L'Opera

Last night we had reservations for an opera in Florence. Although not very hungry, we knew we would be waiting until nearly midnight for the chance to eat again, so we wandered the streets in search of a light dinner. We came across a cute place with sidewalk seating on the Piazza S. Spirit next to a basilica by the same name. Per usual, we opted for wine, but in a drastic change from tradition did not order a caprese salad. Jess went with a penne pasta with pesto, tomatoes, and spring onions. I opted for a pizza with black olives, artichokes, onions and salami. Both were exactly what we hoped they would be. As a backdrop to dinner, a concert was in the works. Before the singer took the stage, however, we were treated to the sweet melodies of the Backstreet Boys playing over the speakers. It was hilarious.

The opera itself was alright, though we only stayed through the first act. It was held in St. Mark's English Church, which was beautiful though in need of repair. Our main issue was that it was simply too hot for comfort, and even if the performance had been of very high quality, we would not have been able to really enjoy it in that atmosphere. Instead, we cut our losses and took a stroll through Florence at night, enjoying the view of the Ponte Vecchio reflecting perfectly off the river. It was perhaps the most beautiful scenery of the trip thus far.

Not our photo, but here's what it looked like: