Concert III

I have said quite a lot about the music, but very little about the experience, so I will start at the beginning.   I had expected to be at home on my own on Sunday morning, I thought this would give me a chance to get ready at leisure, at home and make civilised journey to the rehearsal.   Of course I was wrong, my daughter didn't get up and my wife didn't go out, so I had to switch to plan B, I pottered about for a little, the packed my bag and left a little earlier than I would have originally.   I had paned to wear jeans ankle boots and a new purple sleeveless top I bought at Age UK a week or so ago, but it was so warm I decided to go with a nice summer dress instead.

I was very pleased that when I arrived at the rehearsal I wasn't the only girl who had decided that this was our summer and the chance to wear a light cotton dress, after last year I had pretty much forgotten the joy of a nice floaty light weight dress with no hose.   The sense of freedom, cool comfort and maybe something akin to vulnerability or exposure is actually very pleasant.   After the rehearsal I had to find a money machine to get some cash, I had to walk a bit further than I would have expected in the city of London to find a money wall, but once I had I could join y friends at Carluchios for lunch.

This feels like a bit of an extravagance but it is not expensive and is part of belonging to the group, and part of the experience.   If you haven't already picked up on the fact I like food, I like eating it I like talking about it, I like reading about it and I like preparing it; so having lunch as Paula with friends in a decent, but relaxed restaurant has become a great feature of these days for me.   I enjoyed a Risotto Verdi, something I have neither tried or cooked before, but enjoyed so much I think I will try cooking it next time it's y turn.   I was also inspired to try a cooking a new dish, one of my friends had a desert, a panacotta, but she did not want the one flavoured with fennel, as she felt that was a savoury not a sweet flavour.   Thinking about this I am sure that fennel would go well with pears and plan to have a go at poached pears with fennel, maybe served with crème fraiche.

Before going to lunch I had a bit of time while the first three movements of the symphony were being rehearsed, I used the time to "do" my nails, but I did notice one lad who was not playing kept looking at me, at first I didn't think about it, then I became a little nervous after all not all of the gay world find it easy to accept girls like us, and then I was beginning to wonder about getting cross, when he came over and explained that he liked my style, that he was working with the photographer for the next season's publicity posters, and would I mind being photographed for the posters? Would I mind?!?! Isn't this ever girls fantasy, of course I agreed, I now eagerly await an e-mail from the photographer; I will admit to being more than a little excited by the idea.