UNESCO - A weekend in the city of Romeo and Juliet

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I went to Verone for a conference. I like going to conferences to catch up with previous colleagued and friends. It is especially nice e^when the conference takes lace in a nice little town. Verona is most known thanks to Shakespear famous novel "Romeo and Juliet" and also for its Opera festival (during opera are played in the huge arena). Social events at this conference were great: we got a city tour, a dinner in Lazize and one in a great mansion in the country side.

Verona is only a 6h train ride from Geneva, so at the end of the conference Alex joined me for a long weekend. It's a very pleasant city. You can see all the major sites in a day: the arena, apparently the biggest in the wolrd still use for shows is 2000 years old; the Castelveccio and its bridge; the Casa di Romeo and Casa de Giulietta; the Piazza Ebra and the old bridge Ponte Pietra. It is very nice walk along the Arige river banks and to wander in the old street. Within the city, it is impossible to miss the painted houses, unless you only look at your shoes. And when your feets are tired, there is plenty of small café with terrace to stop for a drink.

From Verona, we took a day trip to the Lago di Guarda. We took the train to Desenzano, a charming little town on the south west bank of the lake. Then the boat to Sirmione, a small medieval town. We had lunch there in a nice restaurant overlooking the lake. We walked arounf the peninsula, from the castle Rocca Scaligera to the roman ruins Grotte di Catullo and back. After a soft icy drink we took the boat to Lazize. It is like a mini-Verona. It is very pretty. We took the bus back to Verona.

One great thing I like in Italy is the food. Even the simplest of pizza is delicious! same with the pasta! on top it is also rather cheap even in a touristy place like Verona.

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