Opera In The Open Air

Verona Opera Festival

If you love opera and you also love Italy, you really have missed a stunning spectacle if you haven't yet been to see the Verona Opera Festival.  (Even if opera is not really your thing, you would not fail to be moved by the ancient setting of this particular Festival).  I went with a friend a few years ago, and we decided to do it in style, and opted for the best seats in the house (Poltronissime) where the Italians turn up in full evening dress for the men, and long, elegant gowns for the ladies.

Before entering the Arena di Verona, it is a good idea to eat at one of the many restaurants in the small streets surrounding the amphitheatre.  This way, you can really make the most of the charged atmosphere, whilst doing some serious people watching at the same time.  There are lots of gorgeous, designer shops for you to feast your eyes on (I particularly remember the Louis Vuitton shop, which was immediately opposite the ancient arene, containing a huge selection of wonderful handbags - all at wonderful prices, of course).

Once inside the arena, be prepared to be blown away by the sheer scale and magnificence of it all.  The arena sits 20,000 people, from the best seats which are on the floor of the arena, right up to the unreserved places on the upper (very upper!) stone galleries, where you are perched high on the topmost ramparts of the original Stadium, which was built in 30 A.D.

When one thinks of opera, The Royal Opera House at Convent Garden, the Sydney Opera House, and La Scala all spring readily to mind, but you will find that Verona combines a quite unique setting with productions and performances of a consistently high standard.  Where else could you be watching, on a hot summer night, a performance of Aida (as I was) at the start of the second Act, when immediately behind the stage, a huge, full moon rose majestically above the ancient arena walls and literally hung in the dark sky, surrounded by glittering stars, for the remainder of the performance.

The Italians really do have a love and flair for the dramatic performance, and they are a very demanding audience, which always seems to bring out the very best in performers and musicians alike.  When the audience is particularly appreciative of a certain Aria, they will stamp their feet, cheer and clap and, even though they are in the middle of an Act, the performers will sing the Aria again, to even more spontaneous applause.

It really was a magical experience, and one that I will never forget!

Whilst in Verona, of course, we just had to see the balcony from Romeo and Juliet!

I hope you have enjoyed this second visit to Italy 🇮🇹 

(All images today courtesy of Pinterest.com)

The Magic Of Italy ....

Many of my ‘older’ Followers may remember how much I love Italy, and Venice in particular.

Just look at the colours of Venice in these beautiful photos. When you visit Venice, and I have been there quite a few times, you can’t help but be inspired by the vibrant hues of this amazing City. Venice really is a feast for the eyes, with something to take your breath away every time you take a few steps!

I hope you don't mind today if I share some beautiful images of Italy with you.  I have been there quite a few times and visited Tuscany, San Gimignano, watched the magic of the opera at Verona in the ancient amphitheatre, Rome, Florence, Lake Garda, and Sicily (which is absolutely beautiful).  I would love to visit Lake Como (where George Clooney has a home!) and Lake Maggiore.  But there is still time ....

Obviously, the art in Italy is to die for, and there are some magnificent gardens to stroll around. 

The ancient Ponte Vecchio bridge across the River Arno, in Florence, where you will find the most amazing little jewellery shops.  This bridge was built in 1345. Can you even imagine that?! 

The magnificent  Duomo in Florence....

I think I had better stop right there!  I could go on forever expounding the magnificence (for it truly is magnificent!) of this beautiful Country. I hope that I have managed to give you a taste of Italy, albeit a very brief taste!  I love the romance of the Italian language, the food, and the utter splendour that awaits you, no matter which part of Italy you decide to visit. I must go again soon!  

(All images today courtesy of Pinterest.com)

Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple? Read About The Devon Author Who Created These Well Loved Characters ...

Today I thought I would write about a famous author who comes from Devon, my home county.  The author's name is Agatha Christie, 

otherwise known as the queen of crime) and I'm sure you have all heard of her two most famous creations, i.e. Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot.  Many famous actresses have played the part of Miss Marple in the television dramatisations, and I’m sure we all have our own favourite!  Many others have played her on the big screen of course.  

