Trileigh & Rob's Most Excellent Sabbatical Log

In Bruxelles, after London and Connecticut

The playwright James M. Barrie is having a considerable run lately, with new Hollywood productions of 'Peter Pan,' and Johnny Depp's portrayal in 'Finding Neverland.' But in Westport, CT at their little country theatre there which is directed by Joanne Woodward, we had the opportunity to see a late work of his, called 'Dear Brutus'. Part Pan grown up, part Midsummer Night's Dream, an array of grown modern characters enter into a Brigadoon-like magical wood which appears only one night a year, where they have a 'second chance' to relive what they regret. Some end up doing the same, and some learn some deep lessons, and there is an extremely poignant bit with a dissolute fellow finding redemption as the father of the dear little girl that he'd always wished he'd had. This had us in tears, naturally, when the fellow leaves the wood, and the little girl is left behind as a 'might-have-been.' After the show, Trileigh, true to form, marches right up to Joanne Woodward to tell her how marvelous we found the thing; and she (as one hears) turns out to be a very gracious lady, and chatted a bit with us, and was genuinely pleased to see we'd been so moved, since she said that a lot of folks just didn't seem to 'get' the play. Well, if you ever have a chance, do check it out; it's deep and unforgettable.

This was also Rob's first chance to meet Trileigh's parents, Helen and Gardiner, as well as brother Jim, sister-in-law Monica, and their family; a delight to learn more of the formative influences upon the beloved.

On Thursday morning, July 7th, four suicide bombs went off in the London transit system, leading to a death toll, as of this writing, of more than fifty souls. We were scheduled to arrive in London Heathrow that Saturday morning, the 9th, so it was with some trepidation that we contemplated what the situation and atmosphere might be on our arrival. Amazingly, we saw on the web that they had already largely re-opened the Tube (Underground) again on Friday and as it turned out, by Saturday morning, you might have imagined things were perfectly normal. The Brits, indomitable with their stiff upper lip and all, were set on just carrying on, rather than allowing terrorism to faze them. Pretty impressive.
We stayed in a London neighborhood west of the center and took the tube to the Waterloo Station to pick up our tickets for "The UN Inspector," which we'd reserved from home. On walking from the station across the Jubilee Bridge to the Royal National Theatre, we were delighted to come across "Watch This Space," a venue for outdoor performances right outside the theater (OK, theatre), and it turned out there that the first live music we encountered abroad was "Joyful, Joyful" done in true Ysaye Barnwell style, a nice echo of home. The play that night was adapted from a work by Russian playwright Nicolai Gogol, originally entitled "The Government Inspector" but updated into contemporary Eastern Europe. It was to these American eyes a strange integration of farce and serious drama (full of local allusions that the rest of the audience laughed appreciatively at but that went right by us).

Lost in Bussels


Our train to Brussels was met by a relieved Jane, who'd been checking the station for hours for us, as we were seriously late due to increased security measures associated with our travel through the Chunnel. As is her wont, she has been the supreme hostess, treating us to frequent meals with her fascinating friends, all of whom seem to speak at least four languages and to have led extraordinary international lives as spy, blacksmith, lobbyist, horse-rescuer, barge operator, lawyer, or combination thereof.

The Grand Place, at a festival of Flemish culture


The Grand Place was hosting a Flemish festival at which we encountered Balkan, Irish, and Greek street music along with the glorious 16th-century merchant buildings Trileigh remembered from her years here. We visited Trileigh's parents' home in Brussels, which is being well taken care of (and fiercely guarded...) by the bank that now occupies it.
Jane's friends have tried to be careful not to give offense in their comments about American politics -- but it seems clear that contemporary America is a bit of a puzzle and a lot of concern to them. Their perception of the US will be a subject of significant interest to us as we travel.

Coupla monkeys in the park. That's Jane. Me Tarzan.

posted by robduisberg @ 1:19 AM