photos from concert at Castello di Verrazzano (21 Agosto 2015)
I hope these photos can download here. My last post was about the Friday (21 August) concert at the Castello di Verrazzano, about 10 km from Greve.
First, check out their website:
verrazzano.com
The home page opens to a spectacular view of the castello (castle) at night. Find the small British flag in the upper right corner to switch to English for the various pages on the website. Just another fantastic Tuscan institution.
I will take this opportunity to say that I have learned that Tuscany (one of the regions of Italy…these regions are like states) is the only region that is not totally corrupt, as are Rome, Sicily, Naples, and various other cities/regions of the country.
For one thing, there is a LOT of money here, obviously. Taxes are high, but you get a lot for your money here. Of course, Tuscany is the most popular region of Italy due to its tradition of fine food and wine, art, culture, history – not to mention the towns of Florence, Siena, Orvieto, San Gimignano, Lucca, Assisi…I could go on and on. The infrastructure is in good condition (roads, sewers, etc.), and this is the only region that recycles. You see recycling bins on nearly every street.
So…here are some photos, which I have tried to name. These photos were taken at Castello di Verrazzano on Friday night, before and after the concert. As the set up was near sunset, and the photos I tried to take of the performance pavilion were facing the sunset, a lot of the photos didn’t turn out due to the angle of the light. But you can get a good look on the website, where you will find photos taken by the pros.
In case I didn’t mention in a previous post, Verrazzano was an explorer who discovered most of the coast of the middle Atlantic region (NY, CT, DE, etc.). The Verrazzano Narrows bridge that connects Queens to Staten Island is named after him.
Titles didn’t upload. This is the performance pavilion, where our concert was performed.
View of a terrace, where Chianti di Verrazzano wines, plus their spumante (a sort of prosecco, sparkly wine were served following a short tour of the castello’s winery.
Verrazzano’s anchor.
Another beautiful visa, taken from the side of the performance pavilion (I am calling it the “performance pavilion” but it’s actually part of the outdoor restaurant.)
Nadine Benjamin is one of the most fantastic singers I’ve ever heard, much less one of the best here at MOS. Nadine and I met last summer at MOS 2014. She is the next Leontyne Price, in my humble opinion. This is her partner Carlene who had just arrived from London on Thursday night. Dona and I think that Carlene resembles Aretha Franklin! Of course, Nadine was singing that night.
Giovanni Reggioli, one of our wonderful coaches, and Dona D. Vaughn, drama coach. This photo is not so great as the light was fading fast.
After our concert, in appreciation of same, the owners of Castello di Verazzano threw us a huge buffet dinner, complete with house wine and spectacular food (described in the previous post). This is a view of the dining room. That’s Scott Crowne, one of the coaches.
