London

I was in London today for some cultural entertainment.

It was a wretched day but I thought I'd travel light and give the new phone a try out.

I've shown this before but it is telling

Electric bike

All Hallows by the tower.... there has been a church here since 675AD

One way of keeping warm... pods

Southwark Cathedral. They have changed how you enter..... and you can longer take food and drink into the "garden". I kind of understand that but it would be a nice place to eat a sandwich if you worked nearby.

street art

St Paul's

Anyway off to the Royal Opera House to see Donizetti's Don Pasquale..... a comic opera with the usual ridiculous plot

Old Uncle Pasquale refuses to let his nephew Ernesto marry the  beautiful young Norina but will marry himsef Dr Malatesta sets up a deception: Norina (pretending to be Malatesta's sister) will indeed marry Pasquale, and will lead him such a dance, as well as impoverishing him with demands for a ruinously expensive makeover of the house, that he will plead to be shot of her, thus allowing the young lovers to wander off happily into the sunset.

I mean it is ridiculous and no one looks good. That it is enjoyable is down to the performers. Ok Ioan Hotea's Ernesto is a bit of a wimp but Markus Werba's Malatesta is good  and Olga Peretyatko sings beautifully, has great comic timing and oozes appeal. Bryn Terfel is wonderfully comic.

It is worth going to not for the plot but for the comedy which is wonderful