Feeling All the Love in Verona

One of the most important things to know about our dynamic is that I am a hopeless romantic, and Gabriel is a champ at humoring me. Hence, our stop in Verona: the city of my namesake Juliet (Italian: Giulietta) and her Romeo.

We found a sweet little apartment near the university – aptly named “Il Nido D’Amore” (“The Love Nest”). Just 10 minutes from the city center on the far side of the river, it allowed us to be away from the tourists while still being close enough to walk everywhere. Our favorite walks were across the bridges, especially at night when the lights of the city would dance across the top of the water.

Another fun fact about us is that we love to watch movies that are either set in or remind us of the city we’re in. For example, on our trip to Peru two years ago (what?!), we watched The Emperor’s New Groove. While staying in the Ice Hotel in Canada, we watched Frozen. Somehow I convinced Gabriel to rent and watch Letters to Juliet with me the night we arrived in Verona so that I could properly amp myself up for visiting Casa di Giulietta the next day. (Guys, don’t worry. We also watched The Da Vinci Code in Italy so there was balance. 😉 )

Now, to be fair, the courtyard of Juliet’s house in the movie is very different than the courtyard in reality. I knew this going in, so I wasn’t surprised. I had actually set my expectations a bit low after reading some online reviews online. (Note to self: stop reading online reviews!) We did use our trick of eating lunch early and going back at the normal lunch time to avoid the huge crowd, and it worked like a charm. The walls in the tunnel and most of the wall space in the courtyard were covered with writing (on little pieces of paper, on Band-aids, or directly on the bricks). But, really, the only things that mattered were the beautiful bronze statue of Juliet and her balcony.

I loved being in that place, especially the courtyard. Despite the tourists and the souvenir shops and the writing all over the walls, the ivy-covered corner where the statue stands below the balcony had a reverent and graceful energy all its own. It’s an example of the enduring quality of great literature and a reminder that love is still the most powerful force in our world. This little plaque, which seemed hidden from the eyes of most tourists, says it all:

Okay okay, enough cheesiness. The rest of the day we spent wandering around the city. We visited a couple of churches, waited out some rain in a cozy street cafe, and then climbed the top of the bell tower for an unforgettable view of the city. Most importantly, we came to one very important conclusion: Verona is the most romantic city in Italy.

If you don’t believe me, check out a few of our stunning views:

By the end of our first full day, Verona had captured both our hearts – hook, line, and sinker.

Our second day was rainier and colder than the first, which made the perfect setting for a cooking class. After a quick stop at our new favorite coffee shop, we walked into town to meet up with another couple and our instructor, Maria Cristina. The couple was a husband and wife duo from Florida, and Cristina was your typical Italian grandma who talked a mile a minute and took immense pride in her food, her family, and her hometown of Verona. This was an amazing class! We made pasta, Amorone risotto, and tiramisu, all while enjoying each other’s stories – and a couple glasses of wine, of course!

With full stomachs and happy hearts, we decided a walk around Castelvecchio was the perfect way to help settle all of the rich foods from lunch. The Castelvecchio is a restored palace next to the Adige river in Verona that houses a museum of medieval, Renaissance, and modern art. It was quite an amazing place to explore, especially with the river running right next to it.

Then we made our way to the Roman Theater, which kept with the tradition of all the other Roman and Greek theaters in giving the audience a spectacular view of the city!

As the sun began to fade, we found a bistro on the river to enjoy a simple and delicious plate of meat, cheese, and bread.

We ended our time in Verona doing what we’ve come to do best throughout Italy: eating dessert. We did venture outside of our gelato bubble this time for fresh strawberries topped with chocolate and whipped cream. Heaven. In. A. Cup. Our last stroll around Piazza Bra was filled with moonlight, the warm glow of the cafes and shops, and the sound hundreds of screaming teenage girls outside the concert venue AND outside an Adidas store. Yeah, not what you’d call romantic, but it made for a memorable ending. (We still have no idea what was going on in the Adidas store. Our theory is that one of their celebrity spokespeople was there for a launch.) Our last views of the city were in Piazza Erbe, and they were quite spectacular – the perfect way to end our time here.

It was almost as hard to leave Verona as it was Florence, but knowing we had Venice waiting for us on the other side of the train made the goodbye a bit easier. We can’t wait to tell you all about the last leg of our Italy adventure! Until then…

Hugs from England,
Juliette