Today with Sophie in London! 8.15.12

 Thursday, August 16, 2012 12:54 AM
Subject: Today

Had AMAZING day went out met Sophie outside Globe, Henry V, seats front first level towards back of stage, wonderful performance, funny, moving, Sophie had the text; she followed in it and looked, so I had moments to check up on what I missed. Great spontaneity including audience, lots of music, Eve would have loved the drums. First rate Henry. Play made awfully relevant re war and loyalty. Good weather, spattering but warm, then walked for miles. One continual fairground all the way, not just colorful buildings and cafes but lots of exhibitions, formal and sidewalk-type, exhilarating. Tate Modern was closing but we entered the cavernous halls like inside of a vast empty cathedral, just as described in Times or WSJ the other day, extraord experience, the actors, the deliberately casual overheard conversations , the odd humming, like being in giant beehive and one actor stood up and told us his life history, part of show. Then more promenading along more festive embankment, Royal Festival Hall unrecognizatble, lit up with abundant joyful exhibits. No classical music or atmosphere here for the common man during the prom season over at Albert Hall, but lots of noise at RFH, unusual, awakening concerts, and a large wandering maze made up of walls made up of closely piled books! Now I know what to do with all ours! Odd, odd, splendid. Walked across Hungerford bridge, Turneresque sky, all the way up villainous Villiers Street, Charing Cross Rd, along Oxford St, up Regent St and then stately Portland place by 11pm. Too late for Sophie to meet Leo and Regina, who were exhausted from some busy important day and ready for bed. Pity as Sophie was curious and had come all the way from Berlin to see me.

Sophie looks really well, blossoming. and sends her love. Gave me a present for Amitai. Lots of catch up re family plus news of hers and her old ladies and her search for herself, and she's begun writing her book. Starts Cambridge in Oct with visits to Harvard thrown in. Lovely day together. Now 12.30am and tomorrow I go meet my BBC cousin Stephen then to theatre with Leo and R and I have an extra ticket (Shaw's The Doctor's Dilemma) for Sophie that she can't use, sadly, as she's going to the proms. Btw Leo didn't enjoy the choice of prom music last night, the esoteric 9.30pm performance of Ligeti and Cage. Regina thought it fun. I heard the 4 Minute Silence Music by John Cage on their radio.Emperor's clothes? It was followed by 4 mins of ecstatic applause!

Thanks for your poems. Try to go out and enjoy yourself.

xxxxL