February 11-17

Monday, February 11th

This week was quieter and I spent a lot of time outside because the sun came out and temps climbed up into the 60's later in the week! Monday was the usual run-of-the-mill stuff: groceries, laundry, choir rehearsal, studying my music for my coaching session tomorrow... I also spent the morning researching how to get to, reserve tickets for, and save money on a day trip to Neuschwanstein (in April when two of my sisters are visiting with their daughters). I'm super excited about this trip and found a couple of other goodies (day trips) for when J's parents visit in May and for the second week of our Easter break when we are planning to do a stay-cation instead of traveling.

Tuesday, February 12th

So, I've been working on this beast of an aria ("Grossmächtige Prinzessin" Zerbinetta's coloratura aria from Richard Strauss' opera, Ariadne auf Naxos). It has sustained E's and D's (yes, the ones above high C). I've been able to hit them some of the time, but not consistently. It's partly a mechanical/technical hang up, probably some scar tissue from my surgery and lack of use, but also really mental. I think I'm still afraid they just aren't going to come out, let alone be for anyone else's ears than mine or my teacher's.

For several years before my tumor was discovered, I had slowly lost my top notes (from a G above high C down to high C). It was extremely frustrating at the time because I was working with a teacher at Indiana University during the summers and the rest of my range had gotten so much stronger and more unified, but the arias I was working on with B's and C's were getting harder and those had always, always, been effortless for me to sing. I felt like it was something mechanical--and it turns out it was--a kiwi-sized tumor at the base of my skull filling up the space behind my throat and pressing the back wall of my throat in towards my soft palate. My jaw mobility was probably impacted as well. But because it was so slow growing, I hadn't noticed the differences other than that my high notes were disappearing--the sound simply cut off when I got to those notes. Within a few weeks post surgery, I was able to hit them again in warm ups! However, I started a new job soon after and my time to practice dwindled to a trickle--just enough to keep up with preparing for gigs. So, this year, I knew I wanted to tackle some higher stuff... At my lesson this week I told Stellario that I was having trouble with those darn E's and D's and of course, like any good teacher, he said, "Well, let's go right to those parts!" You can watch it unfold (be sure to watch all the way to the end; please be kind; this feels extremely vulnerable to share):

After my coaching session with Stellario, I went by the music shop to order some songs that the library didn't have and passed by the Dallmayr bistro and shop. I picked up some freshly ground decaf and espresso for my little Bialetti stove top espresso maker. Ah, Kaffee! I could stand in here and just inhale all day! It smells so good. Too bad I can't put a link to that in my blog.

Customers lining up to get their specialty cakes and baked goods.

Dallmayr also has their own line of teas.

And chocolate...

Next stop: Bauer & Hieber to order Argento's 6 Elizabethan Songs which I'm learning for a noon recital in this year's Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival in June.

In the evening, J and I had committed to going to a Stammtisch for the parents of the kids in the Tumblingerschule 4d, GE's class. Everyone met at 7:30 p.m. at Viva Maria, a Trattoria Pizzeria near the school, so easy walking distance from our apartment. I'd met many of the parents at other events, but this was the first contact J had had. It's quite a diverse group: Italian, Russian, German, Iraqi, Ethiopian, Greek, and American (not just us!). We enjoyed ourselves.

Night lights...

Wednesday, February 13th

I took a long walk this morning as the sun was coming up. Absolutely gorgeous light and blue sky. I've had to stop myself from posting ridiculous amounts of photos... 

After my walk, a hot shower (the mornings are still below freezing), and a dose of Kaffee, I walked to the Friedenskirche (an Evangelische Freikirche belonging to the Evangelisch-methodistische Kirche) for the monthly meeting of the Munich International Women's Club. Google Maps suggested the fastest route would be to cut through the Alter Südfriedhof, so I obliged...

As the temps have risen above freezing the street cleaners have been busy in their little tractor things with round sweeping brushes, slowly piling the debris up at the corners. This pile is nearly as tall as the cars parked just up the street!

