summer 2014 snapshots | cousins in Verona

Verona, another jewel in the Veneto region, is easily reachable via car or train (and likely bus) from Vicenza in less than an hour. Every single time I visit this beloved city, I walk away with the same question: "Why is that we don't spend more time in Verona?" This visit was the same.  I'm serious: Every. Single. Time. 

More of Verona:

That time we went to the opera in the Arena (with a great osteria recommendation)

That time we completed a 10K in the province of Verona (in the name of vino)

Just some photos of another visit to Verona

walkin' for wine

We gathered with friends for the 17th Magnalonga della Valpolicella recently. So listen to this...a ten kilometer "hike" through northern Italy's wine country with seven stops for sustenance (read: seven glasses of wines from the region along with a seven courses of food) along the way, complete with pouches for us to carry our wine glasses as we worked up the stamina to go from stop to stop.

I mean...really...why would I ever leave this country?
(If you have good reasons, and I know you do, please don't burst my happy bubble. I need a happy bubble today, that's the reason for this post.)

Did I mention that several of the stops had live music? And dancing? And we were accompanied by hoards of happy hikers? And gracious wine makers?

The only downside was the forecast and  impending threat of thunderstorms, which kept us moving pretty quickly from stop to stop. This is an event for lingering. We didn't linger enough. We, however, did beat the storm that rolled in just as our group of very prudent Americani headed home. We were, after all, among the first to arrive.

 

And here is yet another reason we are in love with this place we call home. The Valpolicella wine region is located just about an hour from our home, in the province of Verona, region of Veneto.

On 25 May the wine makers of the area (and throughout Italy) will open there doors to visitors for the annual Cantine Aperte. It would be a perfect day to explore the area!

an evening @ the opera

A summer evening ...

French opera.
Set in Seville, Spain.
Performed in ancient Roman amphitheater.
In fair Verona.

................. 

Ummm...yeah...it's pretty darn cool. Each summer the Arena di Verona hosts a summer opera festival. It's one of those things that I've wanted to do but didn't have much motivation to organize because, well, I don't know much at all about opera. Several months ago Richard and his colleague decided that we all should go together this summer, and that's exactly what we did last week. He chose Carmen as great introduction to opera for a bunch of rookies, and I took no insult when he told me that I would surely recognize the music from Tom and Jerry or The Bad News Bears.

The Arena was built in the 1st Century AD by the Romans and is a well-preserved structure. In addition to the summer opera festival, it hosts other concerts throughout the year. I saw Alicia Keys perform here a couple of years ago, and I believe Richard attended a Bruce Springsteen concert at the Arena.

The large-scale opera production offers a chance for Everyman to experience the opera, with tickets ranging from 21 Euro for general admission seats high up in the area with stone seats to nearly 200 Euro for numbered seats down on the floor of the Arena. The place was not packed on the Tuesday evening that we attended, and there was a jovial, festive feeling to the event that seemed to be full mostly of tourists. (Could that be because it was Tuesday and did not end until 1:15 am?)

The Carmen production was fabulous from my rookie point of view, with an unbelievable stage set designed by the famed Italian Franco Zeffirelli. (Never heard of him? Surely you've seen his version of Romeo and Juliet at some point in your life! You haven't? Well, what are you waiting for??) I was also in awe of the sheer number of performers. People, people, everywhere!

Before the opera, we had dinner at La Taverna di Via Stella, a place that came recommended by an Italian friend who lives and works in Verona. It did not disappoint: the prices were fair and the food very good. I would return. He also recommended the Osteria di Ugo, which we hope to try another time. Both of these are a short walk from the Arena.

..................

A couple of weeks before we attended Carmen, we took a visitor from the States to enjoy fair Verona one morning. These images are from that visit.  The sets of the operas that rotate nightly during the summer festival are simply stored right outside of the Arena, a pretty cool thing to see.

 

cool, clean & free : water

Public water spigots can be found in most of Italy, though I don't think we have one in the paese. It sure was nice to find these, which are good for both a cool drink and a refreshing splash in the face, in Verona Friday.