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| I heart Verona |
Only one hour on the train west of Venice and we were in the small enchanting heart shaped city of Verona. The next stop on our Italian summer circuit. Verona, based in the foothills of Northern Italy, has an impossibly long history full with war and battles.
But alongside the tell-tale fables and legends of pain, sickness and death, like the red poppies that grow from the graves of the fallen, Verona is an eternal symbol of choosing love over life.
Verona embodies romance, with the linking of lovers who are inextricably brought together through a fate stronger than time.
We arrived fairly late in the evening after an action packed day in Venice and went looking for the home of our Italian couch surfing host, Guido. Guido our godsend, beaming and full of smiles greeted and welcomed us in.
We were instantly friends when he took us out to his patio and opened a bottle of cold North Italian white wine! Exhausted and utterly drained from the day's activities, we didn't think we had an ounce of energy left to venture out for a late dinner and Guido fully prepared for two wary, smelly and sore footed travelers brought out cheese and honey with olive focaccia, gin and tonics and later the most amazing creamiest ice cream we have ever eaten. From his inner city apartment we looked over the neighbouring rooftops and towards Verona's dominating roman amphitheater (the arena de Verona) where that evening, as we sat in the warm summer evening eating our ice cream, the opera played a rendition of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
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| Juliet's Balcony |
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| Buy your knitted items! |
After a late start in the morning, long after the ringing church bells had played a merry tune and as the day was heating up quickly, we joined Guido down the road for breakfast. This cute little cafe down the cobbled backroad specialised in brioche (typical breakfast sweets) and wedding cakes. We ate a traditional Italian breakfast of chocolate croissant with hot cappuccinos outside on the terrace under the umbrellas. From there we toured Verona's old marble city streets together. Guido showed us Juliet's balcony, from "Romeo and Juliet". Considering it's technically a made up story, with no actual evidence that it was the family home of Juliet, this was a really over-visited attraction. Hordes of people crowded and cramped underneath for a shot of the balcony, pushing and shoving like stampeding elephants to be able to touch the golden bare breast of a Juliet statue bringing themselves good luck in love. From inside, selfie sticks poked out angling for the best shot and like salmon we had to fight the current to return back to the main street and decided then and there to miss her 'tomb'.
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| Roman ruins under the city |
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| Dante Alighieri |
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| Crypts of the founding fathers |
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| Beautiful side streets |
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| How adorable! |
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| Porta dei Borsari |
After that, we visited some really interesting places with our make shift personal guide, who pointed out things that we would have passed without realising, such as an ancient stone fish market and inside Saint Anastasia church with its high ceilings and beautiful frescos. We walked through the Centro Piazza Erbe and saw amazing art on the buildings. He told us stories about the history of Verona, showing us crypts of the city's founders and some underground Roman ruins. Apparently the telecom companies have trouble providing fast internet since every time they dig to lay the required cable, they stumble on to some ancient ruins. A bit like finding some old shells along the road up in the McLaren falls, but what a history the city has!
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| Lunch under the facades |
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| A fountain in the Piazza delle Erbe |
We spent the early Sunday afternoon moving around one street to the next peering into delicious pastry shops, coffee bars and hovering next to shop fronts to get a whiff of their air conditioning. We trotted through Castel Vecchio and Piazza Bra, the largest plaza in the world, lined with restaurants and in the centre, the Arena.
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| Inside Saint Anastasia Cathedral |
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| Amazing decorations |
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| Inside the Cathedral |
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| Piazza delle Erbe |
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| Entrance to the Ponte della Vittoria |
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| Getting ready for the Opera to start |
That evening there was a three hour production called Aida showing and quickly we booked tickets!
Some tickets would set you back the cost of a vital internal organ but thankfully we went with no frills tickets at 25euro each. Aida, renowned as one of the grandest stage shows (as we were told) is about an Ethiopian princess who is captured and enslaved by the Egyptians.
Radames, the Egyptian military commander struggles to choose between his love for her and the Pharaoh. Furthermore the beautiful but forceful Amneris, who is the Pharaoh's daughter is also in love with Radames, except he does not return her feelings.
As the sun started setting that evening and the sky was soft with pink and mauve, we made our way across to the ancient Arena.
We climbed up the narrow and well worn back stairs and manoeuvred through the crowd to find a spot on the old marble steps, gratefully settling in with Guido's cushions but squished like cattle heading off to the abattoir.
The lights dimmed and the show begun.
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| Arrival of the Ethiopeans |
The crowd clapped enthusiastically and as the lights returned dancers from an ancient time pranced their way across the stage. Egyptian warriors marched and large Eagles soared flapping large blue wings. As the first scene came to a close the audience was alive, cheering Bravo! Bravo! Act two was sensational, truly amazing, not only was the singing grand but in different scenes almost five hundred actors were on, in and around the stage. Everyone with immaculate dress, absolutely stunning costumes and impeccable timing.
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| The King awarding Radames commandership |
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| The Princesses guards |
We loved that the whole show encompassed so many elements and the orchestra played faultlessly, bringing everyone to the edge of their seats. In the end, as with most tragic love stories of times past, both Radames and Aida relinquished their lives for everlasting yearning and love.
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| Attacking the village folk |
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| Preparing to battle |
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| A final parting goodbye |
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| Radames and Amneris |
The show finished at midnight after most of the city's eateries closed. Since we haven't yet had dinner, we followed the local custom of eating the only thing still available at that time: kebabs, although we opted for kebab salad!
Monday morning came barreling around far too quickly because then all of a sudden, like a young couple eloping, we were back on the train off in a new direction.
When I saw you in Verona, you sat down and moved over. Pretty people but all I saw was you. I remember feeling tongue tied as I tried to say goodbye, I was ready to fall in love with you.
Lyrics by elemenop.
Tot siens
John and Kara
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