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Published: September 1st 2017
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Originally I wanted to meet my old host families in Friuli before beginning this camp season, but the organization wanted me to be more central than Friuli (which is in Italy’s most northeastern part). So, I had to skip past Friuli this time, and I instead decided on Verona.
The previous summer, I’d passed through Verona on trains at least 4 times, but hadn’t had time to stop and look around. Nearby cities, like Padua and Treviso, were some of my favorites, and other tutors who’d had camp in Verona had extolled its beauty.
The hostel situation in Verona was dire, and I ended up with a more expensive AirBnb than I’d planned on. The city is more popular for tourists than I anticipated. If I were going to that area for more than just one day, I would have stayed in Padua or Treviso and done day trips from there. But as it was, I was just there for one day, so I settled.
I arrived in Verona from Ljubljana via GoOpti, which I’d never used before. It’s a private transportation company that seems to be popular in Central Europe. The
stops and route are determined by where the travelers need to go. I registered around a month ahead of time, saying I wanted to go from Ljubljana to Verona and giving how flexible my departure and arrival times were. The day before I left, the company told me what time to show up. Another traveler in my van was dropped off in Venice, then they dropped me off, and the rest were headed all the way to Milan.
I assumed the trip would be annoying for all the stops to pick up and drop off other passengers, but it ended up being more annoying because of the amount of rest stops. Anyway, it was the cheapest option (booking pretty far ahead of time) and was reliable. It’s just a matter of if you are up for the different experience.
Being back in Italy made me happy! Sure, I do like Italy a lot, but it was more the familiarity of it. After being in countries where I barely could speak 10 words, hearing Italian again was comfortable, even if I don’t have a great level of it. Life just feels much less complicated when
you can order things and ask where the bathroom is and understand the answer. Although I didn’t have just one base in Italy the summer before, it feels almost like a second home.
Typically for Italy in the summer, the temperature was around 90. I was honestly not in a very touristy mood either. So, I took a nap once I got to my AirBnb in Verona.
When I woke up I went for a grand stroll of the city. Because it’s so touristy, tourist landmarks were again pricey, so I avoided the ones that cost money. Lots of Italians spoke to me in English, which I’m not used to, having mostly been in non-touristy places in Italy. Also, just beware that especially in the center, things like food and gelato are also more expensive. My gelato line is 2 euros for a small (which in Italy should include 2 flavors), and I believe more than that is expensive. Some areas of the country, like the touristy places, but also the most industrialized areas like Lombardy, will have prices closer to 2.50-2.80. It’s a general habit of mine to constantly check gelato prices everywhere
I go.
Gelato prices and tourists aside, Verona is pretty perfect. If you want to go to a place that feels really stereotypically Italian, Verona is it. From the tiny streets paved with stones to the multitude of brick towers to the cyprus-interrupted views of the city from Castel San Pietro, it’s a well-preserved reminder of Italy’s past.
The walk up Castel San Pietro wasn’t very difficult, and it rewarded me with pretty views of the city. If you want a good spot to relax or alternatively to get engaged in Verona, I’d say that’s your spot. There’s not a lot of information posted, but it is a nice place to get a feel for the layout of the city.
After a stroll back and forth through the Centro Storico (historical center), I went across the river to a highly-reviewed pizza spot. We all know Italy makes great pizza, but another perk of this is that there are tons of places for pizza by the slice (taglio di pizza). This is a great traveler option! The place I went to, Zio Lele (Uncle Lele), offered great pizza with some more unusual
flavors. The prices were good, too, probably because it was slightly out of the tourist area. Next door is a gelato place as well, where I’d assume prices are also cheaper.
My walk back through the historic center took me past "Juliet's Balcony". I randomly happened upon it and realized what it was based on the crowds of tourists there. I guess if you're into Shakespeare or chick flicks, it would be interesting. But it's pretty weird for it to exist at all, since Juliet is a fictional character created by a man who never left England.
The center has very little modern architecture; it's almost all continuously-restored stuff from hundreds of years ago. There’re lots of stuccoed buildings with paint peeling off, walls made of varied materials filling in the original over the years, streets that seem to go to nowhere that actually arrive in small plazas. Bikes parked all around and not many cars also make it seem less modern. You can also circle the Verona Arena, a Roman-era amphitheater that's still used for performances. My one qualm about Verona is that there are barely any trees or green spaces.
The next morning, I checked out of my accommodation with my bag. I had a little time to walk before my train, but of course I had a heavy bag. I walked through the public part of Castelvecchio and crossed the river on a really neat bridge (Ponte di Castelvecchio). I expected a big park across the river, but it was just a small, bland park next to an arsenal (for some reason colored green on Google).
So instead, I circled over to the Basilica de San Zeno Maggiore. There are benches scattered around a central patio. While there, I watched the Saturday morning happenings—local kids running around, pigeons aimlessly walking around, and elders greeting each other and chatting. Although I knew no one there, it was as if I had an opening to their lives.
From there, I headed to the train station. ACLE camps round 2. I was going to Cremona!
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