“How’s July treating you?” asked a friend in an e-mail.  Well, my July was rather mixed since we heard of the untimely death of a dear friend. News like that makes you focus on what is important.  So, in a seize the day mood, I arranged a trip to Verona to meet up with my friend Miss Maggie and her partner the NearlyFamousAuthor. A long weekend. A very long weekend. 5 days to be exact. Booking this late, the hotels were very expensive, so I took a chance and booked a lovely apartment in the centre of the old town via airbnb.com.  There are no flights to Verona from here, and it is more than 7 hours by car, so I opted for the 8 hour train journey with a 30 minute change in Innsbruck. In fact, there is probably no nicer way to travel to Verona. The scenery along the route is spectacular.

As soon as I arrived, it was straight to the Arena to hear Placido Domingo sing Verdi. Miss Maggie is almost Veronese, she has been there so many times, so I was glad that she and the NearlyFamousAuthor had bought my ticket and brought along cushions and wine and umbrellas. Placido sang. During the break we felt a storm brewing, so we slipped out to grab the best people watching seats at Caffe al Teatro. Caffe al Teatro is the kind of place that becomes your local.

 

Next day, I had the performance of Carmen to look forward to. My friends could not face another evening of sitting on the stone steps, so I bought a ticket for a seat. The seats were even less comfortable than the steps, but a lot more expensive. The Carmen production is a colourful and over the top display by Zefferelli. I loved it.

As if seeing Carmen was not enough of a treat, Aida was playing on the Sunday evening. So, back to the stone steps with my hired cushion, plastic poncho and a little plane sized bottle of wine complete with plastic cups courtesy of Miss Maggie. The NearlyFamousAuthor had seen the previous Zefferelli production of Aida at the Arena and did not want the wonderful memory of that “spoiled” by this futuristic display. Anyway, my first time in Verona, I was not going to miss the Aida, no matter what the production. As it was, this display was bonkers with elements of Dr Who, War Horse, Cirque du Soleil, the London Olympics opening ceremony, Lion King and a whole lot more.  It was a hugely entertaining spectacle and the children present loved it.  I must confess I was glad of the spectacle because I am not a huge fan of the Aida music.The sets for the productions are stored outside the arena and lifted in by crane in the daytime.

What with the late nights at the opera, and the heat, I decided not to cross water and to focus on seeing as much of the old town as possible. And so I have unfinished business in Verona and shall have to return to look down on the city from this hill. Verona is such a charming city.  Leave the main streets and see what you can find in the little alleys and courtyards.