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Day 29 (7/3/11):
We woke up and enjoyed another amazing breakfast before checking out of the hotel. Then we went to the island to see the Rialto Bridge and check out all the shops in the marketplace around that area. Everything is just so pretty here! Its hard to not want to buy everything in sight. We had some fun searching around the marketplace, and eventually had to leave to catch our 12:50 p.m. train to Verona!
We arrived in Verona at 2:00 p.m. and checked our luggage at the train station so we wouldn't have to lug it around in the mid-afternoon heat. Then we caught a bus to the Arena and started our tour of Verona!
The Arena looked like a slightly smaller version of the Colosseum, but still in good condition. We took some pictures from the outside, but decided to go try to see other things in the city instead of going inside. From there we were able to walk everywhere! I was surprised at how small Verona was, but I loved its atmosphere.
We stopped at a hotel to ask for a map, and found that we were very close to Giulietta's house and balcony. We walked down to Via Cappello and quickly found the archway that leads to her balcony. Graffiti and declarations of love were written all over the walls, and locks of love were secured in place on all sorts of chains, fences, doorways, and light fixtures. It was very cool looking, and a little moving to be surrounded by all those declarations of love and affection. Liz took a quick picture with the statue of Giulietta and we both touched the statues right breast for "luck in love".
From la Casa di Giulietta we walked across Piazza Erbe and down a side street to find the Well of Love. No one was there, which was nice, an we were able to take some good pictures.
Then we walked towards the Duomo and went inside the huge cathedral of Verona. The at and architecture here is so different from what I've been seeing a lot of in Rome. It is much less ornate and glitzy, and has a more muted and subtle beauty. Inside the church we were also able to visit the remains of cathedrals that had been in this location, but were ruined.
Once back outside we decided to get some lunch, so we walked across the street to a cute, artsy little place called "Retro Bar"… or "Café Vero", we're not really sure :o) Our placemats were made of slate and the waitress brought over chalk for us to doodle with while we waited for our food. What fun!! Liz got a margharita pizza and I got an Italian salad that had olives, tuna, chickpeas, sunflower seeds, and cheese in it. Our waitress also told us that we had to get some wine since we were in wine country. She brought us each a glass of red that was light and smooth and sort of a rosy color. I have no idea what it was, but it was really good and super cheap!
After lunch, we walked back towards Piazza Erbe and somehow found Romeo's house! It isn't as popular a tourist attraction as Juliet's house, but it is clearly marked with a quote from Shakespeare's play.
We didn't have too much time left, so we started walking back towards the Arena. This time, we went inside! There wasn't too much to see, but it was a fun little thing to do before catching the bus back to the train station.
I'm so glad we stopped in Verona for the afternoon! I love the feel of that city, and would love to go back again for a longer amount of time. There's still so much more to see there, too!
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