a change of scenery

Hey all! We've changed continents since last week. After traveling over five thousand miles on Sunday, Brenda and I arrived in Santa Fe. It was a long day but the flights were pleasant and I enjoyed watching some bad movies (in case you haven't seen it, there's no need to rush out and see I, Frankenstein) while Brenda tried to catch some Zs. We're staying in the same house this summer that we stayed in last summer so we felt immediately at home when we arrived. 

Our new surroundings.

In spite of a performance in Frankfurt on Saturday and a full day of traveling on Sunday, Brenda had to jump right into rehearsals on Monday morning. The good thing is that we were up early Monday morning thanks to jet-lag. In fact, we've woken up at seven the past two days, which has been quite nice because it allows us to enjoy some time together before Brenda has to run off to rehearsal.

While Brenda has been in rehearsal, I've gotten back to one of my favorite Santa Fe activities: hiking. The two hikes I've gone on so far haven't been very long or strenuous, but they have been a lot of fun and I'm looking forward to some longer ones soon.

It's getting late so I should call it a night. I hope you have a great week, and we'll talk to you next Tuesday!

forest creatures

Hey all! I'm happy to report that Frankfurt has cooled down since last week, and Brenda and I have been taking advantage of the great weather by going for jogs and strolls. One such outing took us into the city forest where we came across all sorts of wildlife. Luckily we had a camera handy...

Our walks to the forest take us by a collection of gardens that are tended by people who live in the city. On our most recent walk we noticed several snails on the path by the gardens. We concluded that gardeners viewed the snails as pests and were throwing them onto the path. Since we were headed that way anyway, Brenda decided to take one of the snails to the city forest where it would have a lower risk of being stepped on by a passerby.

The next creature we came across was this crane (stork?). It was very suspicious of Brenda as she tried to get closer to take a picture. 

 Shortly thereafter Brenda noticed this little creature hopping along the ground. At first I thought it was a bug of some kind but on closer inspection it turned out to be a tiny frog (or maybe a toad?).

We saw another creature on our forest walk that we did not take a picture of: a dead bee. I know that bees are a common sight, but this was the first time we'd seen a bee that big. It was around two inches long. It was probably a wasp or a hornet, but I really don't know. Whatever it was, we'll be keeping a look out for any others like it the next time we wander up into the forest.

Other than enjoying some time outdoors, Brenda has been busy working on music. While she only has one performance left at Oper Frankfurt this season, she had another gig tonight where she sang several songs as a part of an event for international airport executives. I don't know much about it other than that, although Brenda just got home so I'm sure she'll fill me in on the details. We're off to Santa Fe this weekend and are already looking forward to some delicious Mexican food. I hope you have a great week, and we'll talk to you next Tuesday!

heat wave

Hey all! Things are heating up here in Frankfurt. Literally. Temperatures have been peaking around 90 degrees over the past few days, which is a bit too hot for my tastes. Our refrigerator seems to agree with me because it started acting up today. Brenda and I have been escaping the heat, albeit briefly, by seeing a movie and going shopping in an air-conditioned mall. Luckily, cooler weather seems to be on its way.

Brenda and I enjoyed catching up with several friends this past weekend. On Saturday our friend Bree, a Minnesotan living in London, came to Frankfurt with a friend of hers to see Brenda's show. We had a nice dinner with them on Saturday night at a good vegan restaurant and they saw Brenda's show the next day. Our friend Andreas and his family also came to that performance. (In case you're wondering, that's the same Andreas we visited last week in Austria.) After the show we went out to dinner with Andreas's family and stayed out until after midnight so we could wish Andreas's sister "happy birthday." (FYI, you're not supposed to say "happy birthday" to a German before his or her actual birthday because it is considered bad luck.) It's always great to see Andreas and his family, and we look forward to catching up with them again in the fall when we see him and his sister perform with their marionette opera theater. 

All of us at dinner after Brenda's show.

As I mentioned last week, Brenda has almost two weeks until her next performance. She's using the time to work on her roles for Santa Fe. In fact, as I write this I'm hearing Brenda chant Russian text in the living room, which I'm hoping has to do with her upcoming gig in Santa Fe. Anyway, before I sign off I thought I'd tell you about one unusual thing we saw in Austria that I forgot to mention last week. Andreas has some neighbors, a young couple, that placed a four-poster bed on their front lawn. The bed has been there for a while, and apparently the young couple likes to sunbathe on it in their underwear. So if you're looking for a little change of pace, and you want to give the neighbors something to talk about, go ahead and move your bed onto the front lawn. If anyone asks, just tell them that's how they do it in Austria. Until next time, have a great week!

the hills are alive...

Hey all! I’m writing to you moments after narrowly avoiding a technological disaster. My computer came very close to receiving a beer bath because my imperfect German language skills caused me to misunderstand what the server was saying. As a side note, “server” may not actually be the right word because Brenda and I are on a train right now.  The worker is more like a flight attendant but, you know, on a train. Let’s go with train attendant. Anyway, my computer was almost drenched, but good fortune, or the train attendant’s steely grip, saved the day.

