An Opera under the stars...

Lately we have been up to some crazy adventurous activities. Many of these have been outdoors in the beauty of Italy. As the wife of a thrill-seeker I often find myself being the hesitant, yet supportive companion on wild jonts of testing fate. There is no doubt in my mind he was created with a truely "wild heart". It is amazing how I can see the Lord work in his life through experiences with adventure and nature. With this being said, I must now share how self-sacrificing my husband can be in the outdoors through an amazing evening he treated me to this weekend. The story begins with the intial surprise early in the week of opera tickets to see Carmen in a city close by called Verona. This is an event I have longed to go to since we arrived in Italy three years ago. So needless to say I felt like a kid going to Disneyworld for the first time. The two most amazing aspects to this opera are that it is in Italy and it is located in the Arena in Verona.
Our evening began when we traveled to Verona after a romantic dinner. We each were in amazement as we saw the first glimpses of one of the five Roman coliseums aglow before us in the dark Italian sky. The ambiance was perfect as we strolled down through the bustling strada to the entrance. Walking through the enormous arches I could imagine all those who had trod these steps before over the last thousands of years. As we entered the Arena, we had to stop for a moment to absorb all that lay before us. Though we had stood in this place before the night sky, with the beautiful stars shining down on thousands of people in the stands presented a breathtaking experience.

Siting in our seats we viewed the people, the Acts I and II, the stars in the night sky but most significantly we gazed into each others eyes as we were captivated by the melody of Italian lyrics. And as the rain began to fall our gaze drew closer as we huddled to stay dry. So my magical opera experience was haulted with the drops of rain and stikes of lightening that filled the sky. Yet the night did not end there as we danced through the rain to hide away together in a little gourmet cafe. The night was not awash as one might think as we had an amazing time at the opera, the cafe, and most of all together. Now I reflect on this night with a thankful heart to my dear husband for treating me to such an event outdoors that does not cause my heart to race because of trepidation but instead admiration for the husband God has blessed me with.