely entertaining. Here the singer plays a microwave with a baseball bat. And it didn’t sound too bad. Scott McCaughey is in the audience rocking out with some redhead.

Then, Big Star, who are really good too.

At some point we cancel our credit cards and then we feel safer. We have a nice day wandering Vitoria, not lost at all for once. Our bags are at the train station in lockers. We have more pintxos for lunch and hang out in the park reading newspapers.

The Nomads play, My Morning Jacket rocks (I feel. Lou thinks they’re pretentious).

Pearl Jam plays to an enormous crowd. I’m like, whatever, cuz we’ve seen them before (opening for the Rolling Stones) and most of the excitement at hearing those 7^th grade favorites of mine was pretty much used up then. Although it is fun to see all these Vascos sing along and rock out. Eddie Vedder, who is hugely drunk, scores major points with the audience by reading a statement in Spanish about his appreciation.

During their somethingth encore I am getting antsy to get to the train station because I’m worried we might not be able to get to our lockers for some reason. Turns out it was closed, BUT! There was a side door. Then the door to the locker room is closed and it’s dark inside. But phew! It’s open. We retrieve our bags.

We call a taxi, it comes, we sleep, it drops us off at Bilbao airport. But wait. There are some other poor souls sitting outside the airport too. Could it be – it’s closed! Who closes an airport? It’s about 4 a.m. and freezing. I put on another sweater and Lou’s socks. He puts on the Azkena jacket (“Rock: The Power of Guitars”) I’d bought a few days ago and we cover ourselves with the strawberry towel. All our purchases are coming in handy.

At 5 the aireportua opens. Ahh it’s warm. We check in, at Iberia for some reason. Have a croissant. We fly to Paris. Another croissant on the plane. Oh God, we’re tired. No coffee, staying away from coffee so we can sleep on the plane home. Flight to Houston is delayed – why? We wait and wait. On the plane movies are watched and so many meals served we think they’re trying to kill us. We still eat them, of course. Last night, Sunday, Houston. Fly to Pittsburgh, pick up bags drive home and bam! Out.

Notes from Basque Country

I'm back from Spain. My house feels too big. Terrible news about Mayor O’Connor. Pittsburgh is not the same without him.

Saturday morning (a week ago) we flew from Pittsburgh to Atlanta and had lunch with some family and friends... Then we flew to Düsseldorf, then to Paris. In Paris we took the metro into the city, saw the Eiffel Tower, and had lunch (again) at a café.

Then we flew to Bilbao. At this point I was so tired I was having visions. In Bilbao we got our bags which had made it (!) and took the bus to the city. Despite having a map we were somewhat lost but many Basques helped us. They were walking around wearing blue neck scarves—it was the last night of their Big Week, Aste Nagusia. We finally made it to our hotel, the Husa Jardines de Albia, where we fell asleep to the sound of fireworks.

The next day—Monday—we walked around Bilbao, had sandwiches for lunch, walked some more by the river, saw the Guggenheim Museum and the Puppy and had some beer in a café next door listening to Bob Dylan and then some jazz musicians.

We sat in the Plaza Moyua where kids were playing with inflatable balls and kicking them toward people. An old man hit it back with his cane.

And we had dinner at a restaurant. I had bacalao (salted cod) with some sort of green and red sauces and Lou had solomillo de buey (rump roast?). We drank txacoli, local wine.

The next day, Tuesday, we had breakfast in a sidewalk café, took the metro to the bus station, took the bus to San Sebastian (Donostia in Basque). A few Americans on the bus, last we’d see until plane back.

In San Sebastian, crowded, more than I remembered. Lovely though. We stayed at the Hostal La Concha right near the beach. We had pintxos (Basque for tapas) and beer. Muchos. First canas and then as we got drunker, suritos (little beers). Wandering…

Next day more wandering. First though, the beach. Water was clear. Beautiful warm sunny day. Fantastic time.

Dinnertime, paella. Huge! Should have taken a picture. The crawfish did freak me out though. I made Lou peel them. Then ice cream, tiramisu and chocolate orange.

Next morning, dammit time to leave San Sebastian. Took the bus to Vitoria-Gasteiz where the Azkena Rock Festival, the pretext for this trip, was taking place. Took the taxi to our hotel, Pension La Zuyana, on the outskirts of Vitoria, the only one we could find beforehand that wasn’t sold out. Comes time to whip out wallet, oops, not there. Where could it be? Frantic. Must be on taxi. Call taxi company. Girl at bar checking us in is sympathetic, helpful, talking too fast. I tell her slow down, but still can’t understand her. She says “policia” and says we can go up to our room but must pay cash later or she’ll be in trouble with her boss. Where’s the ATM? Oh, walk this way then that and there’s a shopping center. After calming down some we trudge to El Boulevard – a mall! Didn’t know they had these in Spain. Pay for room, eat, take taxi to the Mendizabala, where the festival is held.

The Young Fresh Fellows! Lou’s favorite band and he’s never seen them live before. He has worn his YFF shirt for this occasion. The band shows their appreciation. Then they play one of the funnest shows I’ve ever seen.

More coming soon...