Before the Curtain went up at the Tivoli
Inside the Tivoli before Pan’s Labyrinth
Here we are, sitting in Kayak’s Coffee, across the street from Washington University. Mary is over working this morning and early afternoon while we are here, hanging out for a few hours in a coffee place. And this coffee place, it’s our kind of place… good chai, free WiFi, food items for later when we get hungry, and a very cool bar area, in a window with plenty of room for the laptops, cups, and Karen’s cell phone. Plus, I’m plugged in so as not to lose any power, which will come in handy later, on the plane flight home.
It’s been a good time, as it always is actually, with Mary and Martin. We haven’t done a lot of running around, though we did manage to see the St. Louis Art Museum the other night. Pretty cool. It’s open until 9:00 on the weekends, they have some decent exhibits, it’s beautifully lit up, and there’s a jazz combo playing. It was a nice experience. Other than that… we went out for a few dinners, some ice cream, a tiny bit of shopping, and a trip to the theater to see Pan’s Labyrinth. Which, by the way, was an excellent film. Beautiful, strange, violent, and magical. If you get a chance to see it, do.
Now, here we are, ready to venture back home. We are excited by the prospect of sleeping in our own bed and just being home. Karen hasn’t been home since the 14th. Two and a half weeks away… she’s missing it. As am I.
The laptop will be charged, the ipod is charged (and filled with 3027 more songs than it had on it before we arrived… thank you Mary and Martin for the lovely gift of all that music), I’ve downloaded the last two episodes of Heroes, which we missed, for viewing while we travel, and we bought a crossword puzzle book to fill in the rest of the down time. One change of planes in Chicago and we’ll be home.
This could very well be our last trip to St. Louis, ever. I must say, I like it better now. My advice, visit in the winter, when there’s no humidity. Though, as I said, we will probably never be here again, summer or winter, what with Mary and Martin moving to England, I can’t see a reason for us to return. Even with liking it better now, as I do, it’s not exactly a vacation destination. The only draw of this place has been Mary living here, though we have, since I’ve been in the picture at least, enjoyed some of what this place has to offer… Mary’s graduation from the University; the Arch; playtime with Mr. Wickersham (or Wicket, as he’s known to his close friends); views of the Mississippi River; moving Mary in the hot August heat; a Cardinal’s game; the beauty of Washington University; fine Chai tea; some good restaurants; cold and snow; the hot summer time humidity; forest park with it’s free museums and wonderful zoo; the summer food and music festival, complete with fireworks; and some really nice together time with Mary, and now Martin. Given all of that, I guess all there is left to say is goodbye. We’re leaving you now. You’ve treated us, and more importantly, Mary, pretty well. So thank you… and, so long St. Louis.
