Saturday 9 June 2012

Home for the opera

The journey home started in mist and rain. The road past Trawsfynydd was closed, and we were obliged to take the road to Bala, past Llyn Celyn, the reservoir whose waters inundated Treweryn, disposessing its inhabitants back in the seventies. This outrage became a cause celebre of the Welsh language revival movement, and nationalist politics. Although this diversion added half an hour to the trip, we didn't much mind. The countryside is very beautiful. Further south, we saw even less of the scenery high up on Bwlch Oerdrws, going inland this time, but within thirty miles, the cloud broke up, the rain stopped and the sun poked through. It was quite warm and pleasant by the time we arrived in Cardiff. We weren't at all surprised to hear news stories of flooding in West and North Wales. A month's rain had fallen in the past 24 hours.

We were home early enough to relax, sort ourselves out, and eat a meal, and even prepare a sermon for tomorrow before going out for the evening to the Millennium Centre to hear the new WNO version of Puccini's 'La boème', one of our favourite operas. It was a remarkable production, with a minimal set hugely enhanced by the use of evocative video graphics projected on to the set backdrop. The singers were all superb, credible character actors as well. As the opera isn't too long, we came out and drove home in the light and colour of the setting sun. A lovely way to end the half term holiday week.
 

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