Yesterday was the first rainy day in a few days! so it decided to make up for it by being miserable. I had some errands to run in Limerick that day, so decided to eat near the university - there used to be a good Chinese across the road. Sadly, when I got there, I discovered it's been replaced by another eatery that I didn't fancy. The new restaurant at the university also seems to have vanished. So I fell back on the old reliable of the bar at the Castletroy Park Hotel. Found a parking space quite near the door - which was handy, as it was pouring rain.
Well, the bar here keeps changing its name - but some things never change. I was sat at my table for 10 minutes before I caught anyone's eye to give me a menu. Ordered soup - always advertised as vegetable, it's always a bit sweet, and always looks like a curry: but I like it very much. And I thought I'd have the actual curry for main course. I also ordered a glass of wine.
The soup was served with bread and butter, and without any cutlery. Or a napkin. I figured he'd be getting me those presently - I mentioned to him about my glass of wine, which hadn't yet arrived, and he said someone would bring it soon. (I guess that wasn't in his job description.) Well, seems he wasn't on his way to get me cutlery - perhaps that wasn't in his job description either. I had to wait till I grabbed someone else's attention to get a spoon - then realised I hadn't mentioned the lack of a knife, which I needed to butter the bread, so she had to go back again. A napkin never occurred to her, and I figured I could do without that. Funnily enough, watching where she went, I could see that the cutlery was right beside the kitchen door that the guy had to come out of with the food he was serving. Oh, and the soup was lovely, BTW.
I'd just finished it when the guy who'd taken my order - who hadn't served me after (do they have really segregated jobs here?!) - suddenly noticed that I didn't have any wine! (Happily, I had a large jug of iced water - and even a glass.) He was rather shocked - 20 mins had passed, after all, since he'd - I presume - told someone. So I got wine shortly after. Then my main course arrived, and the waiter asked whether I needed anything else. "A knife and fork?" sez I. He laughed. And I got a napkin with them, even! Pity the curry was quite bland, and the chicken a bit tough - I was sorry I'd gone for that, and shall try to remember not to go for that again. If I come back.
Not a hope I was ordering dessert - even had I fancied anything on the menu, it was time I headed over - parking is tight on concert nights. Naturally, to save time, I walked up to the till to pay - I'd still be there if I waited for someone to bring me the bill. As I paid, I casually remarked that it was hectic that night. He replied that they were inundated, and he had no idea why! Uh, maybe the concert across the road?! Jeez, if they get this flustered every time there's an event in the university - and they're the closest restaurant to the university - I suggest they be avoided on event nights!
Took a while to turn onto the busy main road.. I did get a space down the back of the car park: too far from the door, had my mother come along, but fine for me. The place has changed a bit since I was last there - right from the entrance doors, where they've removed the central, revolving door and replaced it with swing doors, and the side doors are now for disabled access only. They've also replaced the notice boards with a set of changing, electronic displays on one side, and a swish welcome panel on the other!
Upstairs, more surprises - where I spent some time as a PhD student (the research area) is now an outpost of the law department!
And there's now a permanent bar, with decor to match the revamped box office, and much more cafe-style seating on both sides. Yes, someone has really put a lot of thought into it.
I had a glass of wine while I waited for the house to open - it didn't open as soon as it should have, and there was no seating available, so I watched an introductory, aerial video of the campus, on a loop on a screen to the side. I just had time to finish my drink before the doors opened - and had much more, by the time they actually let us in! (There was a problem scanning print-at-home tickets - since I don't have printing facilities at my mother's, I elected to pick mine up at the box office: strangely, though, it arrived by post.)
My seat was in the row we always favoured - Row P has an aisle in front of it, so no-one to block your view: and also a railing, handy for coats, or umbrellas or walking sticks with hooks. I'd forgotten how nice and close to the stage that row is, here! Anyway, the performance was by the ICO, whose administration is based here - and the MC, in his introductory blurb, mentioned that the ICO Youth Orchestra had been performing, which would explain all the young people with instruments, roaming the halls. He also mentioned that this was this soloist's debut performance in Ireland, wooh!
The programme started with some Beethoven - recognisably so, it couldn't have been anyone else. And I was happy, as he's my favourite. This was followed by our star performer, and Saint-Saens' Cello Concerto. A beautiful piece, played with passion and intensity - this finished the first half, and jeez, at the end, he got an almost complete standing ovation, and came on for five bows. Following which, he decided we'd earned an encore, and played some piece that involved plucking the strings. And he finally walked off, carrying the cello like a child, still plucking.. some good showmanship, there.
