Aida

Thanks to the help of Tom Foubert of Fednav Antwerp and the very generous assistance of Fratelli Cosulich, Michele and I were able to attend the sold out show of Aida at the Teatro a la Scala in Milano and thus fulfill one of Michele's life long dreams. and what a show it was! We haven't too many pictures of the event becuase photos are not permitted inside the theater, but because everyone else was doing it, we also took a few pics surreptiously. This show beats anything else we have ever seen and we very much enjoyed the experience which we'll cherish for a very long time. The orchestra and singers were excellent, but my favourite part was the set design by the famous Franco Zeffirelli. We lost count at around 7, but the 4 act opera had at least seven distinct sets each just as elaborate and ornate as the previous one. For the final scene, there were two sets in use simultaneoulsy. The entire main stage set was elevated about 10 feet to reveal the burial chamber set below where Aida and Radames sang their last song while Amneris prayed in the temple with her full entourage immediately above. Because our seats were on the platea, customs required that a dark suit be worn. Rental agencies do not appear to exist anywhere, or at least the people with whom we spoke had no understanding of what clothing rental meant. Clothes are such an important aspect of Italian expression, that the concept of rental is probably abhorent to them...so, in the ned, I bought a suit, shirt, tie, shoes and belt for the occasion. As if I didn't have enough to carry, I now have a garment bag strapped to the outside of my packsack. It was a great night at the opera. On the way back to the hotel, just after midnight, we stopped into a little panetteria we had discovered on our first day in Milano and we enjoyed a great sandwich and a glass of beer before retiring for the evening. Thanks Tom for an unforgettable evening!