Day 69, Level 1: Quiz (a decade of it), Venice, opera and incredible paper dresses

- December 15, 2020

Gorgeous day. Blue sky, no wind. Not too hot.

On computer or phone most of the day sorting stuff so didn't see too much of it. But it was nice to know it was there.

Quiz tonight - we did well - and came 2nd (again!) by just one point. The team that usually wins and who we battle with won again. Oh well, we did our best. We'd thought it was the last quiz for the year but the final one is next week. So we go again ... maybe next week will be our winning one, to wrap the year up. Despite the strange year of Covid and lockdowns, quiz has provided a steady and pleasant interlude to everything else. It too, shut down of course in lockdowns - but we remember the weeks we were there having fun, not the ones we weren't. Always good food, wine and camaraderie. A few wins, a few placings, and a few duds. That's the nature of life in a nutshell.

Our quizmaster is a lovely young guy who, we found out tonight, has just completed his masters with honours. Not sure what he's studying! Apparently he's just begun his PhD. I'll ask him next week what he is studying! The barman was gutted for us losing by one point. They like us - we buy food and wine and are kind and friendly and we laugh a kit - we're the type of people bar and wait staff like. In fact, they know us so well now that the moment we each arrive on a Tuesday, our preferred drink is placed in front of us within a jiffy.

Our team has tried out a few quiz venues over the years. We've been regular at a couple but then one got pulled down and the other ran out of steam. We then went on a hunt for one that suited us all. Took a wee while and we tried out quite a few, and then we found our new regular, the friendly "Corner Bar". We love quiz here - and it's about 4 minutes' drive from home for me which is even better.

I realise I've been quizzing for almost a decade now - I started in 2011 and we're headed for 2021. Good grief, is that for real? Yes it is.

SHARE-NOTE OF THE DAY:
Venetian Opera and Belgian Paper dresses ...

Venice holds a very dear place in my heart for so many reasons. There are many delights there, of course, but here are pics of a couple of very memorable moments in this exceptional city ... from my trip there with Lyn back in 2008 when we travelled from London to Venice on the Orient Express. What exceptional once-in-a-lifetime 2-days of fun that train trip is! And then there are the fabulous memories gleaned from actually being in the incredible city of Venice. I've been three times - I hope to go again when Covid is a thing of the past.

Lyn and I went to a fabulous Opera & Concerto showcasing the music of Venice with musicians in period costume in a beautiful venue. Whilst Lyn has an affinity with opera (and can sing), I've never quite got to grips with it (and I can't sing to save myself!) What an awesome and special evening it was!

And even more awesome than that, the next day we stumbled upon an amazing museum, the Fortuny Palace (or Palazzo Fortuny). That's the thing in Venice - stumbling upon things is all part of the magic. You never know what turning the next corner will bring. You never quite know where you've been or where you've come from. Or where you'll end up. Getting lost in Venice is the best thing ever. Sometimes I wish we'd never found our way out of the maze of alleys and squares and walks along the canals. I could have been happy being lost there forever!

The Fortuny Palace/Museum is, in itself, amazing, as Mariano Fortuny was an amazing textile artist, ahead of his time and talented beyond words. But when we stumbled upon the place, they were also showcasing an incredible exhibition by Isabelle de Borchgrave, a Belgian creative with a difference.

Costumes made from paper - but you would never know they are made of paper. Folded paper, sheer paper, painted paper, gilded paper, patterned paper, dyed paper ... all so perfectly crafted into intricate, glamorous and decadent garments that took our breath away.

Lyn and I were blown away walking around this exhibition. I'm still blown away when I think about it - 12 years later.

See something as stunning as this - and you can never ever forget it.

Here are some photos of Isabelle's garments - all made of paper ...