Having wanted to see Verdi's Aida in Verona for many years we were pleasantly surprised to find that there was a date which suited us.....just when we intended going back to Provence from Switzerland. So we reserved a hotel room first.....it gets rather overbooked during the opera season! We returned to the Hotel Verona which is ideal in terms of going to the Arena..... and they park one's car!! Once the hotel was booked we could go online to buy tickets for Aida from the Arena site!
The view from our room was great....
and the room was comfortable.....
....and it is just a 5min walk to the arena..... most important for the return trip at 1am! In fact it looked as though all rooms were occupied by opera buffs, we were in a steady stream back to the hotel!
We got to Verona in plenty of time to stroll around the old part of the town......unlike Alba there was no sign of Ferragosto! It was a Sunday and all the shops were open! Particularly on the upscale Via Mazzini......
and then on to the Piazza delle Erbe... with the Torre dei Lamberti on one side
We did succumb to a drink and people watching.....
just opposite the old Domus Mercatorum......
but we are still puzzled by a sign we saw there...... no tourists pulling luggage, perhaps!!
We had reserved a table at the well recommended restaurant, Locanda 4 Cuochi.
I had come across this in the NYTimes article 36 hours in Verona......
It is necessary to reserve unless one wants to eat on the Piazza Bra which is great for a drink and people watching but has essentially fast food, at inflated prices, before the opera! There are some good restaurants on the Piazza but they are expensive and are booked months in advance during opera season!
The food was excellent......
The restaurant was empty when we arrived, but we were early in order to eat before the performance!
It was interesting to watch the chefs in the kitchen......
Then on to the Arena, which is amazing!
The first act was spectacular..........and the following acts kept getting more and more spectacular....... with a huge cast!
We were very happy to have bought 'Poltrone' seats........the stone benches would have become quite uncomfortable at the end of 4 hours, even with a cushion!
The view from our room was great....
We got to Verona in plenty of time to stroll around the old part of the town......unlike Alba there was no sign of Ferragosto! It was a Sunday and all the shops were open! Particularly on the upscale Via Mazzini......
We did succumb to a drink and people watching.....
just opposite the old Domus Mercatorum......
but we are still puzzled by a sign we saw there...... no tourists pulling luggage, perhaps!!
We had reserved a table at the well recommended restaurant, Locanda 4 Cuochi.
I had come across this in the NYTimes article 36 hours in Verona......
It is necessary to reserve unless one wants to eat on the Piazza Bra which is great for a drink and people watching but has essentially fast food, at inflated prices, before the opera! There are some good restaurants on the Piazza but they are expensive and are booked months in advance during opera season!
The food was excellent......
Then on to the Arena, which is amazing!
Just to give an idea! This is from 2012.....
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