In Fair Verona...

The first excursion out from Bologna was a success! Plus, we celebrated our 1-week anniversary of being in Italy on Wednesday! Verona is a beautiful, fairly small town that caters mostly to tourists (I didn't feel as out of place there when I spoke in English). Although Allison and I spent less than 24 hours there, I felt like I saw what I wanted to see: Juliet's balcony, the opera Romeo and Juliet in the old arena, and an old castle. If we had more time in Verona, we probably would have wandered through the museums (partially for the air conditioning...) and gone into the big churches. But, alas, there was only time to eat, walk around and take pictures, see an opera, and sleep. Those museums will just have to wait...

The most hearts I've ever seen in one place! (entrance to Juliet's balcony)

Me with the Adige river and a hillside castle in the background.

Allison and I at the arena before the opera.

The one word that would sum up the trip is: HOT. It was really hot. And there was no air conditioning anywhere. Which made sleeping fairly miserable, since our bed radiated heat left over from the day (yes, the bed itself emitted heat, and then we added our above-average body temperatures). I think I've only taken cold showers this past week...not the kind where it's sort of warm but refreshingly cool, either. I just turn the handle to cold and let the water splash on my head to cool off.

The main reason for the trip was to see an opera in the old arena, which was Romeo and Juliet (music by Charles Gounod). Unfortunately, I still can't profess my love to anyone or argue with a Montague or Capulet in Italian because the opera was in French... Bummer, I was hoping to take notes! The music/singing was gorgeous, the props were modern and amusing, and I really enjoyed the setting (we sat on the ancient marble steps--which also radiated heat). But to my disappointment, this version of Romeo and Juliet didn't live up to my expectations for my favorite parts: when Tybalt kills Mercutio and then Romeo kills Tybalt, and when Romeo and Juliet die (I know, kind of morbid). I like these parts because of their intensity, which the opera failed to do (for me, at least). The fight scene was in a spherical cage, which would have been cool if you could see anything that happened in there. Who killed whom and when was all muddled because you couldn't tell what was going on inside the cage. Then at the end, after Romeo and Juliet had their looooong aria and I'm expecting them to fall on top of each other and die in a dramatic way, they "die" by holding hands and walking offstage while a banner drops in the back that reads "When the power of love is greater than the love of power, the world will know peace." Ok, that's very sweet and all, but 1) it's an opera: people die in over-dramatic ways and the deaths are always drawn out, and 2) it's Romeo and Juliet: there's a lot of people who die! This should be perfect for an opera! Although there were these disappointments, nothing could take away from the majestic setting of the arena and the fruit salad and sweet, white wine Allison and I shared after the opera while gazing at the arena.

The "cage fight" (a little blurry...)

The fruit salad and wine after...molto buono!!

Me and the arena!

Verona was a perfect way to reflect on our past week in Italy and to get excited for the rest of our year! Our orientation with the other people in our program starts tonight, and our intensive language classes (which will last 4 weeks) start Monday. I can't wait!! :)