Encounters on the Train

On our way back from Italy, we got to talking with some of the other passengers, as you do. Although one of our fellow travellers was Russian and didn't speak German or English, it didn't stop her from engaging us in conversation. With the use of a lot of hand gestures, miming, scribbling on paper and emphatic statements which didn't aid understanding at all, we were able to make out that she was travelling from somewhere and was travelling to Vienna. (Actually, we knew the last bit since the train's destination was Vienna and we had passed the last stop.)

Jordan quickly befriended the young lady pictured, as she does, and we got talking to her mother who turned out to be a singer who was currently playing Maria in the Sound of Music at the Volksoper. Which we found a funny coincidence since Greg's cousin was at the same time, in rehearsals as Maria in the Sound of Music in Christchurch. (That's a very cool story too. Ask me about it.)

"Maria" offered to obtain cheap tickets for us which we were all very eager to accept. Well, except for Greg who made it very clear that although the offer was appreciated there was no way in hell he could be prevailed upon to attend.

We felt very posh when it turned out that we were seated in one of the side boxes. The show was in German, and we found some of the translations very amusing. Plus Do Re Mi was changed to C, D, E which we didn't think really worked but at least it was entertaining.

I'd forgotten how much I love these kinds of shows. Jordan and I were trilling the goatherder song and die schöneste Lied ist das Lied der Berge, interspersed with "Arrrgh please no," and "arrgh! Stop, STOP!"Which were Greg's contributions.

Musee D'Orsay

The Musee D'Orsay contains more of what I would expect in an art gallery. But that is probably because I am not so cultured. I was a little disappointed by some of the previous galleries because there was so little that I actually recognised.

So for those of you who are like me, then the Musee D'Orsay is a must see. I would even put it ahead of the Louvre. It is full of Degas, Monets, van Goghs, Cezannes, Gauguins, etc....

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to linger as we only had an hour and we raced around the museum with a small stop for coffee and cake which was also worth doing.