What a great evening!

I have just passed a really great evening of television viewing. Something which I must admit is a rare occurrence these days - even with 'wall to wall' British programmes. It was purely by accident that I switched to BBC4 at about 8pm and there was the Omnibus edition of Leonard Bernstein conducting West Side Story with Kiri Te Kanawa and Josè Carreras singing the parts of Maria and Tony - Ah, sheer bliss!

I had been flicking around the channels while I was waiting to see this evenings episode of Casualty. Well once I heard that fabulous music Casualty was forgotten - who cares about Casualty?

I saw West Side Story for the first time the day after it's 'premier' in London in 1961....and that was it - I was hooked. I bought the album - which I still jealously preserve and I have seen the film at least forty times I would think.

Who can forget such delights as 'Tonight' - 'There's a place for us' - 'Gee Officer Krupke' and perhaps my favourite of them all - 'America' and those great lines, among which were:

I like to be in America!
O.K. by me in America!
Ev'rything free in America
For a small fee in America!

I like the city of San Juan.
I know a boat you can get on.
Hundreds of flowers in full bloom.
Hundreds of people in each room!

I'll bring a T.V. to San Juan.
If there a current to turn on!
I'll give them new washing machine.
What have they got there to keep clean?

When I will go back to San Juan.
When you will shut up and get gone?
Everyone there will give big cheer!
Everyone there will have moved here!

That last line makes me smile these days as it makes me think of all of us 'expats' who have moved here to Italy and are now happily settled. If things go on like this some of our 'home countries' (well the smaller ones at any rate) will be empty too - we'll all be over here!!!

But back to the music.... I can honestly say that I can remember just about every word of every song from this fabulous musical. Stephen Sondheim's lyrics together with the wonderful music of Leonard Bernstein is imprinted on my heart I think. Yes there are other musicals which I like, musicals like Oliver, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady all of which I was lucky enough to see on the 'West End' stage in the late 50's and early 60's, but that which remains uppermost, and has done now for 45 years, is West Side Story.

So tonight was a wonderful end to what has been a strange year. A year full of 'ups and downs'. A wonderful day at the Monster GTG in Tuscany and the chance to meet so many Expats. Another 'mini' GTG at Easter when I met some others. Plus many just ordinary days that were nothing really to write home about but make up my life.... In addition I have made many new friends this year and now, with the advent of SKYPE on my horizon these friendships are blossoming!

I just hope that 2007 will bring to me and mine - and to everyone I know, wherever they may be - a peaceful and prosperous life!