Day 4 – Get Lazy, Get Busy…

Thursday, July 5th

Today was my lazy day. After very eventful first days, it’s hard NOT to feel tired! Everyone kept very busy today. Maxim had multiple hour rehearsals with several different chamber groups. Pippa was running around accompanying. Vadim didn’t have ANYTHING to eat until dinner he was so busy! Our trip is not full of relaxing beach days and sun bathing.

Today in the piano masterclass, I was very impressed with all the talent around me! One of Dr. Baron’s students, Priscilla, was amazing! She played a Liszt transcription of Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. She was so powerful, it was amazing! I was in total awe.

Our trip has also been filled with its fair share of drama. A really sweet woman, Gail, has been experiencing eye problems. When we got here, she needed help walking around. Her right eye is totally blind and her left eye is now deteriorating. After a long search for her doctors’ numbers, the adults all decided that she should go home early. It’s really a shame! Also, half of the entire program has been living for 3 days without luggage! Gail, one of them, had been walking around in heavy hoodies for THREE days in Italian heat! The luggage finally arrived today, thank heavens!

By the Piano at Nanas

It was our first dinner at the famous Náná restaurant! There was a piano in the restaurant’s large room so I urged Maxim to play on it for all of us. The restaurant staff was very impressed with his playing and even recorded it. Luciano, the owner of the restaurant, seemed very pleased and was in awe of the impromptu performances! Mohit played as well, and they both received applause. For the meal, Mohit had ordered an octopus dish. I had NO idea that the plate would come out with full bodied baby octopus! We even got footage of Mohit eating his food. It was kind of gross!

Day 4 Fun Tidbits:
  • Mohit, Maxim, and I visited the medieval gardens at the end of Corso Cavour when we realized that Max wasn’t going to be able to go on a long walk due to his rehearsal schedule. I thought the gardens would resemble a sort of English garden. We’re in Italy, what was I thinking??? It turned out to be an educational herb garden illustrating what gardens might have looked like in the middle ages.
  • Mohit has switched rooms temporarily as his has been infested with bugs. Now that the exterminators came, the bugs are escaping from his room and running into ours!!!
(Marina Nebro)

Also read…
Day 3 – 4th of July in Perugia!
Day 5 – The Rehearsal, the Masterclass & the Concert!
Great Neck Music Conservatory Visits Italy!