Hungary 2023

 We are finally home. 107 in Dallas but with the wind chill it only feels like 106! Ha!

On Thursday, we took a tour to Windsor Castle.

After Westminster Abbey, we went to the National Gallery and had a wonderful time—an immense collection of treasures. Botticelli  Rembrandt’s Belshazzar’s Feast Charles I on horseback. Titian, Jesus answering the question about paying taxes to Caesar El Greco, Jesus driving the money changers from the Temple. Van Gogh, Sunflowers   Titian, portrait of a man. Notice the character in his face. Oops, I forgot. British National Gallery: Da Vinci, Madonna of the Rocks

 On Wednesday, we went to Westminster Abbey for Eucharist. No pictures of course, but we did get a shot of the Churchill statue and the Houses of Parliament amid the crowds of tourists.

Tuesday, it was raining all day, so we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum. Fascinating. One of several fabulous Della Robbias in their collection.  Rodin’s Prodigal Son. Elizabeth I’s personal virginal. A Van Dyck painting showing three views of Charles I’s head (while he still had it). And finally, Ellen contemplating a statue of Handel.

 We went to Evensong at St.Paul’s on Monday—very lovely service. We heard a guest choir from Philadelphia sing a service by, I believe, Howells and an anthem, Geistliches Lied by Brahms. The latter was not well chosen because, while well sung, the 8-second resonance in the sanctuary obscured the counterpoint. Below are the altar area and the dome.

On Monday, we went to Buckingham Palace. It wa jammed with tourists, of course. The part that was open to tourists is much like a museum. The Picture Gallery was by far the most interesting. There are some real treasures here—two Rembrandts, several Van Dycks, Rubens, and two marvelous Titians. Almost all the paintings on display were from the 16th or 17th century. Priceless. The accompanying photo gives a sense of what pictures could be taken in Buckingham Palace.

 Yum!

This fellow is decorating plates and vessels made of sugar! Naturally, these would dissolve in a few hours, but the point was that the king and nobles could afford to eat and drink from lavishly decorated vessels that only last a short time.

 …in the king’s dining hall.

 You can just make out “King Charles III” in flowers at the edge.

On Sunday, we went to Hampton Court. Interesting but huge. 

1) Another K+K hotel 2) Look closely and you can see that we have found Schindler’s lift. 3) The roofscape out our hotel room window.  

Below one of the carefully manicured hills of grape vines, supplying Tokaj with its famous wines.

 …at the CSI Gala Concert.

A lot has gone on in the last two days: final rehearsals, the gala concert, party, check out from. CSI and the Tokajvar hotel, travel to Budapest, and travel to London, where we are now. Alas, my camera has failed, and I only have a few pictures to show. But here they are: Ellen and me with Dinu Serfezi, one of the viola teachers, and Oprah Nastia, leader of Crescendo in 🇺🇦 Ukraine,  who lives in Kiev; Nastia with Beat Rink, leader and founder of Crescendo; our dear friend, Majoros Szidónia, who was able to come to Tokaj for a day to visit with us; some of the gala concert audience at the synagogue; the baroque orchestra at the gala concert.

 Here is the Viola Choir, consisting of most of the viola students at CSI and three faculty, led by Ellen. The Viola Choir was picked to present a piece at the Gala Concert tomorrow evening.

 Ellen’s students performed Monday night and Tuesday. Reka Falaky, viola, played the Schumann Fantasiestucke on the Chamber Music Recital with Bonis Kozak, piano. Camilla played a work by Carl Maria von Weber at the Violissimo event. Both were excellent!