Day 7: Verona (The City of Romeo & Juliet) (Thursday, May 21)
This morning, while we waited for our driver to pick us up
for the two-hour drive to Verona, Jonathan, Caroline, and I went to get a
cappuccino. Make that a cappuccino AND a cornetto because—hello!—ITALY.
We hurried back to our apartment, which we were sad to
leave. It had been perfect for our family, and it had been nice having space to
hang out in the evening playing cards or just talking about the day.
Our driver arrived and, to be honest, I was a little worried
about our luggage situation … as in, would it all fit?!? For some reason, not
only was our luggage getting heavier, but it was somehow multiplying. Huh. No
idea how that even happens. But our driver was very charming—nessun problema!—and
with a little rearranging here and little shoving there it all fit!
Of course, midway through our drive we had to stop at
another Autogrill. Again, there is
nothing like an Autogrill. In fact, it inspired this limerick:
An Autogrill right
on the highway,
Serves coffee that’s done the Italian way.
You grab a panino,
Quickly down un espressino,
Then back in the car and away!
We arrived in Verona in the early afternoon and checked into
the Hotel Giulietta e Romeo, a charming hotel located right in the heart of
downtown. After storing our luggage in our rooms, we headed out to explore. Of
all the places on our trip, I was most excited about Verona. I had so many
stories to tell, so many memories to relive. I would have to restrain myself,
though, or risk boring everyone 😉.
But I wasn’t the only one who loved Verona. Shakespeare
himself used Verona as the setting for two of his plays: Romeo and Juliet, and
Two Gentlemen from Verona. In fact, near the clock tower in the main square (Piazza
Bra) there is a plaque with Romeo’s quote about his forced exile:
"There is no world without Verona walls, / But
purgatory, torture, hell itself. / Hence banished is banish'd from the world, /
And world's exile is death." (Romeo and Juliet, Act 3, Scene 3)
To set the stage for our first afternoon in Verona (see what
I did there?), I had pre-purchased tickets for l’Arena (the Roman amphitheater)
and for Juliet’s house.
Fortified with a panino from All’Antico Vinaio, we
headed to l’Arena, which is still used today for concerts and, most
importantly, a world-renowned summer opera season. Inside, we wandered through
the ancient passageways and climbed the giant stone steps all the way to the
top. So many memories! I attended my first opera here with my Nonna (chapter 4 of
my book), and I remember her telling me how traditional opera singers do not
use microphones during live performances as the natural acoustics allow
unamplified voices to project across the massive open-air space (which holds up
to 15,000 spectators).
After the Arena, we explored the downtown area, walking around
Piazza Bra (with its outdoor restaurants and cafes), down via Mazzini (and its
high-end shopping), and to Piazza delle Erbe (with its market stalls). As a
little girl I always loved wandering through the stalls of Piazza delle Erbe,
and I still felt the magic.
Late in the afternoon we went to tour Juliet’s house and
balcony. Incredibly, while I often stood in the courtyard looking up at the balcony,
I had never been inside Juliet’s house or stood on the balcony looking down
into the courtyard. Nicholas and Timothy volunteered to remain in the courtyard
so that they could take photos of us up on the balcony. The house contained
three stories, decorated in the period, with Shakespeare and Romeo and
Juliet references throughout.
Then it was back to the hotel for showers, dinner at Hostaria
la Vecchia Fontanina (local restaurant recommended by my aunt), a semifreddo
at Gelateria Savoia (open since 1939), and a nighttime walk in the beautiful
Piazza Bra where we sat on some benches just talking, laughing, and telling
stories. The evening ended on our hotel room balcony playing cards with Nicholas
and Lauren (and counting the lizards on the building exterior across the
alleyway).
Tomorrow: a family reunion!
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