Brenda and I are heading home after visiting our friend Andreas in Hohenems, Austria. We were there for around forty-eight hours and had a great time catching up with him and seeing the beautiful area he lives in. Hohenems is in western Austria and is very close to the Bodensee (Lake Constance in English). If my Geography is correct, three countries border the Bodensee: Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Thus, if you live near the Bodensee, you live near other countries. We experienced just how close Hohenems is to Germany when we traveled down there on Monday. To get there we took a long-distance train to Lindau, a town in Germany, and then transferred to a local train that took us into Austria and lasted around thirty minutes. By the way, I think it’s remarkable that we could go between Germany and Austria without any border control whatsoever. That is definitely one of the great things about the European Union.

Andreas was a fantastic host. He showed us around the area (which included trips to several nearby towns), he took us on a gorgeous hike, and he helped us compensate for any calories we burned during our sightseeing by taking us to some wonderful restaurants. Here are a few photos to give you a feel for our trip:

 The three of us on a hike.

 

The wooden part of the path was recently constructed after a rockslide prevented hikers from using the old path.

 It took about fifteen minutes of steep hiking to get to this spot.

 Our hike led us to the "Kirchle," which is a cave-like rock formation.

 After the hike we went for a boat ride on the Bodensee and walked around the lake afterwards. In this picture Brenda is striking a dramatic pose in the stands at the Bregenzer Festspiele, an opera festival that is putting on The Magic Flute this year.

 We did a little sightseeing in Lindau today, which included a walk up to the top of the lighthouse.

Here's the view from the top.

So now we’re headed back to Frankfurt. Brenda has two more performances of Don Giovanni this weekend but, as hard as it is for us to believe, once those shows are over she only has one left this season at Oper Frankfurt. There are almost two weeks between her last two performances, which will give us ample time to prepare for our upcoming relocation to Santa Fe for the summer. I will also be able to focus on some possible post-law-school opportunities during that time. I’ll let you know if anything works out.

It looks like we’re getting close to Frankfurt so I should wrap things up. I hope you’re all having a wonderful week, and we’ll talk to you next Tuesday!

back to Austria

Hey all! Things have quieted down since Drew left last week. (By the way, if you haven't had a chance to read Drew's blog post yet, it's a great one!) Brenda has had two performances since then and is getting ready for another one tomorrow. Her cold has been lingering, but it seems like she may finally be feeling normal again. That should make the shows more fun for her.

With Brenda not in rehearsal (for the most part) and me finished with law school we're getting to enjoy a lot of time together. In addition to having a lot of fun, we've been working on projects that have been on the back burner for a while like updating Brenda's website (http://www.brendarae.com). We've made some major changes already and plan on making some more in the coming weeks. Feel free to check it out, and if you have any thoughts about how we could improve it further, please let us know. Other than the that, Brenda is also working on her repertoire for Santa Fe Opera this summer. It's hard to believe that we'll be headed back to Santa Fe in just three and a half weeks.

Brenda and I are looking forward to going to Austria early next week to visit our friend, Andreas. You may remember him from a post I wrote in March after he visited us in London. We get to see him in Frankfurt fairly often but this will be our first time visiting him in Austria. He mentioned something about hiking boots so I'm guessing we'll be climbing some Austria mountains. I should try to get into shape before then.

Before I sign off I wanted to let you know that Oper Frankfurt released a short video that advertises the opera that Brenda is in right now. The video gives you a nice feel for the production and you get see (and hear) Brenda. If you'd like to check it out, you can do so here.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and we'll talk to you next Tuesday (or maybe Wednesday :-))!

Better Spät Than Nie! (And with so many pictures, how could you be disappointed?)

Hello Readers! It's time for twin #2's (aka Drew!) yearly takeover of the Chenda blog! I'm recovering fairly well from some jet lag but have yet to conquer the culture shock of being back in the States. To help soften the culture shock blow, I'll share some pictures of the past 9 days of mine with Brenda and Chad, along with some guest appearances (I might also walk down to my neighborhood bakery after writing this and order something in German, just for kicks)!

As Chad mentioned in last week's blog, Brenda and I had some family in Germany! Our Aunt Marilyn and Uncle Ron, who travel to Germany almost as much as I hope to in my life (wink) were in Frankfurt to catch up with some old friends and to see Brenda's performance in Don Giovanni. We were able to spend some quality time together playing farkle, enjoying a couple delicious meals, and also got a lovely walk in at the city forest.

Ron, Brenda, Marilyn, and Drew at the Stadtwald! 

One of the requirements I have for my trips to Germany is a boat ride, and since Brenda and Chad are the best hosts ever, they came through for me! On the day between Brenda's performances last week, we revisited the Rhein river together. Brenda and Chad have taken many of their visitors on this boat ride, including me, but this time we did something new and took the boat a bit further up the river! It was a gorgeous day and we were able to spend time taking in the views and laughing together.

Evidence of the day. 

A stunning view of one of the castles along the Rhein.

And another shot, just to make you jealous...

My co-captains! 

