Sunday, August 8, 2010

60 Second Stories By Cal - 6 - Opera Hall Cool


When I was a kid my Dad signed me and my sister up for this 'enrichment' program when we lived in Germany. Over the year we got to see an opera, a symphony orchestra, a Shakespeare play and several other performances at the Strasbourg Opera House that was just a twenty minute drive across the border to France. It was the most beautiful and ornate building that I had ever been in before or since.

At intermission we would always go upstairs and check out the box seats. We were in what we thought was an empty one once when these three older ladies dressed to the nines returned to their place. We thought we were in trouble but I guess we charmed them because they invited us to sit with them and told us all about the opera we were watching (Boris Godunov) and let us use their opera glasses to see the action close up.

I am sure our teacher was freaking out by our empty seats on the floor but we didn't care - we were royalty baby.

At the end of the opera one of the ladies took a gold pin off her dress and put it in my label. It was a cool looking Renaissance sun with a face. When I got home my mother was shocked to discover it was pure gold. What had been a throwaway pin to this wealthy dowager because a prized family heirloom for us.

True Story

11 comments:

Neil said...

That's very cool! Did you ever meet any of the ladies again, or find out who they were?

Wings1295 said...

Very cool! So, when are you gonna write the memoirs of Cal?

Kal said...

We never did. I thought it might be their permanent box but it was empty the next time we went.

Who would want to read the memoirs of someone not famouse, Wings.

Pat Tillett said...

I am really digging these "60 Second Stories." This one was no different. What a building and what an experience...

DrGoat said...

Revel in those memories. They are what make up a good life.

Cheeseboy said...

Oh yeah, definitely want to hear more about this.

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Great story, Kal. To say these buildings are impressive just doesn't cut it.
xoRobyn

M. D. Jackson said...

That's one rococo opera house.

Leviathud said...

Post a pic of the pin.

D.I. Felipe González said...

Write your emories Cal. Since nobody would like to read a non famous character biography, sell them as fiction and problem solved. Ta da!

Margaret Benbow said...

It's as though the jeweled aristocrat lady was a fairy godmother blessing you for life when she gave you the sun-faced pin...What a gift!