Friday, November 9th
When I last spoke to you, I had just left the transit workers’ demonstration. The internet point, a few blocks away, indicated that Krimson News was still down. So, I walked to the hotel and rested for a while. I was dissappointed that my plan to visit the Borgese was being thwarted for the second time in my life. This museum was to be the highlight of this vacation. On top of that, I am missing my kitten, Suvy, and I know that she is missing me as well. I wish that I had her here in my arms and I know that she would like to comfort me as well….
After moping for a few minutes, I walked to the Teatro del’Opera to buy a ticket for the opera tonight, which is entitled ” Peer Gynt.” It is supposed to be about a young, Skandanavian man who is going through an existential crisis. The music is by Grieg. The ticket seller spoke enough English to tell me that the best available tickets were thirty four euros and fifty five euros in price. I was able to tell her in Italian that I wanted the thirty four euro ticket. She explained that the seat was in a balcony on the left hand side when you walk into the opera house.
So, I walked around the neighborhood and sampled one of the many restaurants. I ate at a place that seems to specialize in pasta mixed with seafood. They even had a glass case, displaying the uncooked fish that is used in their food. A good meal.
After another lie down, I put on my black suit and strolled to the opera house. As I waited outside the teatro for the doors to open, a man in his late twenties walked over to me. He was wearing one of those furry Russian hats. He started speaking to me in Italian. I looked at him and said, ” Io non parlo Italiano, senore.” ” Parla Inglese?” He rolled his eyes and said, in English,” I come from the Kosacks and speak seven languages, yet I am sleeping in the street here in Rome. Look at my hand.” He showed me a sore on his hand. As I was dressed in a coat and tie, I couldn’t exactly tell him that I didn’t have any money, so I gave him some change. The doors to the opera house soon opened and I found my seat, with the help of an usher. My seat was in an enclosed theater box with wooden walls, which were partially covered with fabric. There were coat hooks on the wooden walls. There were five padded chairs in the box. Was I going to have to share this with four complete strangers ? At five minutes until showtime, no one had shown up and it looked like I was going to avoid an uncomfortable social situation. Then four people opened the door to the box and entered this small enclosed space with me. I greeted them in English. They offered me a seat on the front row of the box and I told them that I would be fine sitting behind them. The man in his late twenties told me that he and his female companion would ask the ushers to let them sit in two unused floor seats so that I could sit on the front row with the younger couple, who appeared to be about twenty years old. This is just one example of the kindness that was shown to me by the Italian people.
The opera went on for thirty minutes without any singing, only dancing by about twenty dancers. Then a female singer sang from the orchestra pit, rather than from the stage. Could this be a ballet that I was attending rather than an opera ? Apparently so… This Peer Gynt character seemed to have a tendency to seduce women and then abandone them. The sex act was enacted with some rather pelvic dance moves. After two hours of this, I left. The ballet had one more act before it was over. Still, this was a refreshing change from my usual lifestyle.
To bed,
I.C.