Celtic Woman

As a Christmas stocking surprise, the girls and I received tickets to the Celtic Woman concert in Baton Rouge from Steve. (He bought a ticket for himself as well.) He and the girls had discovered Celtic Woman on the public broadcasting station and enjoyed them greatly - especially Steve and Brooke (who added their songs to her iPod).

The southeast corner of the Old State Capital - aka "the back side" - the piping processional came out the backdoor

We arrived early for the concert and, while Steve parked, the girls and I checked to see if we could sneak a bite at a nearby restaurant. Unfortunately, they had a long waiting list because of the concert and many prom-goers. So we walked from the restaurant to the concert hall, passing the Old State Capital as we went. (If you follow the Old State Capital link, you can take a virtual tour of this impressive Gothic castle.)

The south side of the Old State Capital

I love this old building - here is a picture of the south side - I love the light from the setting sun coming across. There was evidently some sort of Celtic event in the Old State Capital (that I wish we had known about) that was winding down as we passed.

We were able to watch them proceed out of the Capital and around the fountains and listen to some of the piping. Steve identified the pipers and drummers as members of the Baton Rouge Celtic Society where he used to take bagpipe lessons. (And, no, he never progressed passed the "practice chanter" stage, so we don't own a set of pipes.)

The concert was FABULOUS!!! Probably the worst thing would be the obnoxious couple over my left shoulder - why people purchase expensive concert tickets only to talk and rifle through paper bags during the show is beyond my comprehension. Even my children were glaring at them - and the three-year-old little girl who sat two rows in front of us was quieter and better behaved. I was disappointed that photography wasn't allowed - I could have forgone the flash - so we have no photos from the concert.

Brooke & Steve - sorry it's blurry - the camera kept focusing on the glass behind them

Because I had a craft show all today, and because Steve had to work, we weren't able to eat before the concert. So we walked to the Shaw Center for the Arts, up to the sixth floor, to eat at Tsunami's, our very favorite sushi restaurant that overlooks the Mississippi River. Our picks for tonight: Brooke - Roll Tide Roll; Steve - Cucumber Wrap; Ginger - Tiger Tail Roll; Morgan - Dynamite Roll. Boy, was Morgan's choice SPICY!!! But good - I think it was probably my favorite!

Morgan's Dynamite Roll in front, my Tiger Tail Roll in back - Morgan's chopsticks are impatiently waiting for me to snap the picture

I enjoyed a pot of rare White Peony tea. But (because it's not served with anything to sweeten it) no one else likes it. What a shame - I had to drink it all by myself. :^D Then Morgan and I shared Chicken Teriyaki and Steve had the Petite Filet. Of course, we had to finish off with a Tsinful Chocolate Tsunami, a very dark chocolately lava-type cake with vanilla bean ice cream, dark chocolate sauce, and a sprinkling of fresh assorted berries. Very rich, but very good!

Morgan & Ginger

All in all, a good night out!