When Chris and I lived in Bolzano, I used to say when in doubt, go with a photo of the Dolomites.  Here in Verona, I think it’s when in doubt, go with a photo of L’Arena, the Roman amphitheatre.

Of course, at this time of year, you get a photo not just of L’Arena, but also of the big Stella Cometa metal sculpture that represents the Christmas star.

On Christmas Day we walked down by the Stella Cometa and I snapped a photo that gives you a sense of the atmosphere: lots of families walking around after the big Christmas dinner, with all ages of folks wandering by, and lots of kids eager to try climbing up the “rays” of the star.

L’Arena and the Star, December 25th, 2016

Yesterday, December 26th, is also a holiday here: it was the feast of St. Stephen. As in “Good King Wenceslas looked out, on the feast of Stephen… “.

We didn’t see any kings in the plaza yesterday morning, but there was one addition: a manger at the base of the Stella Cometa:

L’Arena, the Star, and the Manger, December 26, 2016

Manger near the Stella Cometa

Unfortunately I couldn’t get closer to get a better shot. The cows in the background are live, the baby in the manger is a doll. There was a sign saying it was going to be a living nativity scene, and we heard an announcement about something happening later in the day. However, we never did see Mary,  Joseph, or any of the kings. At the end of the day when we walked by again, the animals were gone and the manager was being loaded onto a truck.

But, fun to happen to see  it while it was up yesterday. You just never know what you’re going to find when you walk by L’Arena and the Star in Verona.