Verona

Verona had changed since our last visit there, not so much physically, but now geared heavily to tourists.  One of the streets had been converted to a major shopping destination with all the big name brands including Tiffany"s.  The big draw is the Arena di Verona opera festival which was celebrating it's one hundredth year.
We had tickets that night to see "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi, which was commissioned by the ruler of Egypt to commemorate the opening of the Suez canal.  We stayed at Hotel Milano, just off of Piazza Bra and the Arena itself.  You could see the upper arches of the Arena from our window.

  

We were too early to get into the room, so we left our bags in the hotel storage and set out.  The day was brutally hot and the crush of tourists oppressive.  There was a nice looking place for lunch near the hotel called "I Tre Marchetti".  My only complaint was the excessive prices, which we realized too late.  They did sell a plate with caricatures  of famous performers at Arena di Verona; however, at 220 euro per plate, no sale.

The Arena itself is especially spectacular lit up at night.

It's also entertaining to watch the people filter in.  Dress ranged from formal in the expensive seats to whatever in the cheap seats.  We had reserved seats, but they were somewhat precarious with a slight, uneasy forward tilt.  Renting cushions helped, but they were not made for ample American buttocks.

The performance was excellent; however, it was a new production by an avant garde design group from Spain.  The costumes resembled something out of "Star Wars"; interesting, but I prefer the traditional costumes.  We got tired and left after the famous Grand March scene.  That was around 11:15.  The opera had two more acts to go and would finish at 1:15.  We strolled around Piazza Bra in the refreshing night air.  Many of the restaurants stay open very late to cater to hungry opera fans.

We found a nice place for a late night supper.  The waiter told us that, if we wanted, there was still plenty of time left after we finished eating to catch the last act.  We were asleep in the hotel by then.