Giulio Cesare in Egitto (Not this image)

The opera performed at the University of California at Berkeley was superb. The Glaswegian who sang Cornelia was my favorite performer—outshining Caesar, Cleopatra, and everyone else, in my opinion, though they were all superb. Her deep wailing laments ripped my heart out. I feared the four-hour performance would wax tedious, but not at all. Harry Bicket’s staging was imaginative, inventive enough that I almost didn’t miss the sets and costumes of a full production. 

The best remedy I know, for the horrors overtaking the USA, is beauty. So there we were, drinking it up. 

Predictably, they didn’t want people making photos of the performance, so the image is a group of UC-Berkeley students who were line-dancing in the courtyard below the theatre. As we stepped out for air during the intermission, we wondered who goes to UC-Berkeley these days. First, you have to be brilliant even to apply. Fabulous test scores, plenty of extra-curricular activities, a good essay, excellent recommendations. Then you need money. Finally, you have a slight edge if you can manage to be born in California. As for demographics, about half are Asian, about a third are of European descent, and another 20% or so come from Central and South America. There are very few Black people, either from the US or from the African diaspora, sad to say.

I'm writing this very tired on Monday night after our flight home. The airport was slow going, thanks to cuts in TSA staffing by the current odious administration.

Extra, just for fun: California poppies in situ.