IrishOboe

What I mean by that is that tomorrow we leave for France for six days then we will again be back in Switzerland for the last three days of my parent’s visit.  This is the part of the trip where I get to relax and let my Mom take over the tour guide position.  I plan to be flexible and accommodating.  Mistakes are just adventures in the making.

Today I took absolutely no pictures.  Sorry!  I think Mom might have a few, but it wasn’t a day conducive to photography.  It was a lovely Rochester-weather day so in the morning I sent Mom and Dad off into town by themselves to see some museums while I practiced and got some work done and played with Tamino a bit.  I had my harp lesson and we met up afterward.  They had a good morning, and you’ll have to wait to hear about it from them.  After a little rest at home we took the tram back into town to get a picnic for the train tomorrow then satisfy our craving for more delicious rösti at zum alten Stöckli.  It was just as tasty the second time around!

Andy, you might want to skip this part for I have a feeling you will be mighty jealous.  I wish you could have enjoyed the Musical Instrument Museum with us.  It was well put together and had quite a number of fascinating instruments, including a – can you guess it? – a nickleharpa!  Of course I thought of you, Andy.

We saw painted drums and brass instruments from early Basel fasnachts, the oldest bugle trumpets in existence today, all kinds of crazy ancestors of the brass and woodwind families (including two serpents), stringed instruments that must have been invented while high on something.  Oddly enough the museum is housed in an old prison.  Each cell has be converted to hold a display of instruments on each long wall and at the opposite end there’s a touch-screen computer that gives information in three languages about the instruments and plays example works.  We didn’t have nearly enough time to explore all the information available, but enjoyed a few in each room.  The excerpts were by artists from all over, but I noticed one was recorded at the Schola and the artists were Randall Cooke and Crawford Young, both of whom teach at the Schola now, and my medieval overview course that I love so much is with Mr. Young.

One last thing to mention about the museum is that each “cell” had a room name.  My favorite room name was for the cell with all the instruments used in church.  It was called the “Praise the Lord Room.”

After a drink at the school cafeteria we went to my Renaissance dance class.  Mom danced a little, but mostly Mom and Dad watched.  They discovered what I’ve been saying all along, and that is that everything is more interesting when it’s in another language (maybe even a long sermon because you can daydream without distraction . . .).  We ended up staying the whole time even though we thought we might cut out early.  We even went out for drinks with another student and the teacher.  We had Flammkuchen, which was quite tasty.  We also had quite an interesting conversation, but it meant that once again we got in quite late.  I’d sleep on the train to Paris, but I need to learn some French . . .

I am not taking my computer with me so I won’t be making updates while we’re in France.  Rather than checking my blog everyday send up a daily prayer on our behalf.  I’ll be back with you shortly!

Much love,

Janet