Everybody knows about the Colisseum in Rome (and if you don't know, then you need to talk to my buddy Aldo. He'll tell you all about it). What most people don't know is that those wacky Romans didn't build just one colisseum; they built a bunch of 'em all over the joint. And one of those Arenas is located in the nearby city of Verona. The play Romeo and Juliet takes place in Verona, so maybe you've heard of it.
Well the Colisseum in Rome is just a pile of rubble, but the Arena in Verona is in such good shape that they still have concerts and operas there all through the summer season. Well when our good friends Ann & Roland invited us to see Carmen, you just know that we're coming with! 
Our night started off at the "Bottega di Vini", because any adventure with Ann & Roland is going to include wine. We had a lot of time before the show since the sun doesn't set until rather late in the summer time. We whiled away the hours enjoying a bottle or two (three) and dining on a wonderful assortment of dishes.
After our wonderful repast we strolled through the crowded shopping district of Verona taking in the array of designer label offerings; Gucci, Prada, Dolce and Gabbana. My credit card was glad that the stores were already closed... August being the hottest time of year in Italy, it was still about 30 degrees after sundown (about 86 for you Farenheiters), so the redhead and I were sweltering in the heat. We stopped at a small convenience store to buy some water and fans before heading over to the Arena .
What impressed me the most about the show was the absolute scale of the event. Having an open air auditorium allowed the production company to have what seemed like dozens of extras and even a cadre of horses and donkeys all on stage at the same time. You could never see anything like this on a theater stage. Also impressive was the fact that they do not use any electronic sound system. The Arena's oval shape acts as a natural amplifier so that you could hear the rich voices of the singers.
As enjoyable as it was, the show's climactic conclusion couldn't come to quickly for us since it was so hot that night. Three and a half hours of opera in close to 90 degree heat can be a grueling ordeal. But we made it and managed to enjoy ourselves.Ciao!
I don't mean to spoil it for you, but Carmen dies at the end...