Verdi Convert

After yesterday being spent on a bus trip, today we decided to stroll the neighbourhood and do some shopping for the fam. So naturally we started off at the coffee shop. I have no way to make coffee so this is a necessity. To avoid calories we went to our new new favourite place instead of our new new new favourite place.

From there we took to the tiny alleys to get over to the main shopping district. We passed along a street full of cooking utensil stores. They sell huge pizza paddles along with every other kitchen thing that you can imagine. The street is full of people milling about and yelling at each other while motor bikes roar up and down. It is really quite chaotic and fun. At home parking is very orderly, but here any space big enough for your car will do.

We worked our way up town picking up a few things en route. As you move up, you pass from the rather shabby chaos of our neighbourhood into the Gucci and Armani district. Up there, there is no laundry hanging from the windows, and you hear a bit more English.

We came to the Teatro Massimo, one of the largest Opera houses in Europe. The climax of Godfather III was filmed on the massive front steps. We took a tour in English, part of which allowed us to sit and listen to a rehearsal of a Verdi Opera. It was enough to convince me that I am ready to go to a complete Operatic performance. It was beautiful. There were no microphones, and they were holding back to save their voices and it was still very powerful. We saw the original architect model and some of the costumes from past shows.

 We had lunch and hurried home through the rain. It really was a lovely day.