The organist librarian

Woke at 10. Swam and checked out at 12. Ate at eat well go well in amazing plaza,Taxi to Gardens by the bay  fantastic 2 large indoor conservatories Christmas display, baobabs, succulents, Mediterranean gardens, the other is the cloud forest showing different forest zones as you walk down. We ate at cafe  Rain so skyway closed taxis to hotel then airport. Wheelchair and able to have food and shop. Good flight in a 2 and slept. Watched programme on port. Taxi into Adelaide dry heat and lovely serviced apartment at Oaks Embassy. got shopping at Coles and slept. To State library to get on Internet, good displays of fine books. Spoke to Ann. Slept well woke at 3. 45) to tourist office and played organ at Scots church very friendly. Walked to the zoo and saw pandas, bilbys, potoroos glider squirrels

Louise rose early and drove us to Heathrow. Very good of her as the family would be at Beanie'zs for the New Year. We had breakfast and the wheelchair service was OK although it was quite a walk to the desk and also no Wheelchair while in shopping area .i was able to get an eyeshade and water. The flight was excellent. Singapore Airlines staff and food excellence. We were in a 2 on top deck. I was able to do my exercises and watched Bioto Mefistofele from Munich brilliant chorus, Pape, Calleja. Lohengrin which I have not seen before from Dresden again great singing and acting Netrebko. Lan Shui conducting Singapore SO. In Berlin Schumann cello concerto with Jan Vogler, Strauss, Ravel, Hindemith. Did not sleep much 12 hours. taxi to Park Royal on Kitchener unimpressed by staff. Arrived 8 am no room until 3! Trailfinders will hear of this. Shower at pool Liz very cross. Taxi to Good Shepherd cathedral for packed mass got a seat Liz outside. Homily rambling, overheads, odd choir lots...

After breakfast there was time to visit the Leo house chapel briefly before getting a taxi to Penn station. The train was very late and we left New York 45 minutes late. Jurowski got an excellent review in the New York Times. Researched Washington on the train which went through lovely countryside and down the coast. On arrival we had a pizza and got a taxi to the apartment which is well situated and on the fourth floor so lots of stairs. We got the subway to Rhode Island Ave where we boarded a shuttle bus to reach the stop for the National Basilica of the Immaculate conception. A huge and magnificent building. The singing at Mass was led by a woman cantor and a very loud organ.Boellmann Suite gothique at the end was rather hurried and on the choir organ which was a shame. Lovely bookshop downstairs where we bought books for confirmandi and servers. Had a wrap at Potbelly which caters for the Catholic university students and walked to see the floodlit Capitol. We are near to Capitol ...

Picked up Marie and snow nearly all gone but attempt to drive up to church no good as snow still lying at the top so had to reverse down the slope and out into the road! Started learning the Somervell. Programme on pandas and QI.