Italy Part 2

Our full day in Verona was quite eventful. I started the morning with a nice run around the city and along the riverfront. Beth possibly the wiser, slept in. We had breakfast in our hotel and hit the ground running. We did a walking tour of Verona. It was about 12 sites in all. We saw the Roman Arena in Verona, Several Piazza's, and The Duoma. More exciting, were all the site related to Romeo and Juliet. Verona is the setting for Romeo and Juliet. We got to see where Juliet's House may have been and where her balcony is presumed to be. All the while Beth reminding it is not a real story. We also went up Torre Dei Lamberti. It is a tower in the middle of the city and one of the highest points in the city. You must be aware of the time though, because you may get caught at the top with the bells going off unexpectedly.

We spent the afternoon walking through the shopping district and Beth got a pair of Roman Birkenstocks. One of the piazzas had a great stand where you could buy a large cup full of fresh fruit. We stopped there many more times while in Verona.

Our dinner was at a nice place on Piazza Bra. We dined on Pizza and gnochi while watching loads of people pass by going to the arena for a concert. After dinner, we called it a night and went to bed. Only to be awaken again by the fire alarm across the street, twice that night!

The second full day in Verona was even busier. Well rested we had a breakfast and headed towards The Roman Theater. It was built in the first century and was built upon. Centuries later it was rediscovered and restored. Today they host concerts and plays at this location. They have a museum at the top accessable via elevator. We went upon to the museum and looked at the artifacts which had been found at the site.

Above the theater on the hill is a large fortress. We hiked up to the top which provided a beautiful view of the city and the surrounding hills. It got a little cloudy and rain could be seen in the distance. Normally rain would have been welcome as it was in the 80's at 10 in the morning. However, the rain did nothing more then raise the humidity signficantly, making the afternoon quite moist.

A quick lunch of panini's and we ventured to the few sights outside of the city walls. The most impressive being Juliet's Tomb. They were in the process of renovating, meaning there wasn't a whole lot to see.

We hiked back across town to The Castelvecchio. The family who made Verona a city lived in the castle. The tour through the castle had art, weaponry, and various views of the city. You could go up in the bell tower and enjoy the views as well. After the tour, we walked over the bridge which had multiple lookouts to see the city and the river.

We ate at an outdoor restaraunt and enjoyed a wonderful bottle of Chianti. This time watching patrons of the AIDA Opera pass by in their finest evening wear. Finally a night of sleep in Verona with no alarm going off across the street.