Christmas Treats, Part 2

What a wonder she is, Helen Mirren. I saw my first film here tonight, "The Queen", and was thunderstruck at the uncanny resemblance Dame Helen bore to HRH. Other than her voice, I was convinced. Charles and Philip bore no resemblance to the real thing, which was disconcerting. The best line in the film was Philip's, to the effect that Elton John's singing in Westminster Abbey would surely be a first and last.

The theatre was located down the narrowest of "steegs" or alleys. The alley name is Vrouwenkerksteeg, or "Lady Church Alley", and is just off of the always jam-packed Haarlemmerstraat, a long pedestrian street filled with rubbish-y little shops and two or three that are okay. It's more like a beach-front boardwalk. But when we exited the movie, Haarlemmerstraat was utterly empty, save the Christmas lights and the cold, damp, heavy misty air. All the store lights were still on. As we biked down it, I half-expected to see Fellini-type creatures appear -- circus players, people in red wigs, riding unicycles. Maybe it was too cold and damp for Italians.

My friend and I parted at a corner and I rode toward home, having the streets to myself. All the trees on the canals have those little white lights woven through their branches. One of my favorite things here is to ride around deserted streets and feel the centuries, which is easy to do. I think that the main reason I so love silence here is that it makes it easier to imagine this city (and country) as it surely was over the centuries -- very quiet, at least at night. No motors, no bikes. It must have been so quiet. Dirty, too! Lots of horses and other animals.

There are many market spaces in Leiden. The largest is called the beast market, and I'm not sure what all was sold there (horses, cattle, goats?). There was an eel market, a fish market, a pig market, butter market, tree market, and doubtless a few others. These spaces are all still named, but don't function as those markets. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, a general market thrives on the New Rhine, which is where several of the old markets were. I've bought a few things at the market (one cheese, some cardomon), but have been surprised to see that market prices often are the same or higher than supermarket prices! The best thing at the market is just being there, and knowing that these markets have run for over a thousand years. I just realized what I miss here in the market in the winter, which is roasted chestnuts for sale in paper cones, like they sell in Munich. The chestnuts are roasted right on the streets, and you smell them for blocks around.

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, and I still can't quite believe that I'm living in Europe. For the first time in decades, I will not be singing. This means that in theory, I could go to sleep any time I pleased tomorrow night (instead of around 02:30), and also get up (or not) on Christmas morning when I please. It's an odd feeling. I think I needed a break (from singing). Eureka: I can listen to King's College Lessons & Carols, live tomorrow!


Merry Christmas, everyone!