Feeling like Figaro

Two days ago, we finally gave a haircut to Wolfie, the first in a year, since the first lockdown. It was long overdue. Before last Sunday, he always had haircuts from professional hairdressers and convincing him to get through the whole process was quite an ordeal. Now, it was his dad. Better still: even though he had refused to receive a haircut since lockdown, he wanted and asked for it. I guess he was fed up of looking like a hippie and having to move the hair from his face. Surprisingly, I did a pretty good job of it. it made me feel like Figaro, from The Barber of Seville, by Rossini. In any case, I had this very aria in mind the whole time, which I never managed to master when I studied classical singing:

The Thieving Magpie

I took this picture during our visit at Kew Gardens. There were plenty of things to take picture of, impressive views, I missed a lot of them, but I was happy taking a picture of a magpie. Fascinating creatures which I have discovered when I started studying in England. before that, I knew them from their reputation of thieves, but the bird meant little to me. I knew Overture of La gazza ladra since I had listened to it in the soundtrack of A Clockwork Orange and the role the magpie (and Rossini's opera) played in this Tintin album. Now I have to confess I know little about the bird still, close to zilch about their bad reputation as thieves of shiny objects, but I just love their look, the mix of white, black and blue.

Since I saw it and managed to take a close shot of it, I got the Overture of The Thieving Magpie in the head. I had decided to put it here, since I haven't had enough music recently.