Although my time in Greece is quickly fading, I'm still embracing every opportunity to experience "firsts" before the onslaught of "last" gyro, "last" walk through the gardens, etc. ensue. On Wednesday, I went to my first opera; I've always wanted to dress in a red gown like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" and go to the opera (Richard Gere as an escort is an added bonus). So when I learned Verdi's "Aida" would be playing in Athens, my ears perked at the idea of attending my first opera performance in Greece, of all places, and it's a story that takes place in Egypt, a country I also recently explored. All the more, the performance was to be held in the Odeon of Herodotus Atticus, just below the west slope of the Acropolis. Watching a renowned opera with an Egyptian setting in an ancient Greek theatre equals one heck of a cultural experience in my book!

On a beautifully warm evening under an as-clear-as-Athens-can-get sky, I was enamored by every aspect of the performance--the costumes, the music, the stage art. At some points I found myself absorbed in watching the orchestra, with all of the violin and viola bows moving skillfully together in measure and the conductor vigorously guiding them. We sat at the very top in the center, the best seats in the house in my opinion. I had a rough idea of the plot, but even though I didn't understand the language (Italian), it's so easy to get lost in the emotional emanations from the performers, their voices so rich and resonating. The theatre was filled almost to capacity, and I would say 80 to 85 percent were Greeks; there were not many tourists, so it was incredible to blend in with the natives, illustrating how expanding one's cultural horizons and appreciating the arts are universally shared notions.