Traveltalkonline.com Forums


TTOL Sponsors
Forum Statistics
Forums39
Topics38,428
Posts310,024
Members26,538
Most Online2,218
Jan 21st, 2020
Top Posters(30 Days)
RonDon 114
pat 43
jazzgal 41
Todd 40
Member Spotlight
joe9090
joe9090
new jersey
Posts: 105
Joined: August 2000
Show All Member Profiles 
Today's Birthdays
ecco, OceanDrop, vincent
Who's Online Now
21 registered members (Jaybird, KC2SXM, deputydog1157, steve74, Zanshin, Tom, boucharda, Jc1925, tradewinds, Beansbbq, road3682, IWIWSE, WWII, jrw, SURICK, 6 invisible), 911 guests, and 83 spiders.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Rate Thread
Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 #154974
02/14/2018 12:32 PM
02/14/2018 12:32 PM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
B
BEERMAN Offline OP
Traveler
BEERMAN  Offline OP
Traveler
B
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
Bella Vita - Das gute Leben part 10


Ok, enough of the we woke early stuff... yea cobble stones were worn smooth by centuries of blah blah blah. However.... the Sunrises and Sunsets deserve the use of the word MAJESTIC one more time, seriously the best we've seen in a long time, maybe ever!


[Linked Image]



If you've been reading along you know that we've been fairly flexible with our schedule. Over breakfast we decided to head for Verona. The front desk told us there's a bus station just outside of the village and it's only an hour or so to Verona, perfect, much quicker than ferry, walk, train, walk. We had one last thing to see before we shouldered the backpacks and that was to walk the old Roman ruins at le Grotte di Catullo. This huge Roman villa high up on the tip of the peninsula was built sometime around 1 day BC and 1 day AD, give or take a couple 100 years...historians argue this. This villa must have been incredible, it was 3 stories tall and actually had a very large pool fed by the hot springs....how'd they do that!


[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



Unfortunately it was time to leave the "Pearl of the Lake", what a great village. The bus depot is very nondescript, but we found it and squeezed our double backpack bodies through the small door. We paid less than 10 euro combined for our bus tickets, ding ding bargain! There was only one other couple waiting for the bus and they were heading back to London after their holiday. Once we approached the city we really didn't have any idea where to jump off, communication issues again. We did have a map and when we saw a street sign we recognized we pulled the buzzer!! The English couple said "is this our stop?" we laughed and said "we have no idea, good luck you guys!", they were as confused as us! We really lucked out and only had to walk 1/4 mile to the piazza, if we had stayed on it would have put us further away at the depot! The streets were full of people....we're not in Kansas anymore!


[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]




So there we were walking into the hometown of Romeo and Juliet!, cool. It felt rather bustling in Piazza Bra, but considering it's one of the largest cities in Northern Italy it was expected. There were so many people and the piazza so wide that we almost lost each other because our heads were on a swivel! The Verona Arena, a 1st century Roman Amphitheater was right in front of us and we had to agree to meet there if we got split up. My first impression...we're gonna like it here! Except for all the people following around a tour guide with a tiny flag on a long pole!


[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



We arrived in yet another unfamiliar place WITHOUT a hotel reservation! Our luck will surely run out one of these trips? We simply picked a side street to walk down to see what we could find. The first hotel we stepped into didn't have any rooms, we said uh oh! They said they did have one apartment room left several blocks into the city for a reasonable rate...we said we'd think about it? The hotel next to them was actually called the Hotel Giulietta e Romeo...really? cheesy tourist trap? In the words of Dante I thought "Abandon all hope, ye who enter here" Once through the door the lobby looked nice, can't possibly have a room...Oh yes they did! and it had a "Juliet balcony", ha!! The updated modern room was actually very nice, reasonably priced and the location was right next to the Verona Arena and Piazza Bra, cool.

"What light through yonder window breaks? it is the east, and Donna is the sun" excuse me for that!


[Linked Image]



We ditched our backpacks quickly in the room then hit the pavement. We were laughing as we exited the hotel because we felt very lucky to find a room there. Looking at our free tour map it seemed appropriate to try to find Juliet's house! It's a big city, lots of streets with many shops, but once away from the crowds it was peaceful and the history surrounded us. The side streets in Verona are incredible, but we kept getting disoriented, well it was a "free" map! Seemed to be a church on every corner, many with tombs of noblemen such as the ornate 14th century tomb of Mastino II del Scalla of the Noble Scaliger Family who ruled Verona in the 13th-14th centuries. We wandered in circles and found Piazza dei Signori (The Lords Square) whose courtyard displays an awesome statue of beloved Italian Poet Dante. Now Dante was exiled from Florence because of his political beliefs and fled eventually to Verona around 1312, ultimately spending 6 years there until he apparently wore out his welcome with his host the Scaliger Family, so some scholars say. Does that name sound familiar, Scaliger? we just visited the Scaliger Castle in Sirmione, yep the Scaliger Lords of Verona built that castle, cool! Gotta love history right?! One last bit of history...Dante and others exiled from his birthplace Florence were eventually granted amnesty many years later, but he refused to pay the very large fine imposed and lived out his life in Ravenna, passing in 1321. Sad story really and certainly the motivation behind his epic trilogy the Divine Comedy.


