Chautauqua, Year 3

We are back from Chautauqua again--the most fun one can have in a place spelled with three 'u's. (I know that makes no sense, but since when is that a requirement?) In any case, you will be relieved to hear that the little town of Chautauqua has not changed overmuch, though the campaign to build a new and better amphitheater (mousetrap?) is underway.

For the uninitiated, Chautauqua is essentially a summer camp for families: grandparents, other adults, teenagers, children, babies and all that fall in between. There are lectures, classes, music, ballet, theater, opera, literary events, and entertainment of all kinds, both popular and classical. As if this weren't enough, it all takes place in a Victorian setting: houses loaded with gingerbread and porches and rocking chairs, all with breathtaking gardens, crowded with color to the nth degree.

We have attended for one week for the past three summers, sharing a house with friends, taking turns preparing dinner, sometimes dining out and always, comparing notes. This is, I must say, the way to go. It is always a pleasure to share experiences, but this arrangement allows us time to discuss the speakers and their subjects, and to air our (various) opinions on the topics broached.

If I had to pick one thing that I most liked about Chautauqua, it is that experience. We seem to have lost the knack of serious conversation in our daily lives. I know that is an exaggeration, but I can't remember spending an entire evening discussing scientology (or the like) in the past year. We did that this week. Two lectures a day: one on the theme (The American West for this week) and one on religion. In between, there are classes on a variety of topics, ranging from history to art to technology, from yoga to zumba, from sailing to photography. The evening programs are the icing on the cake: classical music to classic movies and bluegrass to ballet. The Chautauqua experience is truly getting away from it all--and taking only the best stuff with you.

One of the best parts is that you are (for one week only) semi-divorced from the hassle of your everyday world. You don't have to drive anywhere; no one is calling you for meetings; no decision is more urgent than deciding what's for lunch.  Sit back on the porch and relax. Play 'Name that Tune' with the carillon that plays three times a day. Read a book. Look at the lake. Develop an affinity for sunsets--or sunrises. Watch the kids on Bestor Plaza wading in the fountain or pogo-sticking down the brick walk. Get an ice cream or a cup of coffee. The world can be your oyster, if only for a week each summer. You're at Chautauqua.