Ciao a tutti! For March 2020 and for the rest of the year, I have decided to change the name of my series, “Your Italian Travel Tips,” to “Our Italy.” In this series, I will share bloggers’ experiences of Italy, a country whose culture has captivated the world for thousands of years. I think now is the time to share these memories, knowing that one day we will all be able to return, inspired anew by the Italian people and their country.
Today I am happy to share a guest blog written by my friends Ilene and Gary from Our Italian Journey.
Ilene and Gary are a retired couple from the United States who, after a “journey” that started in 2015, became dual American-Italian citizens in 2019. They have been traveling to and blogging about their experiences in Italy since 2010. Read on for their post La Traviata by Verdi — A Spectacular Evening, from their visit to Verona in 2019.
Ilene and Gary experienced their first Opera, La Traviata, in Verona’s outdoor amphitheater. Reading the account of the special evening Ilene and Gary shared together brought back fond memories for me, as La Traviata is also the first opera I ever attended. I was only in the 4th grade, and the entire 4th grade of my public school, about 80 children, was bused into New York City to the Metropolitan Opera House and treated to a weekday matinee.
The Metropolitan Opera House was the most stunning building I had ever entered, with red velvet on the floors, gold leaf on the walls, and a large, starburst-shaped crystal chandelier hanging down to greet us as we passed into the grand foyer. There were thousands of children there from neighboring schools. The excitement in the air was palpable. The singing, and the period sets and costumes were unforgettable. Even though we were young, and most of us did not understand Italian, we sat still and our eyes were fixed on what was happening on the stage. I have been an fan of Italian opera ever since and will never forget this first experience.
Reading about Ilene and Gary’s spectacular evening during their first viewing of La Traviata made me realize that I need to put this type of opera experience on my bucket list for when I can return to Italy. And I hope that those of you who are not opera buffs — as Ilene and Gary were not when they experienced La Traviata in Verona — will think of Opera as something you might enjoy as well.
Below is just one of the fantastic images Ilene and Gary share on Our Italian Journey from this evening. Also included in the blog is short recording of the most famous aria of this opera, “Brindisi” (The Drinking Song).
Please leave a comment about your first or your most memorable opera.
Where were you? How did the experience make you feel? I’d love to hear from you!
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And… Ilene and Gary have graciously included a copy of my pocket travel book, “Conversational Italian for Travelers “Just the Important Phrases” on their website, under the section “My favorite Travel Tools.” Now you can order my book directly from their site!
Grazie mille, Ilene and Gary for including me on your blog and for your kind words about my book: “Author Kathryn Occhipinti has become a friend through social media. She sent us this book to get our thoughts about it. We love it. It is a great little book – packed with just the right information. A must as a traveling companion in Italy.”
Here is the link to Ilene and Gary’s blog from “Our Italian Journey.”
Buon divertimento!
Conversational Italian! 
i like the name change! An opera in Verona is on my ‘to do’ list! Ciao and stay safe! Cristina
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Thanks for letting me know about this blog! Ciao!
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Glad you enjoy my blog!
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I also remember being impressed with the Met as a child – the sheer size of it and that incredible chandelier. I, too, attended several of their school performances, which I enjoyed, but I must say that I found the noise level in the theater to be disturbing – and I’m not talking about what was coming from the stage. Perhaps because I was a pianist and was more used to attending concerts with grownups, I was amazed at the unruliness of the other children. But I still signed up the following years as those voices from the stage gave the little devils a run for their money.
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You may be right about the noise from the other children. I guess I was so enthralled I didn’t notice, or my memory has a bit of a silver lining to it! Amazing that we both remember these experiences well into adulthood, though. I hope schools and the teachers realize what a huge positive impact they can have… at least on some of us!
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