Post #1071: 9th June 1999
Darling readers,
I've arrived in Cambridge! It feels like a dream come true, strolling down cobbled streets in my pink tutu, with the scent of blooming wisteria hanging in the air. You just know good things are going to happen when the air itself is this delightful.
Now, you might be wondering, what's a girl in a tutu doing in a university town? Well, I'm here to see the most glorious ballet company you can imagine! They are holding a summer school here at the university, and of course, I couldn't miss it. I had to make sure they'd see me in all my tutu-clad glory, even if it was a bit out of place amongst the students bustling between libraries and lectures.
Speaking of my tutu, it's my newest creation! My best friend, Daisy, from Derbyshire (she knows all about tutus!), helped me find the most beautiful fabric in a little vintage shop in Manchester. We call it "Sunrise in a Swirl", it's a shimmering pink, that reminds me of a sunrise over the moors. It's slightly different from my usual pink - think coral pink rather than a traditional ballet pink - a perfect blend of elegant and adventurous.
Of course, I made sure to bring a few extra tutus along, just in case there are any emergencies, or if I fancy changing the colour of my dance of the day. As you know, my life revolves around ballet - it's more than just my passion, it's a way of life.
I started the day at Cambridge train station. The old steam engine and that amazing whistling noise is always so charming, like travelling back in time! Just before my arrival, the platform was all abuzz - an unexpected gathering of geese! The station master, a lovely fellow with a rather stern yet endearing mustache, was trying to shoo them off with a rather playful hand-waving technique, all while keeping a twinkle in his eye! It made my morning, because honestly, who can resist a goose? It seems like Cambridge's full of delightful little adventures, even in the most unlikely places!
After the geese incident, it was a quick cab ride to my cosy little boutique hotel. Oh my, it's adorable! Pink flowers climb up the brick walls, and there's a little rose garden in the courtyard - so chic! I even requested my room have a bathtub! They managed to conjure one for me, and even put some fresh rose petals on top of the bubbly! (You have to treat yourself sometimes, darlings! You deserve the best!).
My afternoon started off with a proper English high tea at a tearoom overlooking the River Cam. Such delicious cucumber sandwiches! They even served tiny, perfect, little raspberry macarons, and my favorite - mini Victoria sponge cakes! I’ll need to find a recipe to create my own versions of these - delicious and petite treats to serve at my future tutu teas, don’t you think?
The main event is tomorrow! It's the opening gala for the summer school. They've chosen the theme to be "Birds of a Feather", so you know there'll be all sorts of gorgeous costumes and creative interpretations - they even have a bird expert giving talks in the afternoon about birds that appear in ballets, like swans and peacocks. You'd think that swans would have something to do with water and swans and geese have something to do with one another - well, you’d be right in a ballet-themed world.
The entire day is just a delightful, charming, dreamy flurry of dancing. There's going to be a special guest star - I can't tell you who because I'd ruin the surprise, but I can tell you he's an absolute ballet superstar! The kind that people stop you in the street for, the kind that sends ripples of excitement through the whole ballet community!
I plan to dress up for the evening, maybe my newest pink, maybe a light purple? I have quite a few colours that fit a "Birds of a Feather" theme, it all depends on how I'm feeling! I might even throw in some beautiful hand-painted feathers into my hairstyle... Oh, it's so thrilling to even think about it!
Stay tuned, darling readers, for my tomorrow's post with a full account of my delightful adventures! It'll be all things ballet and all things pink... just the way I love it! Until then, stay beautiful and twirl on!
Love,
Emma x
