В самом первом сообщении блога я обещала опубликовать некоторые письма моих друзей по преписке.
С гордостью представляю Миссис Толл (фамилия изменена): когда мы познакомились в 1999 году, она работала учителем английского языка и литературы в одной из школ Англии.
Письма из сборника "Monster Letters" (2001 год):
The Hermitage in London
Dear Valya,
Here we are crossing the courtyard with fountains at Somerset House. I had forgotten how big it is, and its wonderful position overlooking the Thames, which looks cold and miserable today. We go into the main building, with high arched ceilings, carved plater and chandeliers, and we hand over our tickets for the exhibition.
The first thing I see is a live picture of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, recorded by live camera, and I am surprised to see there is no snow. I stare for a little while, and then we get busy looking. Well, words alsmost fail me. I knew Catherine was a great and powerful ruler, but the sheer scale of her acquisitions, and their beauty left me amazed.
Where do I begin? There were a number of rooms of exhibits, and like the Blake exhibit, it was all carefully lit.
January Calendar of Events
