Same Shirt, Different day-2012 Adventures of the "Devonport Wonder Babes"

Monday 27^th -Tuesday 28^th August. Berlin to Munich to Verona Italy.

Taxi arrived promptly at 7 am (thanks to Franca and Anna ordering it for us) for our 30 min ride to Berlin Tegel Airport for our flight to Munich to pick up the Renault Kangoo

Bags checked in Ok-mine was 22 kg and Lyndsay’s 18 kg, flight was on time, uneventful to Munich where nice woman met us with sign and transported us in our Renault Kangoo back to depot to complete the paperwork.

New car with just 17 km on the clock so must have arrived there on a transporter. Lynds did a bit of hunter/gathering in plum tree at depot, before we set our in built TomTom GPS and headed off to Verona in Italy.

After navigating ring road motorway around Munich we then had an uneventful trip south down toll motorways through Austria into Italy.

 Bit of confusion finding right road into Verona but once we arrrived at Cuore de Guilietta B&B about 5.30 pm there was Cristina leaning out the window with a welcoming wave.

 

Our room was on the top floor of the 4 floor building but there was a lift they had installed a couple of years ago so access was easy. Apart from the B&B, which had 3 rooms and was run by Cristina and her husband Eduardo and occupied the top floor, all the other apartments (6) were occupied by family members. Good wifi here.

 

After shower and change of clothes cos very hot day about 35 degrees, about sunset we headed off to restaurant recommended by Cristina, the “Alcova del Frate” over the river in the old town. Pleasant meal ( gnocci, tagliatelle, cheesecake and a nice red wine) sharing table with 2 women about our age, but better groomed , one German and one Austrian, who were attending an Italian language school for a week with a lot of young Japanese students. Then walked around Verona old town for about an hour and wandered back to B&B.

 

Next morning, Tuesday, after a good night’s sleep and great breakfast served on outside deck, shared with nice young Australians with a baby.

 

Great views from the terrace

 

Then we headed off to old town to do some errands and Cristina’s directions were spot on.

First to an Italian equivalent of Dick Smiths called “FNAK” to buy a cable to connect the iPod touch, which has all the road music on it, to the connector in the car which is RCA. Very good service from staff who knew exactly what I was looking for after I showed them photo of car connector.

Motorscooters everywherincluding ridden by cops  !!

Then to the booking office at the Arena to see if we could get tickets for the opera that night which was Carmen. We had thought we would be in Verona after the Opera season was over so hadn’t booked online. But no problem, easily got seats in unreserved top section, with over 65 yrs discount it was €21 each, cheaper than anything at home.

Picnic lunch in piazza by Arena and then hot walk home for siesta.

 

Off for dinner at ”Redentore Ristorante Pizzeria”at 7 pm then off to Arena at 8.15 pm for opera start at 9 pm. The Arena is a Roman arena built in about 30 AD, which lost some of its outer walls in an earthquake about 1117 AD. It was so famous in Roman times that people came for far distances to see the sports and games in Verona.

The outdoor Opera performances in Verona started in 1913 and except for wars during 1915/18 and 1940/45 have continued ever since. There are performances of 4 operas each season between June to August so we were fortunate to see second last performance of Carmen for this season.

The area we had tickets for was on marble benches right at the top of the arena, Romans must have been very tall as steps about 1 m high. Had taken towels to sit on so reasonably comfortable, but the opera which was in 4 acts started at 9 pm and finished at 1.15 am so I had to have a wee lie down on the warm marble by time of 3^rd act.

 

 

 

 

Fantasic huge scale performance, with large cast including 6 large horses and a team of donkeys on the large 3 part stage. Similarly large scale sets, rather minimalist, not elaborate but very effective and great operatic performers. Clever screens on poles instead of a curtain.


  
   

 

Arrived home at 2 am after nice quiet walk home, turned out we had more stamina than the 30 something Belgian couple also at B&B who gave up about 12.30 am.