Tuesday, 15 January 2019
Bariloche, Argentina
Scenic drive around the Llao Llao Peninsula recommended by the young girl on reception. Reminds me of my lighting fairy number one. Same mannerisms. Same good looks (see what I did there…). I don’t imagine my light fairies are reading this, but if they are, I know they’ll be arguing over who is number one. By way of explanation, I’m an amateur theatre lighting designer in my spare time.
Scenic drive not too scenic as it’s driving through a dense forest. The only views are at panoramic points which, are, very panoramic.
Highlight is lunch at Patagonia Cerveceria micro brewery. The view from the terrace is stunning. Driving so unable to try the various brews on offer.
Cable car up to Cerro Campanario. About twenty buses had parked up this morning with long queues. Now they’re all gone, it’s a short queue. Which I join. And wait in line. A Gino d’Campo (British TV chef) lookalike ambles up and jumps in right at the front. Not sure if he’s with one of the groups that are queueing in sequence. He looks like he needs a slap just by looking at him. Ticket collector has got his number though and tells him to clear off to the back of the queue. Ah. He says. Sorry. He says. He thought all of us were queuing for the chairlifts. He knows full well that’s not the case. It’s quite obvious we’re queuing for tickets. Definitely needs a slap. He saunters off to the back. And queues. Like the rest of us.
Very windy today. Yesterday evening upon arrival in my spa suite (sorry, I mean really basic hotel room), the handyman came and put up the Union flag on a little pole outside on my terrace. All the rooms have little flags outside them denoting guests’ nationalities. What a good idea. Never thought I’d see the Union flag fly in Argentina again.
I say ‘again’.
Not since myself and a colleague cheekily flew a 4ft wide Union flag in the main avenida in Bueno Aires in 1999. A weekend trip from Porto Alegre, Brasil, where we working at the time. We didn’t get lynched. Surprisingly.
Anyway, hotel’s Union flag is upside down. And you all should know that’s a signal for being in distress. Rectify the flag. Take it apart and tie it up the correct way. It’s flying proudly now.
Receive email from an acquaintance in the village asking if I would like to do the theatre lighting for Toyah Wilcox in a few weeks. She’s doing a gig in the village. Blast. Would love to do that. Have already lit Beverly Craven and Paul Young the past couple of years.
Oh yes, folks. I mix in famous circles.
