The concert venue is on the grounds of a large music institute, which is situated on the edge of a very small town. There were multiple buildings, connected by beautiful walking trails, in a quiet and peaceful setting. I was glad I had tagged along. As soon as we got there, my patient, long-suffering husband had to go into a rehearsal, so I wandered around the grounds enjoying the spring-like weather and taking photos. For awhile, I had a four-legged tour guide. An extremely friendly cat joined me, announcing her presence loudly as she approached and snuggling right up to me as I took some photos of a garden. Then she began to walk down another path, stopping every few steps to look back at me and make sure I was following. After about 15 minutes, she wandered off and I was on my own again.
After rehearsal, we went into town (which was about a five-minute drive) to eat dinner with one of the other musicians and her family. Some of our friends also came into town for the concert, so we met up with them after dinner for some wine and jazz. This small town was an enigma. Less than 100 residents, but multiple restaurants and several bars/clubs with live music. Now, to be perfectly honest, our jazz was a single musician who sang and played the saxophone accompanied by pre-recorded music on an iPad, but he was quite good and the wine selection was lovely.
Our residence was not quite as advertised, but it was climate-controlled and had running water, so it was acceptable. Since we were the only out-of-town guests, the concert producer did not open the bed and breakfast, housing us in one of the artist residences instead. And "artist residence" is an elegant way of saying "dorm room". It was furnished in a very utilitarian manner, and we were surprised to find three twin beds. Guess we could have invited a friend. The setting could not have been more beautiful, though. It was in the middle of the woods, far away from any main road. Now that I think about it, it would have been a perfect setting for a horror movie, but at the time, it just seemed quiet and peaceful.
Saturday was full of surprises. The first surprise? The shower had two possible temperatures - "scalding" and "icy". After careful consideration, I went with "scalding", checking periodically to make sure no one was adding carrots and onions to the shower while I wasn't looking. The second surprise? Apparently in this facility, if you are not staying in the bed and breakfast, it means you miss out on the "breakfast" part. Since my patient, long-suffering husband is on a liquid diet, this was less of a disappointment to him. So we headed back into town to find him some coffee and me some solid sustenance.
The rest of the day's surprises were pleasant ones. We found a small coffee shop (more of a coffee cabin, really) that consisted of a long table full of friendly locals who insisted we sit down with them and shoot the breeze, which we did gladly. It was a very interesting group of people and they peppered us with questions about our lives and our work. Our friends met up with us at the coffee shop and we had a lazy breakfast chatting with each other and our new friends.
After breakfast, it was back to rehearsal for my patient, long-suffering husband while the rest of us hit the town square for some shopping and more pleasant surprises before the afternoon concert. There was a festival going on in the square and the weather was beautiful, so everyone turned out. There was a band playing, which added to the fun atmosphere. We were amazed by the number of quaint shops that such a small town could support.
We drove back to the institute for a luncheon before the concert. The concert venue was packed for the performance. There were at least twice as many people in attendance as we can normally bring in the door for a concert at our church in a big city. Clearly, this is a town that likes to have fun. Of course, my patient, long-suffering husband played beautifully as usual and the crowd really seemed to enjoy it. After the concert, we and our friends stopped at the local pie shop for coffee and their famous pie before heading home. It was a quick trip, but a very enjoyable one, and I'm hoping to return soon.
Today went quickly, with church, errands, and then a solo trip to the grocery store to get my supplies for the upcoming week. Since I am the only one in the house eating right now, I'm keeping it simple. I haven't stooped to ramen noodles yet, but otherwise I'm eating like a college kid. A college kid with a highly developed palate and a penchant for healthy, nutritionally balanced meals. Okay, maybe not exactly like a college kid. Even if I did sleep in a dorm room this weekend.
On a more disappointing note, the warmer, drier weather didn't help my foot. In fact, it has felt worse and I've had to crank up the stimulator again. I have a doctor appointment at the end of the week, and I suspect it may be acting up for sympathy. Well, it's not going to get any. I don't want to reward that kind of behavior.
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