This is the intersection nearest our apartment building. I love the giant gnarly tree and the yellow building.

Lots of shade in the cemetery so there was still a good bit of snow on the ground.

Had to pull out my sunglasses...

Our little slice of heaven (that's our apartment building. Our balcony is the 2nd up from the ground.

That same yellow building from my kitchen window as the afternoon sun hits and the light begins to change again...

Since I have choir tomorrow night, we decided to have our Valentine's Day date tonight instead. J made reservations at an Afghani restaurant I'd been eyeing: Bamyan Narges. It was so amazing that I forgot to take a picture of the food after it arrived! I just dug in... But I snapped a few shots of our lovely drinks and the decor before the food arrived.

Fresh mint and ginger for me!

Notice the hearts hanging from the ceiling...

After dinner, we headed over to our favorite Cafébar, Aromabar Café. I had a decaf Café Americano and J had a decaf cappuccino. Delish!

Thursday, February 14th

Another sunny day! This is a shot of the Dreimühlenstraße just on the other side of the little canal that runs beside our building. The girls like to come out to this playground when the weather is nice. It's small, mostly just that wooden climbing structure (you can just make out the suspended balance log at the fence level), and some swings.

Friday, February 15th

Keep the sun coming! I walked with J to the game shop, FUNtainment, where he and ME go on Thursday nights to play board games. He had lost one of his Mage Wars cards at last night's game and wanted to see if it had turned up.

The search was not fruitful, at least as far as the missing card was concerned, but the walk was lovely and we detoured to find a coffee shop on the way home where we could sit in the sunlight. We ended  up near the Aromabar, but since the seating there wasn't in the sun at this time of day, we went around the corner to Cafe Tabula Rosa on the Holzplatz.

Ah, Bayerische beard. Should J aim for this, do you think?

We've spread out our Valentine's Day celebrating over the whole week... or maybe it's just that we've been doing it all year. Love this guy.

Café Americano... Cappuccino. We're creatures of habit.

Reading his book (no, not the one he's writing, but one he's reading in order to hone his ideas for his writing)

A falcon or small bird of prey landed on a tree near our balcony while I was hanging out the wash!

In the evening J and I accompanied ME and her "friend" to the movies: Alita: Battle Angel. Fun flick! Happy Valentine's week to us. 💟


Saturday, February 16th

A groceries, laundry, and cooking sort of Saturday. HR went to her cello lesson after lunch. ME went to the game store with her not-her-boy-friend friend. J had a friend over to play Mage Wars (board game) all afternoon.

Photo from ME, watching a Vanguard game at FUNtainment.

GE went on a long bike ride following the river pathways with her schoolmate, E. (photos used with permission from E's dad). PS. I'm told there was ice cream involved...

Sunday, February 17th

We had a quiet morning at home, then after lunch took bus and U-Bahn to the Michaelibad to go swimming. We stayed until 5 p.m.! It was heavenly: heated pool with revolving door to the outside where there were shallow whirlpools, massage jets, and jacuzzi seats in the heated water. I gave my shoulder a good going over with the massage jets and sat in the sun in one of the bubbly pools for a at least 30 minutes. Inside was a large lap pool, deep diving pool, 3 hot tubs, a covered slide that started inside and then twirled around outside before dumping back into a shallow pool inside, a sauna, a "nicht schwimmer" waist-deep pool for kids/adults who are still learning to swim, and a series of splash pools and fountains for toddlers and babies. A bistro bar was also available for snacks and drinks, including espresso coffee bar! The little girls had a great time and I soaked up the relaxation and light. Meanwhile J left around noon to go to T's house (same friend as yesterday) to play more Mage Wars with a couple of other guys, so he did not come with us.

Baldeplatz while waiting for the bus to come.

P.S. ME was with us too, but she had a friend with her.

The swimming pools throughout the city are part of the public utility SWM (Stadtwerke München), so entrance fees are low, there are different ones in each region of the metropolis, and you don't have to have a membership to get in.

4 p.m. treat!

This one thinks her curls are pretty awesome.