[Linked Image]



We finally discovered what we thought was the location of Juliet's home "Casa di Giulette"
walked through a passageway into a small courtyard and yep, the flag waving pole holders and their followers were all there groping at Juliet's bronze sculpture! We did find a peaceful moment for a pic in front of the wall of love letters, pretty cool!


[Linked Image]




We covered a lot of ground this afternoon, going as far as the Adige River, beautiful promenade. We apparently walked right past Romeo's house, oh well. We did enjoy self guided tours in a couple of churches, many of which dated back to single digit centuries, but as a result of earthquakes had to be rebuilt not long ago in the 12th century. Church of St Elena actually has 4th century ruins deep underneath her that we toured, these were discovered not that long ago, cool. 12th Century Duomo Catthedrale di Santa Maria Matricalore was also very impressive. Relatively tiny Santa Maria Antica is a beautiful Romanesque church that was the private chapel of the Scaliger Family, impressive ornate gothic tombs are there.


[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



During these tours we received a text from our daughter. She informed us of a pending strike by Italian transportation unions to take place the following evening at midnight...this will certainly affect our plans. She was scheduled to depart by plane in Milan and we were going to meet her there, but she changed her flight to Zurich to avoid any potential delays in Italy. Unfortunately our plans to visit Venice would have to be placed back in the bucket. Let's keep walking!


[Linked Image]

[Linked Image]



After the sunset, which was hard to see surrounded by the buildings, Donna decided to shop a little while I enjoyed a regional Birra Moretti , regional brew but is now owned by Heineken. I still can't get over the quality of the snacks the cafes provided with a drink, nice!


[Linked Image]



When Donna returned to the cafe it was definitely time for dinner. Our first choice proudly displaying their coveted 3 star Michelin rating was unfortunately full up for the evening, the waiters and chef sing there dangit! We were almost out the door when the Chef came to us and apologized for not having a table, but he said one of their former chefs just opened a new wonderful restaurant 2 blocks away and we followed his recommendation. We had an amazing dining experience at the Liston Restorante. We enjoyed perfectly prepared Mediterranean sea bass and a wonderful baked lasagna bolognese. The greatest part of the dining experience was when I ordered a bottle of their house red from the very friendly owner. In the most wonderful broken English he says " a halfa or a fulla" I said "heck, it's our last night in Italy, full grazie!!" turns out it was not in a bottle, but rather a cool carafe and I think it was a full barrel! Donna's look was priceless! The owner came by many times raising the carafe high above the glass and never spilled a drop topping us off. It was a very good wine and would you believe it cost only 12 euro!! Finished the evening with wonderful desserts, mine was Pannacotta alle fragole, nice. At least we thought we had finished, as we stood the owner says "please, please" holding up 2 small glasses of limoncello, Donna begged off, but I certainly accepted! Grazie!


[Linked Image]



We didn't want to leave this amazing city, having only seen about 5% of it. In the morning we would be taking a train back to Lugano to join our daughter , then on to Zurich. After all that wine we should sleep well my friends!


[Linked Image]




To be continued...Ciao!

Sponsors
Re: Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 [Re: BEERMAN] #154983
02/14/2018 03:07 PM
02/14/2018 03:07 PM
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,668
L
LBI2SXM Offline
Traveler
LBI2SXM  Offline
Traveler
L
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,668
You are so right, those morning sunrises are majestic!!

Re: Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 [Re: BEERMAN] #155009
02/14/2018 08:03 PM
02/14/2018 08:03 PM
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,212
JAX
jphart Offline
Traveler
jphart  Offline
Traveler
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 1,212
JAX
Amazing! Love the carafe


JPH
I spent my money on booze, broads, and boats...the rest I wasted.
Re: Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 [Re: jphart] #155100
02/16/2018 02:41 PM
02/16/2018 02:41 PM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
B
BEERMAN Offline OP
Traveler
BEERMAN  Offline OP
Traveler
B
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
Thanks guys! we did leave a little wine in the carafe!

Re: Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 [Re: BEERMAN] #155103
02/16/2018 03:08 PM
02/16/2018 03:08 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Now why would you go and do a fool thing like that?? grin You were walking, right? smile Amazing pictures, as always!


Carol Hill
Re: Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 [Re: Carol_Hill] #155110
02/16/2018 04:53 PM
02/16/2018 04:53 PM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
B
BEERMAN Offline OP
Traveler
BEERMAN  Offline OP
Traveler
B
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
I prefer court jester over fool! jester Yes, we were walking...sort of....just not as straight as usual! I have a great selfie of the two of us on our walk back, too bad about the 20 photo limit cheers

Re: Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 [Re: BEERMAN] #155115
02/16/2018 06:29 PM
02/16/2018 06:29 PM
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Carol_Hill Offline
Traveler
Carol_Hill  Offline
Traveler
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 82,466
Central Florida!
Hey, you can always post the picture as a response in the thread. smile


Carol Hill
Re: Bella Vita-Das gute Leben Part 10 [Re: Carol_Hill] #155380
02/21/2018 01:20 PM
02/21/2018 01:20 PM
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
B
BEERMAN Offline OP
Traveler
BEERMAN  Offline OP
Traveler
B
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,493
VIRGINIA
Originally Posted by Carol_Hill
Hey, you can always post the picture as a response in the thread. smile


hmmmm...some of what happens in Verona needs to stay in Verona toast


Moderated by  Eric_Hill 

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.6.1