At the interval, I had some ice cream from the usher - figured I deserved a dessert. The soloist came and went through a door near me, and I couldn't but notice how open he was to all his fans. And how many matronly women were acting like simpering, awestruck teenagers. But he was happy to pose for photos, and selfies, until his minder hurried him away.. to a seat in the front stalls, from which he watched the rest of the concert.
The second half started with a modern piece - Meltwater was better than I've come to expect from modern classical music, and quite nicely evoked glaciers cracking and melting. And our evening finished with a lovely piece by Bizet. Delighted I went, and it was great to see what they've done to the place. Most nostalgic too - I've spent more time on that campus than anywhere else in my adult life!
Today started teeming, but the rain dried off by early afternoon. To be replaced, of course, by bitter cold - no good at all for my sensitive nose. Anyway, I had to take my mother for her flu jab, so had to rise early - no blogging. After yesterday's hoo-ha with food, I ate at my mother's, and headed in later. Just nicely in time to get petrol, find the college, find parking, and make my way to the building with the theatre in it. Now, it's a building on two levels - the theatre, from the side I approached, is on the first floor, and my, but there's a long flight of steps up to it, and to the box office, whose sign is just tantalisingly visible from the bottom. There is a motivational sign, mind:
Panting, I reached the top, queued, and got my ticket. At least they hadn't taken it upon themselves to post it! Meanwhile, I noted the positive development - like the UCH - of more seating round about. Not, of course, that I got any - you have to get here quite early. Never mind, the house was soon open - and I had B1, at the edge of what turned out to be the front row; they hadn't seated anyone in the very front, because they had to squish the orchestra in there. The Irish Baroque Orchestra, as it turned out, and with just a couple of unusual instruments:
The staging, as you'll notice, was split-level - and video screens displayed, like CCTV, what was happening in various parts of the stage. Or what they wanted us to imagine was - a handy way of making it all more realistic. Also handy for seeing what was happening in the corners we couldn't see from the edge..
Again, if you're at all familiar with Vivaldi, this is recognisably a composition of his. I kept noticing familiar riffs. Anyway, this is the story of a king (of Thessaly) who repudiates his wife, Griselda, because - apparently - public opinion has convinced him that she's too "common". However, her enduring love for him, and for their son, keeps her hanging around - so you never know what'll happen!
Lovely music, gorgeously sung. Very blingy costumes, on the part of the upper classes at least. The only thing is.. being baroque, it has all these extra flourishes. And it's as though Vivaldi, upon writing what he considered to be a "good bit", decided to emphasise it. So you find tracts of singing, repeated as many as six times in a row. Continually, throughout. I found myself counting the repetitions, with some irritation. But I did ultimately get into it - and I must say, fair play to them for finding a different way to act, on each repetition! A nice production - and again, great to get back here and see what's happened in my absence.
Nothing else planned for my stay. Back to London on Sunday. On Monday, the Crick Crack Club is back again - Ben Haggarty is in Soho Theatre with Grim Grimms - a dark take on fairytales, highlighting four lesser-known tales of the brothers Grimm. With musical accompaniment. Tickets weren't available when I noted this in my calendar - they have now, predictably, sold out.
On Tuesday, I'm trying to persuade the social group from my former company to come with me to a Design My Night event - Fright Night Cinema is showing Hallowe'en in the Rivoli ballroom, with a themed cocktail bar and people dressed in spooky costumes. Now, that sounds like fun.. I've booked, at least, and a couple of others have indicated they'll come, with one from Friday expressing interest.
On Wednesday, back with Meetup at last - Up in the Cheap Seats is at a mixed programme by Birmingham Royal Ballet, at Sadler's Wells. I've seen part of it before, and it's excellent.
For Hallowe'en, The Embers Collective stepped up to the plate, with a storytelling performance called Witch, at The Jago.
On the 1st, meeting Ivan.. venue TBC.
And on the 2nd, I booked with Best Authentic Walking Tours in London, for a Royal Maritime Greenwich Ghost Tour. Now, this is - as with all their walks - with Funzing, so I can get a refund up to 48 hours beforehand. Which I knew I'd probably do (have, in fact, done for this twice already), as I might have gone to a film that day - depending what was on - or, if I didn't like the offerings, Love London Theatre, Arts, Music & Stuff is off to Blood Wedding, a new adaptation of the Lorca play, at the Young Vic. But I now see that's sold out - was bound to happen. Well, I finally did come up with an alternative that made me cancel the ghost tour - another ghost tour! specifically, of the British Museum, with Spooky London. I mean, technically I could probably go to both - I just couldn't be bothered rushing the first to traipse all the way out to Greenwich, for an event that wouldn't be at all sociable! Might get on that walk some day.
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