In the summer of 2001, Jennifer and I saw the opera "Aida" performed at the Arena di Verona, an outdoor amphitheater that dates back to the 1st century.

As we sat on the stone that had been warmed all day by the sun, we could not help but feel connected to all those who had sat in these seats for twenty centuries watching gladiatorial fights to opera performances.

One aspect of the Arena that stunned us was its acoustics. No amplification was used, but we could hear every sound perfectly. At one point, Jennifer took the last picture of a roll of film. The camera began to rewind and we felt that everyone in the Arena could hear it. We couldn't stop the camera from rewinding, and it seemed to take forever to finish. We felt like drilling a hole in the granite stone and crawling in it. Fortunately, we were able to get over our embarrassment and enjoy the rest of the performance.

Thereafter, our response to those who asked about our journey to Italy..."You haven't lived yet until you've gone to an opera in Verona."
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