Day 34: Arena Verona, Aida

We arrived in Verona that afternoon in the sweltering heat and went straight to the ticketing office for our tickets. Verona was a rather unassuming little city with a rather relaxed pace of life. It is only every now and then that we see a shop that sold cheap figurines of Romeo and Juliet when you might realise it is a touristy spot. As sad as it sounds, thousands of tourists come through each year to see the Romeo and Juliet balconey (scene from the Shakespeare play) which by the way, is NOT the real the balconey but just a recent construction to attract more tourists since the actual play is set in Verona.

We decided to save our euros for something more worthy and had some Japanese food instead as Jess was missing Asian food (again). Jess even managed to indulge in a little retail therapy with a very patient Robin after being deprived for a few months.

Night falls and we prepared ourselves in our cleanest and most decent outfits from our backpacks for the night. It was a once in a lifetime experience to have the opportunity to enjoy a performance by some of the best Opera singers but it was something else to enjoy the experience in the Arena, an ancient Roman amphitheatre much like the Coloseum in Rome but better preserved.

We shuffled into the Arena and people watched for a while before the lights were dimmed. The stage filled half the arena and cleverly used the empty stands behind and to the side of the stage to provide a unique setting for a drama. The stage itself had a huge pyramid, rotated through the acts, and large statues to recreate the Egyptian setting. It was very impressive. It was an event for people of all ages and of all ethnicities. From retired folks to young teenagers. Who ever said opera was for the snotty and old?

The next 3 hours were magical. The setting was perfect with a full moon to top it off and Aida took us through her pain and sorrows with her powerful voice which echoed througout the Arena. There were moments when her voice sent little shivers down our spines and it didn't matter that the entire performance was in Italian. It was a performance we felt honoured to be part of that night.