Oh Romeo, Romeo Wherefore art thou, Romeo?

From start to finish, what an adventure I had this past weekend, which marked our first independent travel break. Kim, Shannon, Megan and I all ventured to the city where Romeo first met Juliet: Verona. The group went to the travel agency a couple of days before the trip and purchased our train tickets. After comparing many options on hostileworld.com, we found a lovely Bed & Breakfast for about 23 euro a night. With bus tickets, train tickets, and a place to sleep, we thought we were prepared for our first solo trip…who knew a little word oveste could throw us for a huge loop.

So we knew we had to go to binario seven but our train was at seven west (oveste means west in Italian). We didn’t realize how large the Bologna train station was so there were multiple binario. We ended up missing our train because we were not at the right seven. We had to make new arrangements and call the bed and breakfast to inform them that we were going to be late. To counteract our little mishap, we treated ourselves to a much needed American cheeseburger. It was a nice change from all the Italian pasta and pizza we’ve been eating.

A few hours later, we found our correct train and made our way to Verona. The MapQuest directions were accidentally left back at the palazzo, so I thought it would be a good idea to take a picture of the map in the train station and use that. Turns out it didn’t have all the small street names on it so we ended walking around in the dark on a highway at about eleven o’clock at night. Being four college girls alone in an unknown city, we were a little paranoid of other people walking on the sidewalk at the same time as we were; so every time we saw someone walking towards us in the distance we would cross the highway so we weren’t on the same side as a stranger.

After walking around for about thirty minutes we finally found a business that was open. We went inside the café and there were three older adults playing cards. The older man, named Giovanni, looked at our map and explained how we didn’t even have the street name of the B&B on our map. He offered to drive us two at a time to the B&B’s road. Shannon and Kim left first and I stayed with Megan so I could keep her safe with my intense karate skills. After about seven minutes without any update on location, I called Shannon to see where they were and make sure they were safe. Giovanni came back to drive Megan and me to the other girls; it turned out he was really nice, drove us there safely, and I had nothing to worry about but you can never be too sure. It’s never a bad thing to be cautious. Once on the street, the B&B host came to show us where we were staying.

So we learned a lot before the trip even started. But half the fun is just getting there right? One, make sure at least one person in the group has a guidebook to look up unknown words such as oveste. Two, make sure everyone in the group has maps of the city and phone numbers of the B&B/hotel. Three, it is important to remain calm throughout the whole getting lost period. I was very impressed with our group: even though it was a bad situation we all remained cool, calm and collected; this was a great help throughout the whole process. Four, be grateful for any help that is received. Thank you, Giovanni and B&B host!

After a few lessons learned, we settled into our completely charming B&B. We shared a four bedroom that was decorated with two glass end tables, red flower décor on the wall and a beautiful glass chandelier. The other rooms in the B&B included a living room, kitchen and two bathrooms. The décor at the B&B was so modern yet retro; complete with vintage picture of Paris paired with a Marilyn Monroe picture. The quality of our B&B certainly made up for our crazy journey there. Due to our experience getting there, we formed a plan for the activities we wanted to experience the next day. Each of us said what we wanted to do and that activity was put on the list; I really liked this approach because we each of us were part of the planning process.

Castelvecchio was our first stop that next day. It was located less than a ten minute walk from our B&B; so not only was our B&B charming but it also had a prime location. By the order of Cangrande II della Scala, the Castelvecchio was built between 1354 and 1356. The design was created by the della Scala family to defend against both outside assaults and popular rebellion. Currently, this castle has a unique design; first, visitors enter into the courtyard area with fountains and greenery. They then proceed to a museum portion which leads to an outdoor view of the castle then back to museum. I really enjoyed this layout because we were given the chance to explore the castle while looking at art. My favorite part of the castle was the view over the Roman Bridge. This castle has such amazing views and incredible architecture that the group spent over two hours exploring it.

After a delightful ham and brie sandwich lunch with Coke and lemon, we ventured into the market. I found a lovely magnet. In every city we have been to, I have purchased a magnet: a Carnevale mask from Venice, a sunflower from Florence, an elephant symbol representing the contrada of torre (tower) area from Siena, and now Romeo and Juliet from Venice. These are special gifts that are small enough to travel with, plus whenever I have my own refrigerator it will be wonderfully decorated. In addition to adding to my magnet collection, I also found my Bon Jovi jacket.

After my shopping success, the group went to Juliet’s house. We each wrote our love letter and attached it to the wall. Outside Juliet’s balcony is her statue. For good romantic luck, the visitors are supposed to touch her right breast. I couldn’t bring myself to do that so for my picture I’m pointing instead…plus I’ve already found my Romeo.

The remainder of the day was spent experiencing Verona’s culture. We went to a candy store. We each purchased a bag of different candies then turned into excited little kids as we tried the various flavors. We then sent out for the Roman Amphitheater where assortments of opera concerts are regularly still held each summer. The views from the top of the theatre were once again incredible; it was just about sunset so the skyline was dimly lit and very picturesque.

All the day’s walking was really tiring, so the group headed back for a rest and freshening up before dinner. We ate at a nice restaurant called Il Cielo di Biancaneve. I had a wonderful pasta dish and then grilled chicken, my favorite! For dessert, we found a German restaurant with amazing chocolate fondue that had ten different fruits to dip. This was definitely one of my favorite days in Italy so far.

The second day was also another busy but fun filled day. We explored the Duomo of Verona, Giardeno Giusti and climbed the Torre dei Lamberti. The Duomo was covered in beautiful frescoes and had two large piano organs. The Giardeno Giusti had spectacular greenery, marble statues, and a scenic view of Verona. The Torre dei Lamberti has 386 stairs before reaching the top; it was a hike but climbing towers is just what the roomies and I do. In addition to the activities, we also spent two hours relaxing by a river. This was one event that couldn’t have been planned for but it was a great way to immerse ourselves in Italian culture. Italians are very leisurely about their plans and so we were too; we experienced the unpredictable pleasure that only relaxing by a river on a nice day can bring.

With two activity-filled days in Verona, it was such an incredible adventure. I would love to go back. Even the few bumps in the road at the beginning turned into a learning experience; Verona has to be my favorite city so far!

Pictures from this adventure...Check them out!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2031467&id=1397160099&l=7951fa05a4