Italy – Verona 31/8/16

Another day trip, another train ride and another early start as we went from Milan to Verona. Depending on the train tickets you buy will depend on which train service you take, which depends on how long it will take to get you there. Once again we got our tickets from the auto machine at the station, and chose Trensitalia, €12 pp each way and a journey lasting 2 hours. (This was the cheapest option). The train was fine, the journey seemed to pass relatively quickly as we passed some of Northern Italy’s countryside, mainly vineyards and agriculture. Once arrived in Verona, be careful which station you get off at as there are 3 or 4 to choose from. Aim for Verona Porta Nuova, as it’s practically only 20 minutes walk to the city centre. Once outside the station we chose to get the “hop on hop off” city bus, as the stop for it was right there, and we only had 20 minutes to wait for it. This sight seeing bus costs €20 pp for a 24 hour ticket. The city has 2 routes to choose from, Line A and Line B, and the cost of the ticket covers both. The train station is stop 3 on Line A, so tickets bought as we boarded the bus and upstairs we went. As with any tour bus you get a set of earphones and there’s a choice of 8 languages to choose from to listen to the audio description of the city. Verona is the most beautiful city that we have come across in Italy, it’s smaller/compact size is perfect for walking around. In its centre is a huge arena, second largest after the Collisium in Rome, however just as impressive. Our guide informed us it was still in use, as Verona hosts an Opera season every July and August. In May and September it is used for large concerts and it is said to be the largest outdoor Opera stage in the world! Once a circuit was completed on Line A, we got off and walked around its walled city, most of which is in ruin, and abandoned, but kept beautiful in all its original glory. We strolled along many of its small narrow streets, (as with all the walled cities, the buildings are 5 or 6 stories high and offer the best shade from the blistering sun). We visited the house of Juliette, and stood for a few photos under the ever famous balcony, before going to view Verona’s Duomo, (Duomo is Italian for House of God – therefore many of Italy’s city cathedrals are called Duomo). Again as spectacular as any other we’ve seen, full of majestic splendour, very ornate stone carvings each one with its own story. The surrounding pathway to the Duomo, made out of marble, making the scorching day even more unbearable as the heat reflected back towards your face. It was also great to see a city with a river running through it, namely Flume Adige, which runs from the Alps. It has lots of cafes and restaurants, more so than any city we’ve come across so far, so if you like nothing more than having a beer whilst sat people watching, then this city should be on your holiday list. Verona is perfect in every way and a solo day trip is not nearly enough to see its sights. I wish we had planned a few nights here.