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| Geronimo!!!! |
Oh boy, what a Fall...
This post is so late in coming that it may as well be a holiday update from the past four months.
We've had much coming and going, and it's been hard to keep up. But, I'm happy to report that we are now into the winter vacation, and its welcome break and rest. And, as an added bonus, it snowed in Lyon this week! All the kids in the city were over the moon.
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| An icy walk up the hill to the girls' school... |
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| Our street, decked out for Christmas |
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| Leo 'dabbing' his support for the snow. |
I took Cora with me to Basel, Switzerland in late August, where I was singing with the Basel Festival of Ancient Music. We had a chance to catch up with our dear friends who live there, and they treated us to what I think the best chocolate I've ever had.
Oh yeah...the concert was good, too. But seriously, that chocolate...
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Marketplatz in Basel
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Cora and Me, post-chocolate...
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| St. Martin's Church, our concert site |
I had some Broadway concerts in Paris with an ensemble I'm performing more and more with, which has been a great time. The French love American Musical Theatre, and performing it here is really fun.
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| Broadway Ensemble at the Sunset Jazz Club in Paris |
Best of all, my brother and my sister-in-law came for a visit, just after school started up in September.
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| Nancy and John, jet lagged but ready for adventure! |
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High atop Chamonix, across the glacier from Mt. Blanc. Hang on tight, John!
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| Back down from the Mountaintop, John's color returns... |
It was their first trip to Europe, and we had a great time with them. They gamely tried French (specifically Alpine) cuisine, and we explored the French and Swiss Alps, toured them around Lyon and also spent some time checking out Paris.
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| Nancy, suspiciously anticipating some Raclette after a day of high-altitude hiking |
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| Vive la révolution! |
We hope they'll return.
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| A beautiful day in the Swiss Alps! |
I was busy preparing for a debut with New York City Opera in November, and it was a thrill. I love New York, and being there for work is my favorite way to enjoy it. I battled a nasty virus during the production, but aside from the stress of that, it was really a great time, and an amazing piece of music ('A Water Bird Talk' by Dominick Argento).
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| After the show with my cousin, Anna! |
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| Production photo from "A Water Bird Talk" |
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| Celebrating with our team, post-premiere. |
School for the kids has taken up much of our energy this fall, as usual. Both the girls are now in 'collège' (middle school, here in France) which is very rigorous, and Leo is a big-time 2nd grader (CE1, in France). He joined a baseball league this fall (the Devils, heh, heh...) and I'm not sure if he loves it more than I do or not, but it's a great activity for him, and helps run through his endless supply of energy.
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Big Man on Campus
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| First Baseball Card!! |
Daphne is now swimming three times per week (!) and taking the metro system (subway, buses, etc.) to and from practices on her own. And Cora is in dance classes and filling the house with her lute and piano practice.
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She can cook, too...
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| Daphne and her friend, Marie in Turin, Italy. I was only slightly jealous of that trip... |
Katherine has been continuing at the boutique, is studying for her medical board reviews, and also is adding to the musical ambiance in our apartment, as she has taken up classical guitar. Our place is rarely quiet. She and her good friend, Stephanie made music and held down the fort while I was in NYC.
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| Steph and Kat at Place St. Jean |
We also took a nice trip to the south of France, near Avignon, just before school began and stayed in one of a series of little rural cabins which have an absolutely amazing three-tiered pool. We and the kids swam, I studied music and Katherine practiced yoga. It was heaven.
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| Olive Tree near Avignon |
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| Working hard? Hardly working? |
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| Kat leading Leo and Cora in some Yoga |
Halloween and Thanksgiving both passed with our U.S. traditions now mixed with French traditions. We'll be a mix of both cultures from now on, and we love sharing them both.
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| Market bounty stretching well into Autumn |
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Prepping for Halloween parties
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| I thought I'd add a little class to our Halloween party, this year. |
On Thanksgiving, Leo made his first pecan pie from scratch, and everyone rolled home, like you do...
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Already a sceptic
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And now, we're taking a breather with school exams finished, a busy concert season on break, and our city relatively quiet. Things will speed up again in January, and we're taking time to smell the oysters.
We send you good wishes for the happiest of holidays and a beautiful start to the new year. Come and visit us in 2018! But warn us, first...
Aaron
