This time you’ll find us in Verona. Got to Verona and jumped on the bus to our home for the night. We realized after about 5 bus stops that we had the right bus, but were going in the wrong direction. So, back off the bus to catch it from the other side of the street. Our apartment was in a quiet neighborhood and close walking distance to the city center. The host Alessandro met us and showed us around the apartment. He even provided wine and snacks. Also, took the time to go through the map with us, so that, we’d have a good walking route to hit all the highlights.
Walking along the river we went first to the funicular. It’s one of those incline cars that run up a track on the side of a steep hill, while the car itself remains parallel. Took in some nice views of the city.
Verona is also known for being the setting where Shakespeare set the play Romeo and Juliet. We walked to “Juliette’s house”. The house itself dates from the 13th century and belonged to the family del Capello. As tourists were looking for a balcony, one was added in the 20th century. See, what a good story can do. There is also a statue of Juliette there. It’s said that if you touch her right breast you will find your true love. The entry area to the home’s garden is also where people leave notes for Juliette.
The arena in Verona was the first “stadium”, even predating the Colosseum in Rome. It was buildt in 1AD and once held crowds of 30,000. The cool thing about this arena is that they still hold various events here as well as the city’s opera season. Now it only holds around 15,000 for safety reasons. There wasn’t an event when we were there, but they were setting up the stage for a concert that weekend.
Next on the agenda was the Castlevecchio. This castle was mainly used for defensive purposes until 1926. The city had decided to turn it into an art museum. Most of the artwork and frescos date from the 14th century. The castle itself is still a fascinating structure with some great views.
Only had one day in Verona, which is enough to hit the highlights of this smaller city.