View of Verona
Juliet's Balcony
Old Roman Vacation Spot
The Lake
On Saturday morning we left for Verona, about three to four hours to the north by bus. It is the City of Romeo and Juliet, The City of Lovers, and an absolutely amazing city. We arrived at the Hotel, just north of the main piazza, "Piazza Bra", and settled in before a bus tour and walking tour. Our bus tour climbed the mountains surrounding the center of town to a church on top of a hill. From here we had a spectacular view of all of Verona. I couldn't stop taking pictures because I wanted to be able to see this view again every single day, even if not in person. It was breathtaking! Every which way you looked there was something that would catch your eye and you would need to adjust your perspective on this tiny town once more. Vineyards wrapped the city's edges with large gardens and much greenery. In Florence, there is very little green. You need to walk about 35 minutes from my apartment to find the Boboli Gardens which I have not yet explored. It was nice to see grass and trees again. Behind the city, more mountains surrounded it, nestling little Verona in a beautiful valley. A river ran through the north of the town, as many do in the Italian cities I have visited so far. This view was simply amazing. We then took a walking tour through the town. We started at the Old Roman Bridge and headed south through the city. You could tell this was a not a touristy town. Very little English and lots and lots of Italian. It was quiet, relaxed, elegant. We traveled near old churches with amazing bell towers. In Verona all the towers had giant clocks on them too, very unique to this particular town. Of course we then traveled to Casa di Guilietta... I was so excited!! We walked through a little tunnel to the courtyard. Allllllllllll over the walls people from around the world have written their names for Juliet to protect their love. We walked into the courtyard and in front of us was the statue of Juliet and her balcony above. Ivy was growing on two of the walls, it was very beautiful. Of course they are not certain that Romeo and Juliet were real lovers, but they know that two families, the Capulets and Montagues lived in Verona around that time. Our tour guide said it was up to us to believe if they were real or not. But that was the thing about Verona... there was love everywhere. Young and old, all over the city people were in love. Everyone was holding hands walking down the street, eating gelato together, laughing and smiling while having drinks on the piazza. The whole feel was very romantic, much different than Rome and Florence. So whether or not you believe Romeo and Juliet were real lovers in Verona, the town is basically in love anyway. Something about it screamed peace to me (ironic sentence, excuse me). I felt very content while in Verona, and it was difficult to leave. That may be partly because right outside our hotel was a giant anchor statue... I mean the place was pretty close to perfect! Oh and did I mention its one of the most expensive cities in Italy? Yeah... the place was full to the brim with designer this and that, making the city even more aesthetic. Now do you see why I liked it so much? :)
Now Lake Garda, or Lago di Garda, was pretty special as well. This place was unbelievable. We couldn't have asked for better weather first of all: bright blue skies and brilliant sun and a few thin wisps of clouds scattered occasionally. A nice cool breeze in the hot sun felt amazing. Around the lake were the huge Italian Alps. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. We took a boat tour around the peninsula of Sermione, apparently the best place on the lake. Our "captain" was obsessed with the water. He told us he liked to drive his boat in between the mountains during a thunderstorm because he felt so small in the world. He said it was "pure nature". He was pretty adorable. He showed us an old Roman Castle that the ancient Romans would go to on vacation, it is the largest in the northern region of Italy. After the tour he dropped us off and we had the afternoon free to soak up the rays. My roommates and I laid out on the dock over the clear blue lake for a good three hours until it was time to head home. All of us had never had a more tranquil weekend. It was incredible how in less than 48 hours we were attached to this place and were not ready to go back to Florence.
And now we are safely back in Firenze. No big plans for the week except school and some fun here and there... look for a post at the end of the week. For now look at my pictures on Facebook of the Lake and Verona!
Hope everyone is safe and having a great summer so far.
Love!!
Kimmy
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