It was raining in Verona when I arrived in August for a five-day visit. The ancient cobblestones were slippery and water puddled in the streets. Arena di Verona, the amphitheater where I’d be attending opera, is an outdoor space with absolutely no shelter. Tickets are non-refundable. I started praying for dry weather.

Nestled between the Alps and Lake Garda, Verona made an ideal military stronghold two thousand years ago. In 30 CE, Romans built an amphitheater to entertain its citizens and troops. Think gladiatorial contests and wild animal fights pitting elephants against bulls, lions versus horses. Nowadays, the arena hosts a summer opera festival featuring divas, celebrity guest conductors and esteemed set and costume designers. Did I say costumes? The audience of over 20,000 dresses to the nines, creating its own show as people find their seats and mingle during intermission.

To celebrate a milestone birthday, my best friend invited me and three others to Verona for a trio of operas and a side-trip to Venice. Our lodging in Città Antica (old town) was steps away from the Gate of Lions archaeological site. In 45 BC, this gate led to Verona’s primary north-south street. We were literally walking on history.

Though it drizzled throughout the day, by evening the sky cleared. The backlit stone arches cast a warm glow as ushers wiped down seats, absorbing lingering drops of water. The stage, steeply tilted towards the orchestra pit, appeared to be black granite. More rain, and the performers would slide right into the musicians’ laps. Fortunately, the weather held.

The audience buzzed with excitement when a woman crossed the stage carrying an enormous gong and mallet. Bang! This signaled an imminent start. She returned once more, banged, and the lights dimmed.

Verona’s ancient arena. Photo by Mindy Stern

The set design, costumes, choreography, and lighting for Verdi’s Nabucco were all conceived by Stefano Poda, a cutting-edge designer. He described his futuristic set elements and neon lighting as “atomic.” What does that actually mean? A giant hand whose fingers clenched and unclenched, appeared and disappeared, distracted me from the singing. This production was weird. Nabucco’s most famous aria, “Va Pensiero” is usually performed twice: first by the cast, then with the entire audience singing along. I eagerly awaited that moment. But no. Poda’s vision was “one-and-done.” I checked the program to see who’d be directing our next two operas. Ivo Guerra for Rigoletto, using sets first seen in 1928. Good. But for Aida, it would be Poda again. Maybe he’d rig up a robotic elephant? A girl can dream.

The morning of our Venice day-trip, we were running late. Rushing to reach the train station, we arrived breathless, only to discover our one-hour express train had been canceled. The next train would take 3 ½ hours, getting us into Venice about an hour before our scheduled return tickets. We boarded the slow train with absolutely no idea how or when we’d get back to Verona, but confident we’d figure something out. While chugging along, we arranged an evening pickup with a private car service, giving us almost four and a half hours to explore the city and have dinner before meeting the driver. At 300 euros, it cost slightly less than five train tickets, and would take us right to our door in 65 minutes.

Walking along the canals, we noticed an unusually large police presence and hushed atmosphere. What was going on? A film crew was shooting a scene for the TV show, Emily in Paris. In a gondola, a man proposed marriage to Emily’s friend. I managed to snap a quick pic, and then we moved on.

Grabbing ready-made sandwiches from a mini-market gave us time to wander the streets and admire the real Murano glass, scoff at the many fakes, and get a feel for this ancient city. Towards evening, we found a restaurant near the rendezvous spot, dined outdoors, and had one of our best meals.

Two more nights of opera awaited us in Verona. Technical difficulties at Aida made it hard to discern the principal singers’ voices, and with no elephant, we bailed on Poda’s production during intermission. Thankfully, Guerra’s classical Rigoletto production perfectly matched the ancient surroundings, creating the soul-satisfying experience I’d expected from Verona.

Next summer’s opera schedule is already posted. Choose one that fits your tastes, pack some fancy duds, and prepare to be wowed.

Meanderings is an award-winning travel column by Mercer Island resident Mindy Stern. For more essays, or to comment, visit www.mindysternauthor.com.