I’m taking a break. First stop: Prague.
The high-speed Intercity train to Krakow just pulled out of Praha hlavní nádraží, Prague’s main train station. As I write this post, Shane and I are watching the countryside of Czechia (which is what the Czech Republic goes by these days) fly by. Agricultural fields dominate the foreground and stubby-treed forests are in the distance, all verdant and lush. The suburbs of Prague sprawl a lot less than they would in a similar sized American city. There are lots of buildings and then, boom, green as far as you can see. Could I fit some of that city-and-regional planning in my pocket and take it back to California?
Catching opera the way they do it in Europe: I’m at intermission at the Prague National Opera of “Lohengrin,” a nearly five-hour Wagner opera.
All this is a roundabout way of telling you that 1) I’m 5,618 miles from Fresno right now; 2) high-speed rail can be a wonderful thing; and 3) high-speed internet is a blessing and a curse. I’ve been out of the country for the past five days. Wait, you ask, how is it that you’ve been publishing posts during that time? The answer: WordPress knows no borders.
But now, the second part of my vacation — the non-Munro Review part — begins. I’ll be gone for nearly two weeks bopping around Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. This will be my first extended absence from the site since I started it more than a year ago. (Time flies!)
My flight from Fresno meant I had to miss Audra McDonald’s big concert, to my disappointment. Just a few minutes ago, however, I posted a review of the event by my friend and former Bee colleague Doug Hoagland, who graciously agreed to give his take of the event. (Thank you, Doug!)
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And I’ve prepared one more post in advance: Because I was unable to carry out my usual hosting duties of “The Munro Review” on CMAC for the June episode, I had another wonderful person agree to fill in: Jackie Ryle. I’ll post the link to that show when it goes live.
I also will miss some other upcoming Fresno-area events, including June ArtHop. (One top pick: Evany Zirul will be showing her welded wire pieces and bronze sculptures at Fig Tree Gallery.) And I won’t be here for two chamber-music events: Moment Musical will present its final concert of the season on June 3 at Westminster Presbyterian Church. The program includes Ravel’s famed String Quartet in F Major. And in Oakhurst, on June 10, a concert featuring both Fresno and “mountain” musicians is sponsored jointly by the Sierra Foothill Composers’ Co-operative and Vision Academy of the Arts. It will be at Sierra Vista Presbyterian Church.
When I return mid-June, I’ll be working on the next exciting phase of The Munro Review, including a redesign and a voluntary membership structure. Look for many more details to come.
Meanwhile, I’ll be traipsing around the former Iron Curtain, taking lots of notes for travel stories to come. I might be checking my email if I happen to have a bunch of time on a train to kill. But more likely, I’ll be figuring out how to escape the iron chains of the internet.
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Anne Betancourt
Have a wonderful time. I always enjoy reading your comments.