Firstly, being British I have to make you aware that today is St. George’s Day and he is the Patron Saint of England. Unfortunately I can’t get hold of an English flag to stick out of my apartment window and if I could then I’m sure the Minnesotans here would wonder what I was doing? I have sung here before in 1999 when I sang the title role in Tosca. I can’t believe how much this area has changed since then. We are staying in the Warehouse District where very chi-chi apartments and lofts have replaced all the old railway yards and sidings. I am staying in a loft apartment right next door to the Minnesota Opera offices so one can literally fall out of bed in time for one’s rehearsal call!!!! We have been blessed by the most incredible Spring weather which has let me take full advantage of the most comprehensive walk/bicycle trails system I’ve come across in a sizable city like Minneapolis. One is stuck for choice: you can walk down pathways that follow the course of the mighty Mississippi until your legs drop off and also enjoy a cool breeze blowing off the series of Chain o’ Lakes which are a short drive from the downtown area.
As luck would have it we are a mere 15 mins. walk from the new Target Field: home of the Minnesota Twins. This is their inaugural season in their state of the art stadium and I managed to get 2 tix for the opening week of home games. My husband came up from Chicago (he is a Cubs fan) and we enjoyed a great day at the Ballpark. I must say the new Field is a delight but what impressed me the most was how close the field and thus the action is and every seat faces towards the game so they have done an excellent job. It was a glorious cloudless day so we experienced a piece of true Americana.
We also drove the wonderful Grand Scenic Byway and finished off our day at the famous sculpture Garden where my husband wanted to see the famous Claes Oldenburg piece. 
Living in Chicago which is a great Architectural and Sculptural city, we are admirers of Oldenburgs Baseball Bat sculpture which is not far from the Lyric Opera of Chicago and now have seen another of his famous works in situ.
I will be sorry to go home after this trip as even native Minnesotans are astonished at how sublime the weather has been. I love to walk and have probably racked up about 30 miles while I’ve been here. I think the weather Gods were trying to make a point against the naysayers of the new Target Field who think that building an open fielded Baseball Park was an exercise in folly!!! C’est la vie.
