ISRAEL - A smartly-dressed middle-aged man sits in front of me, arm draped snugly around an attractive and be-jewelled lady, clearly half his age. He and his jet-set friends have purportedly paid 2200 Shekels per seat. ($640 US).
I sit alone but free, courtesy of Israeli tourism, and what a seat it is! I'm ensconced at the base of Mount Masada, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where the Israeli Opera company is dramatically producing Giuseppe Verdi's famous Aida, the Italian maestro's masterpiece amongst his 28 written operas.
In 2010, their 25th anniversary, the Israeli Opera inaugurated this spectacular outdoor festival, and it has secured Israel a place on the map of world opera festivals alongside the likes of Italy, France, Switzerland and Finland. Read more »