She was actually born in Torquay (otherwise known as the English Riviera), which is some 27 miles away from where I live.  

Although Agatha had amused herself as a child, acting out stories and make believe, it wasn't until one of her sisters challenged her to write a novel, that her writing career really began.  During the war, she became a voluntary nurse at The Red Cross Hospital in Torquay, and ended up working in the Dispensary, which she very much enjoyed, and she completed  the Examination of the Society of Apothacaries.  It was here that she acquired her knowledge of poisons which, of course, became such an important feature of her various books.

When her first book was published (The Mysterious Affair at Styles) , the murder by poison was so well described that Agatha received the unprecedented honour of a review in the Pharmaceutical Journal.

Agatha's happiness was complete when her only daughter (Rosalind) was born in 1919, but by the year 1926, her life was in tatters.  Her beloved mother had died and her husband left her for another woman.  

In fact, that same year, Agatha  Christie created her very own real-life mystery, when she disappeared for eleven days.  The time was 9.45 p.m. on the evening of the 3rd December, when, without warning, she simply disappeared after going upstairs to kiss her sleeping daughter.  

She was very famous by then, and throughout her disappearance, the whole country buzzed with theories about what might have happened to her.  Such was the speculation, that the Home Secretary at the time put pressure on the Police to make faster progress.  They even called on the services of two famous crime writers, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creater of Sherlock Holmes and Dorothy L. Sayers, author of the Lord Peter Wimsey series.  

Agatha was eventually found safe and well, but in very strange circumstances.  Alone, and using an assumed name, she had been living at a spa hotel in Harrogate since the day after her disappearance, even though news of her case had reached as far as the front page of The New York Times.

There was a happy ending to her story, in that in 1928, she met and married Sir Max Mallowen, a renowed Archeologist.  With billions of her books being sold and translated into many languages, Agatha  Christie became the best selling English novelist of all time.  

Her home, "Greenway" situated overlooking the picturesque River Dart here in Devon, is now owned by The National Trust and is visited by many thousands of people each year.  Here are a few photos of that beautiful property ...including the old fashioned bus that will drive you up the steep hill from the river, should you need it! 

Here we have a view of the boathouse at Greenway, taken from the River Dart ...

Well, I hope you enjoyed reading about this famous crime writer today.  We are here at the end of another week, so I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend. 

Remembering ......

Remembering ....

Who could ever forget watching this horrendous tragedy unfold on our television screens? I can certainly remember exactly where I was at that time.  The horror of it all - you literally couldn’t  believe what your eyes were seeing. Amazingly, it was eighteen years ago today.    It really was like watching something out of a horror movie - all the poor souls leaping from windows of their offices, and the brave men and women of the emergency services that entered those buildings, without even thinking of the danger to their own lives. They were just thinking of rescuing as many people as they could. 

On the eve of September 11th, 2001, people would be lying beside their loved ones for the last time. Millions of Americans went to bed, without knowing the horror that they would be waking up to. 

I think what I am trying to say, is that we never know what each day may hold, so we really must try to live this wonderful life that we have been given, to the fullest and truly rejoice in each and every day. 

We must tell our loved ones that we love them and how much they mean to us. 

My thoughts and prayers today go out to America, and we must continue to pray, in these still troubled times around the world, that good WILL prevail against evil....

My Hometown Of Plymouth - Britain's Ocean City

My hometown City of Plymouth is known as Britain's Ocean City. It is a vibrant waterfront city which is surrounded by water, and with the hills of Dartmoor close by.

 

The magnificent Plymouth Sound with the art-deco lido, where I learnt to swim, some sixty years ago. Seems like only yesterday 😂😂.

