TRAVEL
Everywhere we went in Vienna we were offered tickets to concerts. Now both DH and I love classical music, but we hadn’t packed evening dresses or a tux so we declined many of these historically dressed ticket touts. However, one particularly eager young man explained that the audience didn’t have to dress up for any of the smaller venues.
The programme was very much to my taste, Strauss x 2, Mozart and light opera – no rap or jazz and that suited me fine.
It was held in one of the minor palaces and sadly they didn’t allow pictures, though I did sneak this one before it started. My biggest fear was the tiny red velvet covered seats with very spindly legs, and DH is a large guy and my over active imagination could just see his chair collapsing – I mentally read the headlines, only I wouldn’t be able to understand them as they would be written in German.
HISTORY
The new princess born to King Henry and his Queen Joan is christened Joanna, but everyone whispers the name La Beltraneja. Court gossip is “The Queen is a harlot, the King is a fool and the child is a bastard.”
Please note this picture was painted a little time after her birth.
Many say that Beltran de la Cueva (remember, he was the cool, skinny guy who was the Queen’s bit on the side) does everything for his king! – even produce a bastard heir.
For this, he is promoted and given the title Count of Ledesma. Here’s his pic to remind you.
AFRICAN FACTS SANGOMAS PART 3
I heard many stories while I lived in Africa about spells being put on westerners. I was told my horses had been poisoned for muti (medicine) as a way of making me move the stables when we first moved to Francistown.
My head stable boy told me we were on sacred ground, although I’m sure the lady who owned the farm was unaware of this. She had allowed us to use the land in return for looking after her two horses which were barely fit for the knacker’s yard.
I was solemnly informed that I had been warned when two of the horses had their manes and tails cut off. However, I’d no idea it was anything more than wanton vandalism and came to the conclusion the hair was wanted for fly whisks. If only I had listened to them sooner.
You can read the whole story of the riding school for free here
and by signing up for my monthly newsletter you get the second part free as well.
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Till next time, take care.
lucinda E Clarke 
Wow! The concert sounds great and I think you’re probably right about the horses, although it makes for a good story, Lucinda. Thanks for sharing! (Ah, I visited the zoo in Barcelona with a rather large friend, many years back, and we had a drink at one of the terraces. The chairs were plastic and one of them collapsed under her. The chair broke its leg, although thankfully my friend was OK, but I’m sure I would have shared your concern)!
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The concert was fantastic Olga and they included songs and a few dances as well – though how they managed it on such a tine stage was an art in itself. Yes, DH is a big lad and those spindly little chair legs had me really worried.
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The concert sounded right up my street too Lucinda and when I was very large I used to dread those spindly legged chairs…I have had my moments. As to the horses.. poor things if only they had known. I hope mane and tails grew back again. Great story.. hugsxx
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Thank you Sally. The mane and tails ending? Maybe I should be a tease here and say ‘it’s all in the book’! Hugs ((( )))
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