Earlier this month I was lucky enough to join my partner for a holiday in the USA after he’d finished some working there. We started in Las Vegas where he had been working at an exhibition, then headed to San Francisco, then on to New York City. We’re not ones to spend our holiday time lazing around, and even now, a week after we got back, I’m still tired out from it all! In Las Vegas we saw Le Rêve – that was spectacular. I’m a huge fan of Cirque du Soleil (although Le Rêve isn’t technically Cirque du Soleil) and anything similar, always feel inspired by the performers who clearly train incredibly hard. San Francisco was interesting to visit, but we only had a couple of days there so it really was a case of getting round the city to see as much as possible as quickly as possible. We did stumble upon a couple of art galleries showcasing some rare Dalí, Picasso, and even Dr Seuss! His sketches had been made into sculptures and paintings. Lots of musical history in San Francisco too – we went on a morning run through Haight Ashbury and saw where Jimi Hendrix used to live amongst other sights! I had the Mamas and Papas stuck in my head the whole time we were there…
But the best times were had in New York City. It was my first time in the city, although I’ve been meaning to visit for a long time as my cousin is an actress on Broadway there. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of things to do and see! Sleep No More was by far the best part of the whole trip. It’s immersive theatre, based on Macbeth. If you ever get the chance to go – take it! I spent my birthday in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where I particularly enjoyed seeing the Musical Instrument exhibition, and the great Impressionist painters. There’s so much music in New York too, it was fantastic. From jazz groups in the parks to cellists playing Bach’s Suites in the Subway, and the musicians were mostly very skilled.
Of course having time off away from the harp means the callouses on my fingers (thanks to my very dry skin) peel and go soft. In my typical style, I go back to trying to practise as much as before instead of taking it slowly, which always results in blood blisters! Oh well, at least they went down in time for the wedding I played at today.