Today I thought I would take you on a tour of the historic Barbican, with its cobbled streets and Elizabethan buildings. To me, it has always seemed remarkable that these buildings are still standing after the continuous bombing, known as the Plymouth  Blitz, during the Second World War. The city suffered  a series of bombing raids, which flattened many parts of my home city. My parents were involved in one of those  raids. In March 1941, my dad was returning home on a short Leave from the Army.  As darkness fell, he turned the corner of the street where they lived, and the house was gone, reduced to a pile of rubble, and my poor mum was buried underneath. Neighbours were scrabbling at the bricks with their hands,  desperately trying to get to her. Fortunately, she survived,  but her back was badly damaged and she suffered for the rest of her life with severe back problems.  After the Blitz, very little of Plymouth remained, and the whole City had to be rebuilt. During the 59 bombing attacks, 1,172 civilians were killed and 4,448 were injured. King George the sixth is pictured  here visiting the devastated City. 

 

Image courtesy of Daily Mail archives. 

But now it's time to continue with the tour. I hope you will enjoy these photos, which were taken on a glorious Summer's day earlier this year. You can just double click on any of the photos if you want to make them larger. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The quality of the following  photo isn't particularly good (I took it from Plymouth Hoe looking out to the Sound) but I thought the old with the new was pretty cool 😊.

 

I do feel very blessed living in this little corner of heavenly Devon!  On that note, I'll love you and leave you until the next time. 

Why Raise A Princess, When You Can Raise A Warrior?

 

Most of my 'older' bloggy friends will know that I love Quotations, and I'm always looking for new ones to add to my collection. I have a beautiful, (and, yes, boys can be beautiful too), kind and loving eleven year old grandson, but I am also blessed with two delightful granddaughters, along with my two very special daughters. Notice that I'm trying not to use the word 'beautiful' too much here, although they are just that, both on the outside AND the inside. 

It is such a different world for all girls now, from when I was young. These days, if they want to, they can do anything, and go anywhere. So, today, my Post is in honour of young girls everywhere - go out there and shine!! I hope you will enjoy the Quotations I have found for you today, all courtesy of Pinterest....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I think this next one has to be one of my favourites....

 

So let's raise a glass to strong young girls and young women everywhere. Meanwhile, I wish you all a very happy weekend, and I look forward to seeing you again soon. ❤. For those of you who take a look at my Featured Posts, there is a new one up today, where I give you a little taster of my Summer garden here in heavenly Devon.  Just click on the link on the right hand sidebar.  Bye for now. 

Hold Close Those You Hold Dear....

It's a funny old life when you think about it, isn't it?  We're going along quite happily and then, all of a sudden, bop - our world comes tumbling down in an instant. 

Perhaps a family member or a friend becomes seriously ill, we lose a family member or a dear friend. Or, all of a sudden, we are faced with the prospect of a divorce that we never wanted. 

In many cases, we could lose a treasured pet, whose companionship had meant so much. 

Some people have even had to face losing a child, or grandchild, and my heart really breaks for those people. I simply can't imagine the hurt they have to endure for the rest of their lives. 

Or we could lose a friendship that was very precious to us, through misunderstandings that should never have been allowed to develop. Perhaps we took that friend for granted, or perhaps the other person simply got tired of us. I know - difficult to believe, right?! 😂

All these things cause us immense hurt and pain, and we wonder how we will ever be able to cope. 

Some people struggle daily with pain, which makes it so hard for them to carry out even the most simple of tasks, which others just take for granted. 

A quote by C S Lewis always comes to my

mind.  Some of you may have heard of it ....

 

I think what he is saying is that there is no love without pain. But would we really choose not to have had that love in our lives?  Not to be able to treasure all the wonderful memories in our hearts? 

I have been blogging for over ten and a half years, and all of my bloggy  friends have experienced many of those things I mentioned above. And yet....and yet.... all those people are amongst the most positive, encouraging and loving people that I know, which surely proves how indomitable the human spirit can be. 

Somehow we still turn our faces to the sun and look for good things ahead, and try to find peace in our hearts. 

This post is a little bit different for me today, but I hope it gives you food for thought, and, if nothing else, reminds you to treasure those you love, for none of us knows what tomorrow will bring, and remember this....