Spring Break: VERONA

Me, Ryan, and Mr. Gately took a train leaving Rome at 10pm, arriving in Verona at 5:30 in the morning. While most of the Trenitalia trains are much quicker, this one was half the price and was a good source of sleep after the week I had had. We took a taxi to Ryan's apartment, and literally slept in until 2pm that day, since Ryan had class. He left for class, and I went straight back to bed :) 

That night we went out for dinner in a plaza across from the arena. The arena, described bluntly, is a mini-Colosseum in the middle of Verona. It is absolutely breathtaking. The arena is the third largest in Italy. Built in the 1st century BC, the arena holds 25,000 spectators. I also learned that Leonardo D'Caprio lives in an apartment literally right across from the arena, talk about good location.

The next day, Ryan took me around the city, walking to Piazza della Erbe. The piazza was originally the Roman Forum, in the heart of Verona's historic center and is surrounded by beautiful medieval buildings and towers. Although once filled with market stalls, today the stalls mostly sell souvenirs. Believe it or not, this is the place where I had my first Italian cup of coffee, don't ask how i made it through Venice, Florence, AND Rome without one.

Just off of Piazza della Erbe is Lamberti Tower. Climb the stairs to the top (or pay an extra euro to take the elevator most of the way) and you have fantastic views of the city and the river. The medieval bell tower was started in the 12th century and was raised a few times after that until it reached its final height of 84 meters.

After Lamberti Tower, we walked through Arco della Costa, an arch with a whale rib hanging from it, into Piazza dei Signori, a small square surrounded by monumental buildings. In the center is a statue of Dante and perched on top of buildings around the square are more famous signori.

We also went to the balcony said to be Juliet's in Romeo and Juliet. The house said to be Juliet's house is in a courtyard off Via Capello, the street running from downtown Verona to Ryan's apartment. You can see the balcony and the bronze statue of Juliet. One of my favorite parts of the balcony is the locks on the gates to the home. Also, every inch of the walls is covered in writing from sightseeing couples.

We made our way over to Castelvecchio, a 14th century medieval complex built as a residence and fortress. There are several towers and keeps and a brick bridge crossing the river. A section of Verona's 14th century walls was incorporated into the complex. Also, while I was there, a film crew was shooting scenes from the upcoming movie Romeo and Juliet, starring Ed Westwick from Gossip Girl.

The next day Ryan took me to his favorite place in Verona, a walk down the river up a hill that overlooks the entire city. The river is really a spectacular sight, and from the hill you can literally see the entire city.