Robert le diable at the Royal Opera

Robert le diable was very interesting for me on so many counts. In David Cairns' biography of Hector Berlioz, there was a lot of mention of Meyerbeer in Paris at the time - yet I'd no exposure to Meyerbeer's operas. Then a friend of mine said "there are reasons why some operas don't get performed much - they weren't any good". And there was my sheer curiosity to be exposed to one of the first "grand operas".

So, voila, Robert le diable at the Royal Opera. Laurent Pelly's new production was grand. Lots of movements and textures. Lots of people. The cast of many sang well - and in particular Bryan Hymel. Not sure whether the "ballet" worked in the middle act - it was dancing around lots of obstacles.

And how was it in the end? There was not a dull moment. Musically? No, it's no match for later grand operas. But then one has to put this pioneering work into context. For sure, one felt entertained for the evening. Perhaps it's time to review other grand operas.

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Dialogues des Carmélites at the Royal Opera

Michael Levine's set design for Dialogues des Carmélites was minimalist. Actually, was there any set design? I suppose the director Robert Carsen was clever at introducing formation of human figures in many different ways to suggest the context of the opera. It kind of worked. Blanche, sung by Sally Matthews, was pretty good. Though I did find the whole work quite tedious - I think the intimate nature of the dialogues needed a small and intimate performing space i.e. not the Royal Opera House. The ending was worth waiting for. Dramatic. Poignant.

Xuan Spa, Park Hyatt Saigon

After a long day on my feet travelling from frantic Bangkok to Saigon, I very much looked forward to a relaxing massage before going to bed. The Xuan Spa was a very pleasant surprise. The staff was very friendly and the atmosphere of the spa was tranquil - a world away from the screaming mopeds on the streets outside. The therapy room was big, with an en suite shower and lovely foot bath. The massage was good - classical Swedish - and at a leisurely pace. Subsequently I had a very good night's sleep.

Aqua Nueva serving up some hot Spanish snacks in London

It's just about a month old when Aqua opened in London. And yes, it's the same Aqua as the one on No 1 Peking Road. Well, the entrance on Argyll Street makes a bit of a statement - crimson velvet decor with a sleekly dressed receptionist guiding you to the lift. When you get to the top floor, it opens out into a series of bar and dining areas. My destination was Aqua Nueva - the Spanish part of this drinking-dining complex. That meant I was guided along an atmospherically lit corridor before I got to the the restaurant. It's well lit with a terrace looking out to a roof top terrace. Unlike Aqua in Hong Kong where it has the spectacular harbour view, the London one only looks out to a roof-top view. Rather than wading through the tapas and a la carte menus, I just asked the maitre d' to bring a selection of their tapas. I was pleasant surprised by the delicate croquette of mushrooms, lightly cooked octopus, braised pork, San Pietro fillets, Manchengo topped tortilla a...

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