Verona, Italy
Train from Innsbruck to Verona
We took a 3 1/2 hour train ride from Innsbruck, Austria to Verona, Italy. While Jeff and I were craning our necks to see all the cozy mountain towns and attempting to take photos while going moving at 150 mph, Zach’s comment was, “I’ve already seen all kinds of mountains and trees” and went back to reading his book. Grhhh, you pick your battles and his loss.
When we arrived in Verona, we were still riding high from our unplanned trip to Innsbruck. So, we tried to have fresh eyes as we hopped on the bus outside the train station to reach our flat at Via Gaetano Trezza, 49. We’ve been taking advantage of all the amazing public transportation in Europe, so we thought this would be a piece of cake. We stepped on the front of the packed bus and wedged ourselves in what little room was left. My personal space was of no concern as I tried unsuccessfully to avoid hitting other passengers with my 40-liter backpack on my back and daypack on my front! No way to even remove the packs - I was trapped like a puzzle piece. Plus, I’d been carrying some leftover groceries that we could use again in Italy. After about 15 minutes we made it to our destination, unfortunately, we were located in the middle of the bus and no one was moving, so we didn’t get off until the next exit! I have never been so relieved to finally get off a bus! It’s part of the adventure though, right?
Verona is located in northern Italy and includes a medieval town and a 1st century Roman amphitheater that is still used for concerts and performances today. It also claims to be the setting for Romeo and Juliet!
Fabiano, our landlady, was so kind and extremely helpful. She pointed out all the must-go restaurants and the best places to get Italian pizza since Zach has been looking forward to eating pizza in Italy since we began our trip back in August. She also had some great suggestions for gelato which we would do right after our pizza dinner! She offered to make us our first pot of coffee using a Moka pot. It’s very strong and it reminds me of a percolator that my grandparents used. She explained that it made 2-3 cups of coffee, but I realized later that she meant 2-3 espressos…when in Verona! Every Airbnb has a different feel, and this one reminded me of my Grandma Cottrell’s kitchen growing up as a child, and I loved it! Just the right size for our family of three!
Verona was a stop we decided to make on our way to Tuscany and we also thought it would be good as a base for a day-trip to Venice and to spend a few days exploring Verona itself.
On our second day in town, we took a local train an hour or so to Venice. Our plan for Venice was specifically that we didn’t want a plan…we were just going to wander around the canals and get lost! We ended up spending the better part of the day wandering the city before catching the train back to Verona in time for dinner.
Because I’m a hopeless romantic, a must for me in Verona was to see the fictional balcony of Juliet from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. There is graffiti and notes held up with bubble gum of unrequited love in the small alley leading to the courtyard. I was surprised at the throngs of people that I had to get through to see the balcony. The boys decided to stay back and wait for me!
World School Shopping
While in Verona, we also caught up on some much-needed shopping…Zach was outgrowing his shoes and his pants, so we headed to the stores. Verona has amazing shopping and no sales tax! I never thought we’d be doing “back-to-school shopping” in Verona.
Washed that gray right outta my hair!
By this time, I was also in desperate need of a hair color…one can only cover so much in a sun hat. So I went to the closest hair salon by our flat. I walked inside the salon with my Google Translator ready to go. From what I could make out, the owner was busy with a client and the other stylist was in the bathroom. Another lady in the shop, whom I thought was an employee, began helping translate and arranging my appointment. She even went as far as running out into the street to confirm the time. All the while, I assumed she worked there, but she was actually another client who was just waiting for her own appointment. I was amazed by how willing a stranger was to help me. I guess we women stick together when it comes to our hair! In the end, I was able to be in a new city, find a salon and walk out like a new women with a fresh color and a blow dry never speaking the same language!
As you can imagine, we have stayed in all sorts of Airbnbs, hotels, guest houses and hostels. Overall we’ve had great experiences, but just like home, things happen! I already shared that I loved our cozy kitchen, but one day when we came back from sightseeing, Zach noticed the kitchen rug below the sink was completely wet. The first thing that came to mind was the pipe under the sink because that’s what has happened to me at home. Our landlady and her father came over immediately on a Sunday night with some tools. Jeff had temporarily fixed the sink by that time, but it was not going to last without some tools. Our handful of shared language was worthless in trying to troubleshoot a plumbing issue. Jeff tried to act out how the entire lower pipe setting had just completely fallen off. They couldn’t have been nicer and we were all laughing at the absurdity of it. We talked and her father shared that they had been in Verona for generations and explained the significance of each of the old black & white photos on the wall. They also shared all the places we needed to see in their beloved Verona. They especially loved interacting with Zach. We’ve really noticed that Zach brings out the best in people, and they always gravitate to him.
All told, we spent four days exploring Verona and getting some of our errands done. Now we’re off to Sienna to enjoy the Tuscany countryside. This has been on our must-see list since we first went to Europe 14 years ago…we can’t wait!
