Verona Opera
As the last stroke on the gong shimmered into silence flickers of light began to pierce the darkness around us. Traditionally the hundreds of spectators sitting on the steps of the Arena lit a small candle just before the opera began. It was truly a magical moment. Above us the moon illuminated the rapidly darkening sky. Soon after the large orchestra filed in and took their places followed by the conductor who was greeted with thunderous applause. The long anticipated moment was about to arrive, the audience shuffled and settle down as the first notes of Tosca drifted up to us.
We had taken our seats thirty minutes earlier in order to soak up the atmosphere of the Arena in Verona the best possible venue for opera. One quarter of this Roman amphitheatre formed the stage and could accommodate a cast of hundreds and amazing sets. The audience filled the other three quarters either seated in plush armchairs, poltrone or perched on the steps, the gradinate. Vendors of everything from fans to cool, librettos to follow, cushions for comfort and wine to sip from plastic cups, ran up and down the steps announcing their wares in several languages. During the season I was lucky enough to see three operas, Carmen, Aida and Tosca. My most vivid memories included the horses prancing on the stage during Carmen, the spectacular march of triumph in Aida and the stunning but inexplicable set for Tosca.
Verona was not only about the summer opera season and earlier we had enjoyed a tour of this historic city. First we circled it on our bus passing by the Castel Vecchio and then driving up to the Church of Lourdes that had originally been an Austrian fort when the city was part of the Austro-Hapsburg empire. After enjoying the panoramic views and the cool breeze up there we returned to the city centre for our walking tour of the old city. During this tour we visited the Piazza dei Signori, Piazza Erbe, the courtyard of Juliet’s house where some clutched the breast of Juliet for luck in love and finished in Piazza Bra. After a lovely dinner at Ristorante Torcolo behind the row of restaurants that lined one side of the Piazza it was time for the opera and we made our way through the bustling Piazza Bra to take our seats in the splendid Arena in time for the performance. It had always surprised me that one could not hear the music from the performances outside the Arena but the acoustics were so good there was no need for amplification. Other concerts did require amplification and locals assured me that the piazza literally rocked during these events.
Between visits to Verona we had the option of spending time on Lake Garda as our hotel was close to the pretty town of Peschiera that had two waterfronts, the river and the lake. It was very pleasant sitting in one of several bars that lined the river bank enjoying a good Italian coffee. Local ferries and buses transported us to other towns around the lake such as the walled city of Lazise, Bardolino, Garda and Castelnuovo where we had enjoyed exploring an authentic local market. We had been amused by the model legs displaying a variety of stockings and had drooled over the tempting display of local cheeses.
Bardolino on market day was bursting with people and stalls stretched along the lakeside for at least a kilometre selling everything from beautifully decorated ceramics, a wonderful variety of leather goods to bargain batches of underwear and socks. After strolling round the market we settled in the shade of some trees at a lakeside restaurant and lingered over lunch. As the market stalls packed up around us we were taken aback to see awnings folding themselves up until we realised they were remotely controlled!
Our ferry arrived, disgorged passengers onto the jetty, filled up again and left without us. As the sun invaded our shade we gathered the energy to move to another bar in sight of the jetty to watch for approaching ferries. Bright yellow cocktails in glasses the size of a goldfish bowl were ordered and sipped as I stood guard on the jetty ready to give the signal when our ferry arrived. We could not afford to miss the next ferry, our last chance to get back to our hotel in time for dinner. Perversely the ferries were actually running on time that day and it was a mad dash to board before it set off again.
It was such a pleasure to be able to dine outside each evening but for me breakfast was the best meal of the day especially when taken as early as possible on the large open terrace when the air was fresh and cool and. peace reigned. The Golf Hotel was a beautiful venue for our trip and offered many opportunities for chilling out away from the heat and crowds of the city.