Seville—The Setting of Carmen's Story (Continued)

In the old town of Seville, there are many narrow alleys. Wandering through them is like traveling through a tunnel of time— Cervantes began writing *Don Quixote* here; Flamenco originated here; Many operas are set here, the most famous being Bizet's *Carmen* (adapted from Mérimée's novel of the same name, also translated as *Carmen*), Rossini's *The Barber of Seville*, Verdi's *La Forza del Destino*, Beethoven's *Fidelio*, and Mozart's *Don Giovanni* and *The Marriage of Figaro*... The narrow alleys are far from silent. From the doorways along the lanes, the strumming of guitars and the rhythmic tapping of castanets and the clicks of toes, soles, and heels drift out. Following the sounds upstairs, you might stumble upon a passionate Flamenco performance—Carmen seems to be right there on stage.