Hi all!
T minus 10 days until I return to my beloved Italia :) Let's be real, my countdown started 60 days out. I have a premonition that this will be another epic trip abroad. Singing the Verdi Requiem on the 150th anniversary of Italian unification and celebrating my quarter-life milestone. I can't wait!
In the meantime, here's what I'll be up to abroad.
Roma
On the 25th, my two roomies and I will peace out of the USA to get into Rome a few days earlier than the rest of the choir to do some serious sightseeing. (We have a 5 hour layover in Amsterdam which should give us some time to make mischief, too.) We'll be staying at Roma dei Papi Hotel de Charme solely based on my knowledge of having been to Rome 5 years ago. It's right near the Vatican, Castel Sant'Angelo, and across the Tiber from Piazza Navona and The Pantheon.
Angels and Demons scene at Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWzyab1v-lI
Other things on the to-do list:
Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain
Roman baths
Colosseum
Arch of Constantine
Roman Forum
etc.
Perugia, Todi, Gubbio
After a few days in Roma, we will catch a bus with our compatriots to Perugia which is at the heart of Umbria (the region of Italy right below Tuscany). Perugia will act as our base city as we tour the region singing Verdi's Requiem.
During the day, we have free time before rehearsal to rent a car, hop a train, or hike anywhere we please. These adventures are still TBA but will most likely include a trip to Spoleto to check out the music festival, Festival dei Due Mondi. (The Spoleto Festival in Charleston is the USA counterpart.)
Concert time! The amassed choir will consist of peeps from Washington, Pennsylvania, members of the National Philharmonic Chorale, and the University of Perugia. Our orchestra is from Budapest, Hugary. Good thing music transcends language :) Speaking of music, check out our uber music-themed hotel: http://www.hotelgio.it/eng/home.htm.
July 1- First performance in Todi at the Teatro Comunale (below)
July 2- Performance at the Cathedral of San Lorenzo .... Post-concert party per mi cumpleanno!!!!!!
July 3- Performance in Gubbio at the Teatro Comunale
Firenze
5 years ago I rubbed il porcino's snout, and as the legend goes, I've found myself returning to the city I love :) A small group in my choir is traveling via rail for a day trip to the inspiring city of the Renaissance. I can't put a finger on what I love about Florence. It's steeped in rich history, you could walk by a Michelangelo or Donatello and not even realize it-- art and beauty are so commonplace... The moment to moment feeling of what exactly it means to be Italian -- living, breathing, experiencing another way of life... Gaahhhh I can't wait to stop by The Oil Shoppe for Alberto's famed meatball subs :)
Ciao ciao!
