The Great Escape

Hmmmm  Climate change is not the worst--it's when the Earth moves! Fortunately most Italians seem to be around Verona as the look along the Via Mazzini shows: Like walking against the wind in a snowstorm!

Last night we were in a Roman arena to see the opera Carmen by Bizet. Wow!  The picture shows the Mezzanine. The rows of roman seats are in the background where we were. The ancient Romans must have had short legs (the rows are narrow) and tough bottoms (we had cushions that began to fail after several hours or so). When we entered we were given a candle. At the beginning of the opera I estimate between 10 and 20 thousand candles were lit. Together with Mars, Saturn and Antares in the dark sky, it was a dream.




   


Today we rose with great hope, determined to avoid the autostrade and drive in the lombard countryside. It was to be an escape from the city--hah! You know all those warnings about avoiding Italy in August?----well they were right. However thanks to an early start, we got to an enchanting castle town at the bottom of lake Garda called Sirmione.

This was a real fighting castle. However the lake is serene. Gaius Valerius Catullus liked it here too. I believe he was a conspirator against the republic condemned by Cicero, but I am not certain.


 


Our naive plan for the escape was to drive up the east side of the lake. After seeing the flood (walking,driving, biking, scootering and landing from boats) of Italians arriving as we were leaving, we ought to have been warned--After joining a line of cars that looked to continue on up the lake at a walking pace, we abandoned the idea. We joined another line that gradually thinned out as we returned to Verona. Incidentally, Italians drive well. They seize their opportunity alright, but they won't actually hit you. Just a few threats.

If Venice is the `Floating City', then Verona is an island jewel in an industrial plain. It really is extraordinary and it was finally all for the best that we failed to escape. Consider:

Approach to the Piazza dei Signori.


 

Thirteenth to the fourteenth century monument to family Scarlatti.




Remains of roman theatre across the river Adige. The person is in good shape.

 


Il Duomo (back) and il Duomo (front).

 

Angel with Angel at il Duomo.




And so to Firenze!