A night at the opera, Verona

Going to an open air opera in Italy (the home of opera) has been a dream of mine for a long time, ever since I saw a televised outdoor performance by the Three Tenors. I sat in my living room while the rain beat against the window while I watched the audience being beautifully serenaded in the warm Italian night and I oh, so badly wanted to be there. This trip to Verona fulfilled that wish.

Gate 1 is for the people clasping expensive Gold tickets. The women wear posh frocks. Very posh frocks. And very expensive tickets. They get to walk on red carpets and they even get a cushion for the metal seat!

Everybody else is well advised to rent a cushion for 3 euros. Trust me on this.

We went twice, the first time to see 'Aida'. We had bought good tickets with a numbered seat. We dressed for the occasion. John looked very suave in a grey jacket, pale mauve shirt and matching neck tie. I rather fancied myself in my long turquoise silk skirt, black top and soft Italian sandals. But after seeing the tidal wave of Dior, Givenchy and Armani at Gate 1, I almost felt like a charity shop case.

We enjoyed it very much, but oh, those metal seats are cramped. And three hours of sitting anywhere can get tedious.

Two nights later we went to see 'Carmen'. This time we bought cheap unnumbered seats, on the stone steps. No long swishy skirt for me to trip over this time. I wore some white linen trousers and a kaftan. Still wore the Italian sandals though!

And you know what? The whole event was a lot more fun! I think sitting on the steps is more in the spirit of the place- you can feel the heat of the day which has soaked into those stones, just as it has for hundreds of years. The warm night air drifts around you as the light gently fades from the sky. Bats flit about. You're experiencing the Arena just as it was designed to be enjoyed all those centuries ago.

And the atmosphere is more festive. Despite all the warnings not to bring food or drink into the Arena, we saw people with bottles of wine and picnics, spread out on a blanket. It was a completely different experience, much more laid back and, well, fun.

Be warned though, if you're going to sit on the stone steps, you might want to get there early to bag a good spot. According to his lapel, this man (left) seems to have waited 'til he was 65!

In the interval (below) vendors come round selling all sorts of goodies, including ice cream, coca cola, water- and since this is Italy, wine. It must be quite a difficult job, negotiating the steps while carrying a heavy tray of refreshments. But that didn't hinder some gentle flirting between the transactions for gelati or vino. But like I said- this is Italy!

Below is the set from the scene in Carmen when the smugglers are on the beach. I thought the sets were very cleverly done. They were dramatic and atmospheric.

This (below) is the final scene- very colourful with lots of movement. There were even horses on the stage. You can quite easily imagine you're actually in Spain.

It didn't finish until 1.45am. We strolled home through the still warm night, along ancient streets. If we had wanted to, we could have stopped for a drink or an ice cream, as everywhere was still open. But we were content just to amble back to our hotel, snatches of Bizet's glorious music running through our minds, reliving a wonderful experience.