Blog party and the opera

It’s become an annual tradition to host my friends, Hattie, and her husband, Terry, for a day in Honolulu. They hail from Hilo (the Big Island) and enjoy having lunch with us before the opera and dinner afterwards. This year, I also invited Kay and her husband, Art, and Hank and his son, Chip. (See my blogroll to have a taste of their wonderful blogs!)

Here we are at my home before lunch (Art took the photo). Kay said we should have our picture taken “while we are still fresh.” Lol:

Top row: Chip, me, Hank, Terry, and Kay.
Seated: David (note his aloha shirt is a different color for a change!) and Hattie.

The menu: Shrimp cocktail, baked chicken with peaches, asparagus, broccoli, and jasmine brown rice:

Hank, Kay, and Art.

Art and Terry discussed their separate hikes up Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Fuji, both done when they were much younger. Incredible!

David, Terry, Chip, and Hattie.

This dessert was made by Kay. I forget what she called it, but it tasted like flan. Absolutely delicious!

After lunch, everyone except for Kay and Art headed to the Blaisdell to see Bizet’s opera, “The Pearl Fishers.” I must say that the French lyrics were sung beautifully. But, I especially loved the lush orchestration. Bizet was only 25 when he composed this opera. Can you imagine creating such a masterpiece at such a young age? Simply gorgeous music. Of course, we followed along by reading the super text in English flashed above the stage.

After the opera, Hattie and Terry treated us to dinner at Ryan’s Grill. I ordered the Three Salad Sampler, as usual, while Hattie, Terry and David ordered fish. Good and satisfying food!

They will attend Strauss’ “Die Fledermaus” here in October. Hattie and Terry lived in Germany before moving to Switzerland, where Terry got a better job offer, so they want to see this German opera. (Hattie majored in German in college.) We will host them, as usual. Love you guys!