If you follow my journey from the beginning, you know that I got a France Rail Pass (to travel only within France) but this pass also allowed me to get inside Italy till Ventimiglia - a small Italian town near the border, then from there I need to get a new train ticket. My travel time in Italy was short, so I just bought the online ticket for each route, probably better than getting an Italy rail pass.
Verona, where I stayed 3 nights, the longest stay during my entire journey, was a small, quiet town, the reason I picked this place because it was close to Venice, only 90' by train, as I planned to visit Venice daytime, nigh time back to Verona to sleep. Later I did change my mind (will tell you why when we reach to Venice!). But Verona has another reason to attract millions of people coming here every year. It's Juliet's house, from a legendary love story - Roméo & Juliet.
Juliet's house right in the heart of the old Verona, in small alley...from the outside I can see the famous balcony and on a wall, on the left, full of love messages, in the garden, under the balcony - a bronze statue of our heroine, next to her, a wall with all locks of love that people left there with a hope that their love, their feelings for loved ones will last forever.
Not only Juliet's house, not far from where she used to live - there was a place where she lay at rest. I didn't get inside, both house and tomb's place, but I got some pictures from the outside - right at the entrance - Shakespeare with his famous play:
" Eyes, look your last!
Arms, take your last embrace! And, lips, o you
The doors of breath seal with a righteous kiss
a dateless bargain to engrossing Death!
I arrived to Verona around noon, it took me nearly hour to find the hotel due to the wrong turn (again?!), later I realised it was just almost one straight route from the rail station to where I stayed.
My hotel in Verona was the most luxury one in my whole journey, I told myself that at least once during the trip I would deserve to enjoy a bit of luxe.
My hotel was right at the gate to the old Verona and a good thing in Italy at almost all hotels - breakfast included, unlikely in France - chargeable! And a nice guy at Verona's hotel reception even didn't charge me for a drink from minibar!
I arrived to Verona on 13rd September, Juliet's birthday festive was on 12th September, but it seemed people in Verona still celebrated other festive, maybe something related to the war veterans, so all aged men were dressing up, mostly in red, wearing traditional hat, singing on the streets from morning to late evening.
Anyway, time for me to recharge, after a long walk, carrying heavy camera bag, I feel that I need to eat something really good, something hot...right at Piazza Bra - the largest square in Verona, opposite the Arena, to enjoy the great view...
Later on, not far from my hotel, I found a shop selling these Italian traditional stuffs, especially, panzerotto, a kind of big deep-fried dumpling, it seemed a popular cake in Verona, I saw many small panzerotti shops along my walk in Verona, so I decided to try one - a spicy panzerotto, stuffed with sausage, cheese, tomato sauce...it was yummy!
Ok, staying 3 days in Verona, but most of my excitement was for Venice. Next morning I need to wake up early to catch up the train for Venice, only 90' away from Verona. I planned to stay a whole day in Venice, then come back to Verona for sleep. If I like Venice, I might come back again on the following day. But do I like Venice or not, please wait until my next post!
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