Vacation from 'Long Vacation' - Verona

Dawn, Syd, and I started our adventure in northern Italy on 7/14 Monday. The first destination was Verona (again) because we wanted to relive the romance of Romeo and Juliet. Well, Juliet's balcony and courtyard were classic and pretty but with so many tourists (one of the main problems everywhere we went during the busy tourist season) and the big souvenir store right next to the house (casa di Giulietta), it was not that appealing to us. Nevertheless, I tried to imagine Romeo serenading to Juliet, "But, soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and Juliet is the sun. Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon. It is my lady, O, it is my love! O, that she knew she were." (Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare)

Picture on right - Juliet and me (her shining right breast is due to the rubbing of many tourists' hands: it'll bring a man great vitality and a woman her Romeo! But I feel disrespectful to this fictional lady so I just held on to her skirt instead.)

Picture below - Juliet's balcony














Guess what surprised me most in Verona?! We had the best gelato so far in Italy! I don't advertise in my blog but you guys definitely need to try it otherwise you'll regret. It's called 'Gelateria Artigianale Ponte Pietra' (Via Ponte Pietra, 23) which makes homemade gelato daily and it's located near the Stone Bridge (Ponte Pietra). Also, if you are into traditional Veronese cuisine, then you'll have to go to this amazing restaurant, 'Osteria al Duca' (Duke's Inn on Via Arche Scaligere, 2). It's right next door to Romeo's house. I highly recommend you arrive there before 7:30pm, otherwise you should make a reservation.

Picture on right - the entire restaurant only has 1 duke's chair and guess who was sitting on it? The answer is on the chair.

Picture below - we loved the dishes at 'Osteria al Duca'! Syd had a hamburger-like horse tartar, Dawn ordered escargo with polenta, and mine was carpaccio (raw beef) with rucula. Yummy yum yum!













Verona's beautiful beautiful sunset