Enchanting Verona

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Geo: 45.442, 10.9955

We were on our way to the what is arguaby the most romantic city in the world but it didn't quite go according to plan. We caught the early train to the border from NIce allowing ourselves plenty of time to change trains and board our train for Genoa.The train station at Ventigmiligia was a bit scary, quite a few refugees sleeping in the covered areas, lots of police and general chaos. We then learned there was a train stike, our train to Genoa had been cancelled. A sigh of relief when we find out we are still early enough to catch the local train to Genoa. All goes well until a Trentalia official boards our carriage and tells us the train is now terminating at Savona. We have no idea where we are or where Savona is and very little English is spoken but a few people try to be helpful.

We leave the train at Savona and try to formulate a plan of how we will get to Genoa to pick up our hire car. Then we get an offer to share a cab from a Calabrian lady who speaks perfect English even down to the accent. So we cab it the 50km to Genoa and our new found friend helps us get a bus to the airport. We pick up our hire car at Genoa airport relatively unscathed but about 50 Euros poorer. Just our luck to find a train strke on the only day we are relying on public transport.

Our apartment in Verona is a couple of kilometres from the centre of town. Its part of an old villa still owned and lived in by a local family who are very friendly and helpful. The villa is surrounded by pretty gardens and our apartment is very spacious and comfortable. Things are looking up.

We are recommended to have dinner at a local place that is a short walk from the villa. We get lost trying to find it (nothing new for us we are now getting lost on a regular basis). With a bit of help from a local we finally find the ristorante which turns out to be one of the most popular places in this part of town if not the whole of Verona. The place fills quickly and is soon buzzing with conversaton and laughter. Everybody is eating pizza so we decide we should do the same. We enjoy the great pizza and the staff are really, really friendly, There is such a wonderful atmosphere. We decide immediately that we are coming back again.

We spend a day seeing the sights around Verona. Its a beautiful city. It feels like its filled with history at its finest. The cobbled inner city steets and lanes appear to weave through a maze of aged buildings, below every window is small balcony overflowing with colorful flowers. Roman ruins appear throughout the inner city and the river can be seen at many vantage points and when you least expect it. Around almost every corner there is a villa or church or another regal building surrounded by stone walls and picturesque gardens. I'm not sure if this city is deemed to be Italy's most romantic because of the link to the Capulet and Montague story or just because it is so aesthetically stimuating. Either way its fine with me.

I'm not usually one to go into too much detail about absolutey everything but I have to mention a couple of the sights. Firstly the Roman Arena. What a buzz to find out that it is still actually a working theatre. On the day we were there they are setting up for the premiere of the opera Aida so there were giant golden sphinxs spread all around which gave it this weird ancient feel. Not exactly Roman I know but it added to the atmosphere. The lower steps and the "king's" balcony were set up with modern seating but the higher steps were as they had been for centuries. We both felt a weird sense of vertigo walking to the top because the steps were so high and worn down to a slanting angle and to a slippery surface. So it felt like you were on the verge of falling off down on to the stage metres below - eerie!

The second thing I have to mention is Giardini Gusti. The main reason for visiting Verona was my interest in seeing some Italian formal gardens so I was determined to find this place. We spent over an hour driving around the streets which was quite pleasant if not a little frustrating. After venturing in to half a dozen other parks and villas only to find we were in the wrong place we stopped to ask a couple of people for directions but with the language barrier it was not so easy. My Italian is even worse than my Spanish. One very kind gentleman actually told us "its very difficult for you". We realised why he said this when we eventually did find the gardens. They were located on an inner city street that looked like all the other streets lined with mostly small houses or apartment buildings. To indicate the location there was one very small sign about the size of a street sign which was bent in the middle and quite faded. We just had to laugh when we saw it and wondered how on earth anybody at all finds this place. Anyway it was worth it in the end. I got my fill of hedges and mazes and statues and fountains and there was also an elevated spot with a great view over the city.

Close to Verona is Lake Garda which is a popular holiday spot not only for ordinary Italians but also for Italy's rich and famous. Gardone on the western side is the location of some very, very expensive real estate. From the largest and most palatial villa down to the smallest hotel there is always a pretty garden filled with colourful flowers. Many of the villas have elaborate and exquisite formal gardens. Everywhere you look is beauty. If its not the flowers and the gardens its the lovely villas and castles and citadels. This is all set amongst a picturesque coastline and a backdrop of mountain scenery and giant sea pillars. When you drive around the lake you are often in a tunnel as the cliff faces are quite steep, but alot of the tunnels have "windows" so you can be driving under the mountains and still look out on the stunning coastal scenery.

So we very much enjoyed our time in Verona and are more than happy to finally be in Italy. There seems to be a sense of acceptance here that is not quite so apparent in other parts of Europe. I wonder if it is something to do with history and tradition. Its like well this is the way it is so that's fine and I may as well be happy about it and while I'm at it I will laugh and smile and enjoy. Well I think we will go right ahead and do that too!

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Comments

[Vicki Marshall]

What an exellent way to record your travels Julie. I love what you have done and enjoy your photos and blogging. I'm getting through them and will endeavour to finish reading them all. Great travel tips as well. Safe travels and happy
blogging ... Vicki

[andjulbed]

Thanks Vicki. Its also a great way for us to remember our travels in more detail.