V.com weekend vote: Are you taking a vacation this summer? With fiddle or no?
With the last few years being a pandemic roller coaster, it's been a long time since I've taken a vacation and truly let go of everything.
This summer I finally got to do that. Thanks to my husband Robert, who runs the website ThemeParkInsider.com we had the almost surreal opportunity to go on the Inaugural Cruise of the new "Disney Wish" ship last week.
Of course, he spent the entire time writing articles, recording panels and doing interviews, but for my two grown kids and me, it was time off and time away from normal life. Without my violin or even an Internet connection, I truly disconnected for the first time in years! It felt good to simply put the brain and body in a different place for a week.
Have you been able to take a good vacation in the last few years? Do you have a getaway planned for this year? If so, will you be taking your violin, or not? Is your idea to get away from your fiddle, or actually take it with you and make it the focus of your "away" time? Please participate in the vote and then tell us all about it in the comment- and it’s okay to vote if your vacation already happened! For those of us readers in the U.S., happy Independence Day!
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My "vacation" is more of a change in venue for a month than a traditional vacation. I'll still have to work (remotely), but it will offer a better view and far fewer daily distractions. My violin is definitely coming with me. And while I can't say "My vacation is all about the fiddle," I'll definitely have much more time to play than I do at home!
Sorry, I can't vote. I just returned from a few weeks in France (sans le violon).
Albrecht, it’s okay to vote if your vacation already happened!
I was supposed to be on vacation last week, but I got COVID instead. It is rescheduled for the first week of August. I hope it will really happen then!
I hope you are feeling better, Karen! I had it about a month ago; this current strain is very contagious.
A negative COVID test was a prerequisite for the trip I just took, so it all seemed very tenuous until two days before, when the test was administered and came up negative!
My last vacation that was all about the fiddle was Prussia Cove as an observer, about 40 years ago. My last vacation in which I left the fiddle behind was a few years later in the century. One time I left it behind because I was having to go to the conference venue by train and I had been told the open air services on the prom weren't having singing; then there was a change of plan, so I bought a Piacenda from the local music shop. It wasn't a bad buy, it does sound quite decent. Later I was planning to offer to exchange it for a vso with young Theodore (A beginner on the fiddle , he was already tackling Bach unaccompanied and the worst thing about his playing was the said vso), when he stopped coming to the church gathering I was attending.
Vacation IS fiddle time for me. Just did a week with Emerald Isle String Haven (quartet/string orchestra). Upcoming is Ashokan Northern Week later in July. Next is Blue Lake Chamber Music camp in August. I'll round out the year in Westford, MA at Fiddle Hell for four days. That will be enough vacation for me. I am living my best dream!
One of these years before I'm too old I'm going to do CMC.
Not taking a vacation this summer. Haven't taken one for several years. I voted what comes nearest for me: "My vacation is actually all about the fiddle." Not all about it, of course; but late afternoons and early evenings, once the day's work is finished - and once I've done working out - then I practice and play my three fiddles, 30-60 minutes each, in the garage, which has good reverb. It's warm enough here in the Heart of Dixie to do this about 8 months a year.
I may finally hit the road again in summer 2023. Whenever I do it, it will be without the fiddles. Not worried - even after a few weeks off from playing, I regain fluency fast.
As I write this, I'm pausing intermittently to view the framed photo enlargements on the living room walls - shots I made on past trips: One of them is from an Independence Day slide I shot just outside Hugoton, KS.
In our mid 70's, retired - life is a vacation. No desire for a change of venue, Child-Free and no living relatives. My business life was all about travel so staying home is so much preferable. The violin is a permanent part of life.
Just took a vacation last week, and brought my travel fiddle (a Cricket fiddle), never took it out to play, too "busy" relaxing. :)
No vacation. Haven’t had one in many years, by circumstances not so much by choice.
Heading up to Port Townsend, Washington, in August for a Blues Workshop at Fort Worden. Bringing my violin, guitar, mandolin, and a viola. Yes! A viola for the blues! I don’t know anyone who plays a blues viola, and I think that’s really too bad. It’s darker, funkier, and gritty. Planning on a deep dive into all of it from 10 a.m. to midnight. I’ll let you know how it went when I get back.
We live in Arizona and are retired 'snowbirds' traveling all summer in a motor home to visit grandkids and get out of the heat. I found places for my electronic piano, guitar, 2 violins (double violin case), flute, banjolele and an accordion. I play in several music groups during the year and can't let my skills get rusty over the summer months.
No fiddle or viola on our planned trip, but orchestra camp when we get back!
I voted that I’d be taking a vacation, but without the violin. The last time I flew with an instrument was on a long-defunct airline called GO! Although I’d pre-informed them I’d be traveling with a violin, I nearly didn’t go, as they wanted me to put the violin in the hold. Eventually, they saw sense.
About the cruise, Laurie, how was the food, and what was the music on board experience?
My vacation will be playing chamber music in a music festival - so, yeah, olde fiddle will be with me!
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July 3, 2022 at 11:28 PM · We went to the Outer Banks earlier this summer. Joined my inlaws there. They generously rented the property for two weeks, I was responsible for groceries and most of the cooking. I brought along my violin and my viola. My younger daughter and her friend brought their cellos (imagine what the back of our van looked like). My older daughter and her friend drove separately from Northern Virginia and her friend brought her violin. And I brought a box full of music. Because we had the two cellos (and with my daughter playing my violin), we decided to take a crack at the Schubert C Major Quintet D956. Skill levels and opportunity to prepare parts varied, but we had fun with it. The two young cellists are both relatively serious and practiced quite a bit during the vacation. But there were plenty of trips to the beach, to miniature golf, ice cream shops, kayaking on the sound, climbing the light, and so forth.