A Night at the Opera
Our day yesterday, Thursday, 4/3/25, was pretty relaxed overall. We met Jeff and Leigh for lunch at a lovely lakeside restaurant - Chalet des Iles - in a Central Park-like setting on the far west side of Paris. It was a beautiful, sunny day and the first one to break 70 degrees, so we had lunch outside. I was still feeling rather draggy so we didn't attempt anything afterward but, instead, came back to the apartment for a rest before our evening at the Opera.
Our dinner was at Cafe de la Paix, a historic restaurant opened in 1862 to serve the Grand-Hôtel de la Paix, It was magnificent (and expensive although Jeff and Ray split the tab). It was immediately adjacent to the Palais Garnier, also known as Opera Garnier, where we had tickets to see Il Vaggio, Dante. Our lovely appetizers included delicious oysters and, yes, more escargots. Damn good stuff. And, although I was the only one who drank, Moet Chandon (I can hear Freddie Mercury singing it) hit the spot.
After dinner, we adjourned to the magnificent Palais Garnier. The Garnier was built for the Paris
Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III and is a magnificent structure. It is generally acknowledged to be the most famous opera house in the world, and a symbol of Paris like the Louvre, Notre Dame, and Sacre Coeur basilica. Its creator, Charles Garnier, purposely designed the interior and its magnificent staircases to "see and be seen". All the best of Paris society have made it a regular destination for more than 100 years. Cheryl said it reminded her very much of when she and Mary Lee Hess, our dear travel friend, saw the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow - a similar kind of setting.
Opera from 1861 to 1875 at the behest of Emperor Napoleon III and is a magnificent structure. It is generally acknowledged to be the most famous opera house in the world, and a symbol of Paris like the Louvre, Notre Dame, and Sacre Coeur basilica. Its creator, Charles Garnier, purposely designed the interior and its magnificent staircases to "see and be seen". All the best of Paris society have made it a regular destination for more than 100 years. Cheryl said it reminded her very much of when she and Mary Lee Hess, our dear travel friend, saw the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow - a similar kind of setting.
My son, Jeff, spent 16 years at The Metropolitan Opera in NYC, and was definitely jazzed about the show. Il Vaggio, Dante is a seven-scene opera that is an innovative exploration of Dante's epic poem the Divine Comedy, transposing it to a modern musical and stage setting. With all of that said, it lasted two hours and was certainly visually striking although I had little to no clue what they were saying. English subtitles projected above the stage helped. And, coming in with a full belly to a large, dark, warm auditorium meant that much of the first 20 minutes of the two hours were me struggling to stay awake. It was so visually and auditorily jarring, though, that I was soon awake and attentive for the remainder. Not too much chance, though, for opera to replace my love of The Beatles or Stones.
After the opera, we came back to the apartment but not before a quick stop for some delicious ice cream. Then to bed for a good night of sleep before getting up on Friday for another day of exploration.
Bon soir..
Magnificent--All of it! And just look at those handsome opera goers! For the record...we love escargots, but we've never eaten it in such a fancy place.
ReplyDeleteWhat could possibly be better than a warm, sunny spring day in Paris, eating magnificent food with your friends and family, and going to the opera in the most famous opera house on earth with someone who knew all about opera from working 16 years at the Met? That just about tops everything (except, of course for Freddie, the Beatles, the Stones, and Dimash.)
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, I remember going to see the Bolshoi Ballet with beautiful Cheryl, the best travel companion imaginable. We were so far north that it was still light out when we left at 11pm that night!