Verona

Boring paint does not work in Italy!

You may remember that Verona is the place where the famous balcony of Romeo and Juliet can be found. Of course the story is fictional but it is supposedly based on the feuds between two very real families in this area. "Family Feuds" do seem to have their place in Italy after all.

The balcony is cute and little and in a tiny alley and crowded! In fact, the entire area was very crowded which surprised us on New Year's Day when almost everything was closed for the holiday. It was too dark to take good photos when we walked over to it.


The city is known for its cultural and performing arts and Laura and Robert plan to return to Verona in the the spring to see the play 'Romeo and Juliet.' How romantic is that? ♥

The older and most fun part of what we saw in Verona is behind the old city wall. You enter through an archway and back in time.

First 2 photos borrowed from virtourist.com

We had our usual tailgate picnic
compliments of our tour guide, Miss Laura, and then
set out to explore this wonderful old city.

Walking into the walled area of the city

Many things about Verona set me into designer mode
regarding our current bathroom project at home.

(The metallic starburst seemed wildly out of place here.)

The Colors of the Arena

There are way too many coliseums in Italy~
by the way...{{shudder}}

The Stone

The Brick

The Marble Sidewalks~
I ask you...
How fair is it that their mountains
are marble and ours are dirt?
How can sidewalks be gorgeous?

They just are!

Not a single store along this shopping
alley was open but it did not deter the strolling
and window shopping one bit in this area
of high end designer shops.

The Contraband of Italy~Gelato!

We had to sneak around and go in small groups to eat it, as Spencer cannot have it and it is so hard on him. He is a lover of ice cream but Gelato is soy based. Ross and one other member of our party, who shall remain nameless, had a major problem concealing his/her indulgence with the exact same problem!

Flash back to 2008 and his first Gelato
Some things haven't changed that much!

Spence and Daddy discussing the ice rink conditions.

Another city's piazza offering a chance for the boys to ice skate. This one was a lot more crowded but the boys are seasoned skaters now! One man was an exceptional skater and entertained us with his speed, ease, jumps and fancy foot work!

The Piazza was full of people that wanted
to help us have a really fun time like this juggler.

And The Stilted Ladies that danced
and drummed for us...
On cobblestone. Yikes!

There is always time for a little lovin' in Verona!

A little shopping...

In your red coat in the market place!

Or to admire the architecture or
receive an historical tidbit from Robert.

One such tidbit: The whale rib hanging from this archway has been here since the 1400s. It is said that it will not fall on your head unless you have never told a lie! That is a long time to be hanging, people!

In my mind, Verona is a place not to be missed.
Loved this fun-packed and beautiful city very much.