We’d travelled for years before POD arrived one snowy Christmas Day. While our holidays have changed since she was born back in 2010 (jungle sleepovers are definitely out), POD is just as much of an adventurer are we are. Suffice to say, we always travel together unless one of us has a press or work-based trip. We didn’t even realise until recently but over the past 7 years, we’ve never been away as a couple. While this is partly because we don’t have childcare locally, we genuinely enjoy going away as a family of three. Recently, however, we got to go to Verona in Northern Italy without the small one. Don’t get me wrong we missed her like crazy and it was weird at times but we had a good time. It turns out you can squeeze an awful lot into a weekend without a small one in tow too.
I’ll be honest, I adore Italy. Having visited Tuscany on a press trip a few weeks earlier, I was really craving more time there. Verona, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy, is somewhere we’ve not visited previously but it’s not necessarily a city you’d go as a family. That’s not to say we wouldn’t take POD but we certainly wouldn’t have covered as much ground as we did. It turns out we walked almost twenty miles in the two days we were there! Here’s is just a taste of what we got up to in Romeo and Juliet’s city.
Marvel at the beautiful Piazza Delle Erbe
It was a market day when we first found ourselves in Piazza Delle Erbe. This historic square is off Via Mazzini and just a few minutes walk from Piazza Bra unless you get distracted by mouthwatering gelato en route as we did. Piazza Delle Erbe is known for Torre dei Lamberti, the ancient town hall and the frescoed Mazzanti Houses which are quite remarkable. The fountain is the most ancient monument in the square, dating back to 1368. It was nice to have a look at the market but we thoroughly enjoyed having a proper look around the square the following day when the crowds lessened.
Climb Torre dei Lamberti
Just off Piazza Delle Erbe on Via della Costa is the 84 metre (275 foot) Torre dei Lamberti. This watchtower famously has two bells, the Rengo (which alerted the council and citizens in times of war) and the Marangona which was used to signal the end of the working day and any signs of fire. There is a lift that takes you up two-thirds of the tower. For some reason, we decided to walk the 368 steps from the bottom which is some workout let me tell you. The panoramic views of the city and the nearby mountains made it more than worthwhile though. We decided to take the lift back down to save our jelly legs!
Listen to the acoustics in Arena di Verona
Built in the first century, this Roman amphitheatre is one of the most well preserved of its kind. Had our visit coincided with one of the large-scale performances, we would have loved to have seen one. We got to see a few choirs singing while we were there and even then, the music echoing around the arena was quite special. It’s no wonder half a million people travel to see performances here, the atmosphere must be something else. Probably quite emotional I’d imagine too.
Watch the world go by in Piazza Bra
Verona’s main square, Piazza Bra (or Bra as it’s known locally) is said to be one of the largest in Italy. Some say Europe. Even in April, it was an unsurprisingly popular spot and while we tend to shy away from tourist areas, it really is charming. With colourful buildings, restaurants, cafes and a garden, it’s a nice place to grab a bite. At least in springtime, we found the prices to be very reasonable too – €20 for a meal for the two of us. It’s been a long time since we’ve just sat and had a meal as a couple so that was nice. As for the colour, honestly, I couldn’t get enough of the mustards and the oranges against the blue sky!
Capture Casa di Giulietta (then leave…!)
Located off Via Cappello is one of Verona’s most notable buildings, Juliet’s House. Dating back to the 13th century, it’s where Romeo pledged his eternal love in Shakespeare’s tragedy. The small courtyard is accessed via an archway which is littered with messages. It was hugely overcrowded with the masses taking selfies, touching Juliet’s statue or sticking ‘love notes’ to the wall with chewing gum. Some ventured inside the house and took prime position on Juliet’s balcony but we left as soon as we could, it was heaving.
Take in the views from Ponte di Castelvecchio
This segmental arch bridge had the world’s largest span when it was built over the Adige River in the 1350’s. Connected to the ancient Castelvecchio castle, it was destroyed in 1945 but mostly reconstructed in 1951. Made with red bricks in the upper part and marble the lower, it has three spans of decreasing length starting from pentagonal towers. We’d arrived there first thing which was certainly a good thing to do as it meant we got to take in the wonderful views while it was quiet.
Walk the streets of Verona
The downside of booking a weekend away at short notice is that sometimes you miss things. We would have loved to have made it up to Castel San Pietro and the remains of the first settlements. It would have made the most magnificent vantage point too amid those cypress trees – had our aching legs carried us up there. At least we have a great reason to return to Verona.
We must have almost explored every inch of the city by foot up to that point though, discovering places that are well documented as well as off the beaten track. Beautiful streets with strategically placed cars, wonderfully kept balconies and hidden eateries where you could buy a pizza slice for €3. Ahh Verona, you were very good to us. Until next time.
Verona is such a beautiful place. Lots of beautiful places to see.