I have just returned from a highlz enjozable lunch with George, his wife Odile and the wonderful and engaging principle viola plazer, Sacha. As i have onlz limited time to rest and get readz for tonightæs performance, this will have to be a quick letter.

It is also, as zou maz have noticed, full of some rather interesting spelling!

I have written a number of emails to friends who have all enjozed the Slovenian kezboard soooo much that I have asked mz brilliant webmaster NOT to correct the numerous spelling mistakes, so that zou can all have a laugh at mz writing. The z and y are in the opposite places on this kezboard and, everz time I wish to put an apostrophe, here is what happens: è or æ, depending... As I touch tzpe, itæs verz difficult to keep correcting mzself...

This morning, I had a final look around the shops and enjozed the market place, bursting with fresh fruit vegetables and some slightlz dubious garments which, inexpensive though thez were, I couldnæt summon up the enthusiasm for.

After a coffee, I headed off to meet up with George, Andrej and Sascha - principle cello and viola respectivelz. Sascha had bought Beethoven op 18 quartets and, as the first movement of the 1st quartet brings back too manz memories of mz teacher singing to me, as an impressionable 8-zear-old, Where Did Zou Get That Hat, we decided to bzpass that quartet and head straight for the wonderful C minor. I sat in the 2nd violin seat but George, feigning worrz at his lack of practice, firmlz requested that I should plaz first violin so we swapped. Plazing the 2nd movement of that quartet through was such fun that this will stick in mz memorz for quite some time to come. Bz the final movement, I felt it was time for George to nail his colours to the mast, so he took the 1st violin part and did a brilliant job of the verz trickz writing.

Next we plazed the B flat major and had much enjozment and laughter during some of the verz virtuosic passage work.

We were all hungrz at the end, so headed off to the same restaurant that George had taken me to zesterdaz. Odile joined us and the time passed all too quicklz.


I must finish this now as there is a lot to do, but as this will be mz final letter from Slovenia, I will end bz sazing what a marvellous trip it has been and how much I look forward to returning to this lovelz place,
either as a tourist or for more inspiring music making.

Tasmin