I left Nice Ville behind with mixed feelings, I wish I could have more time to find the old place where I used to stay many years ago, the city in the summer heat makes me feel like in a tropical land. The hostel I stayed this time is quite nice, a very friendly, helpful lady at the reception and the location, right behind the legendary Negresco. Now time to say goodbye to Nice, I’m heading to Verona – Italy.
Verona, a northern city in Italy, where I stay for 3 nights, the longest stay during my journey around Europe, and the reason I picked Verona because it’s quite close to Venice, by train (!), if I go to Venice and go back within a day! Verona still has another reason, the Juliette’s house, from a legendary love story – Roméo & Juliette, located right in the heart of Verona’s old town.
Two of William Shakespeare‘s plays are set in Verona: Romeo and Juliette and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Shakespeare ever visited Verona or Italy, we may never know but his plays have lured many visitors to Verona and surrounding cities. Verona has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO because of its urban structure and architecture.
The balcony of Juliette’s house is visible through a small passage, thousands of people cram into this small place everyday to see the balcony, to have their picture taken with the statue of Juliette.
I arrived to Verona on 13rd September, Juliette’s birthday festive was on 12th September, but people in Verona still celebrate another festive, maybe something related to the war veterans? They dressed up in traditional red costume, parade through the town center with marching band…and people keep singing, drinking on the streets from morning till late evening.
The holiday atmosphere lasts until very late at night, people keep singing everywhere in the old town, playing traditional music, drinking…
The Arena completed around 30 AD, it is the third largest in Italy after Rome’s Colosseum and the arena at Capua. It measures 139 metres long and 110 metres wide, and could seat some 25,000 spectators in its marble seats. the Arena has remained in use even today for public events, fairs, theatre and open-aired opera during warm summer nights.
Anyway, time for me to recharge, after a long walk, I need to eat something really good, something hot…right at Piazza Bra – the largest square in Verona, opposite the Arena, to enjoy the great view…
Later on, not far from my hotel, I found a shop selling these Italian traditional stuffs, especially, panzerotto, a kind of big deep-fried dumpling, it seems very popular in Verona, as I see it everywhere in town, I decided to try one – a spicy panzerotto, stuffed with sausage, cheese, tomato sauce…yummy!
Staying 3 days in Verona, the first day I spent more time in Venice, I catch up the early train in the morning and go back within a day for free thanks to my Eurail pass. Actually I was about to stay late in Venice but after the first day, seeing the tourist crowds in the summer heat…I changed my mind, I decided to explore Verona in my last two days!
Le petit renard 