In Fair Verona...

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Verona is much more than the fictitious setting for the most famous love story of all time. Sure you can join the tourist bus crowd to visit Juliet's supposed balcony and other bogus R/J related sites but that should be the least of your reasons to come here. This city of close to 300K inhabitants, feels vibrant,chic and thriving. A good counterpoint to the elegant decay and faded grandeur of Venice, which is just over an hour away. If you want to take a break from the intoxicating beauty of Venice and see a city that is more representative of contemporary Italy, Verona is a sure bet.
It is an easy 10 minute walk from the train station to Piazza Bra which is the city center. The name means open space, not a woman's undergarment. The Roman Arena/ Colosseum dominates the square. Aside from the one in Rome this is one of the biggest ever built and one of the most well preserved. In fact it is still in used for opera and live performances in the summer. As with most cities in Italy the Piazza is the community living room, it was especially festive today which is the day after Christmas. It seems like the whole town was out enjoying the almost sunny relatively mild day. We had lunch at Brek before exploring the town. Brek is a northern Italian chain and while it is fast food, the quality is very good and it is right on the piazza. We had some pasta, a salad, grilled sausages and a traditional Christmas dish of stuffed boiled pork leg (sounds gross but was delicious).
With enough calories to burn we set off to see the town. While there are no blockbuster sights, the town, with it's pedestrian friendly streets and scenic location on the bend of the Adige river, was a joy to explore. We followed the walk as suggested in the Rick Steve's guidebook and found our way to the river and Ponte Pietra. The view from this bridge is enough to make lovers swoon. And in fact they do, near the top of the bridge there are padlocks left by couples who profess their love for each other before throwing the key to the river below. Now, that's amore.
Another not to miss sight is Piazza Erbe. A delightful square with a picture perfect fountain in the middle,a very busy market surrounded by frescoed buildings that houses cafes. This is a great place to buy souvenirs as the prices are much lower than in Venice. After perusing the market we had a coffee break (or in my case hot chocolate) at one of the cafes on the square. It was mild enough that we were able to sit outside, watch the world go by and enjoy the best cup of hot chocolate I've had ever.
As our day in Verona drew to an end we were treated to the very Italian experience of the evening passegiata. Every evening (but especially in nice weather),everywhere in Italy people pour onto the streets and piazzas to do nothing else but walk. Via Magazini, the main shopping street was mobbed. People were walking shoulder to shoulder even though most of the stores were closed due to the holiday. You'd think people would get testy filing though a narrow street but there was a very friendly, festive atmosphere. At Piazza Bra the Christmas tree was lit up and there was a giant star that looked like it was shot from the arena. It seemed like the whole town decided to turn up. There were old folks in their fine furs, teenagers,parents with strollers, all just walking and going nowhere in particular. So that is what we did, instead of hightailing it to the trail station we lingered and enjoyed the scene. It's moments like these that make travel so rewarding. I've always believed and to a certain extent still do, that you can have a rewarding, low stress and enriching existence regardless of where you live but traditions like this make it seem easier here in Italy.

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"this is not a car, it's a lifestyle"