It's not an outing if it doesn't involve ice cream and coffee! 

The boat had a loudspeaker describing each of the castles we passed by. This castle was supposedly a terrifying strength back in the day, hence the pose. 

We spent a little time in beautiful Rüdesheim, the village where the boat departs from. 

This adorable and unassuming alley led to the cutest shops and restaurants in Rüdesheim! Surprise! 

Twins chatting by the boat. 

The day after our idyllic boat ride, we took it easy, since Brenda had a show that evening. One of my favorite things about the trips I take is that I get the opportunity to see my sister sing an opera every time! Even though I may sometimes forget what a special and unique event this is, my enjoyment never dwindles. Don Giovanni conjures memories from our childhood, since the movie Amadeus was a family favorite, so I was especially excited to see Brenda sing the role of Donna Anna. Because I'm her twin, I get bragging rights - the opera got a nice review in the New York Times, which you can see here (I'm not sure how long the link will be valid). Though German super-titles for an Italian language opera were sometimes difficult for me to catch, the opera was incredibly moving and gorgeously sung by everyone. One of the perks of having a twin at the same company for multiple years is getting to know the rest of the crew! When the performance was over, I got to see some familiar faces and meet some new ones at the theater cantina (which the cool opera singers hijack from the actors of the Schauspiel, hehe), which is always a pleasure and something I look forward to!  

Me in my opera duds with the star soprano Brenda Rae in her dressing room (I haven't grown taller than her, but I like that this picture makes it seem that way!).   

On Sunday, Chad, Brenda, and I hopped on a plane to Vienna! As Chad mentioned last week, I studied there for a semester in college (which was 11 years ago now....yikes!) and I hadn't been back since! The three of us were able to squeeze a lot in over a couple days and I got to revisit some old spots and take in some new ones. I'll let the pictures do the talking! 

Taking the Schnellbahn into the city center from the airport. Chad is an expert photo-bomber! 

Where I attended classes in Vienna! It was quite a trip walking down that old familiar street and finding the doors to Palais Corbelli (that's right, I went to classes at an 18th century palace!). 

Twins in front of the Stefansdom. Had you asked me 11 years ago if this picture would be happening, I probably would have said no! 

There is a magical place in Vienna that I didn't get to visit when I lived there. It is the Prater. It is amazing. You may know this about Chad, but he is not a huge fan of amusement parks. Alas, the fates were not kind to him, and he married a woman who loves all things involving bright lights and rides. When that woman's twin is in town, this love is UNSTOPPABLE. Chad was a fantastic sport and these pictures tell the story of our night at the Wiener Prater.

The excitement of Brenda and Chad as we exit the train station to the Prater grounds! 

Twins couldn't be happier up on the Riesenrad!

Such a good sport (and happy the twins didn't discover the wheel that turns the Ferris wheel car until the ride ended)!  

Triumphant! 

One of the creepy joys of the Prater.

A fantastic night! 

Our time in Vienna flew by, but we certainly enjoyed every minute of it. We got to stop in to the opera shop at the Wiener Staatsoper, where Brenda has a picture from the time she jumped in as Lucia (if I'm keeping her roles straight...). Chad and I embarrassed her and made her pose for a picture under the framed picture. I shall further embarrass her by posting it on this blog. Dangit, I'm just so proud of her!

Brrrrrenda Rae!

I got to drag Chad and Brenda around the Wiener Ringstraße, which is home to many impressive architectural styles and eras. I always thought it was interesting that though the buildings vary in styles, they were all built around the same time. You can read more about it here, if you'd like! 

My favorite, the Rathaus. In the days leading up to Christmas, the grounds are filled with stalls for a magical looking Christmas Market. Though I passed by them on the streetcar when I lived in Vienna, sadly, I never got off that streetcar to check out the market. Regrets!

On our final morning in Vienna, we got some coffee and kuchen at the Hundertwasserhaus. When I was in Vienna last time, I fell in love with the bright colors and incorporation of nature in Hundertwasser's creations, so it was lovely revisiting it again. 

A view of the Hundertwasserhaus from the corner.

We returned to Frankfurt later in the evening on Tuesday and enjoyed a good ol' fashioned night of pizza delivery, Radler (NA for me), and Mario Party. It wouldn't have been a complete trip without it! The next day we all took it easy, with the exception of a little work engagement Brenda did with the opera. After she was finished, Chad and I met up with her for a delicious dinner at Klosterhof and then walked around the city. Chad and Brenda are the best hosts one could hope for. Knowledgeable, fun, and always up for adventure. This trip marked my fourth time visiting them in Germany, and I'm already looking forward to the next one! Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed hearing about our adventures! ...Perhaps the Chenda will let me do another blog entry when I visit them in Santa Fe this summer! 

A vacation well spent.

the Drew trip: a prelude

Hey all! Sorry for the delayed post. We've been busy squeezing in as much quality time together as possible before Drew headed back to the states. We had a great time together over the past ten days and look forward to telling you all about it. I'm afraid it's a little too late to tell you about it tonight, but we'll fill you in soon!