Letters to Juliet

Verona, the town which inspired Shakespeare's famous Romeo and Juliet, arrives with the knowledge of mother's impending departure. Soon, my solo expedition will begin. I've had a fantastic time travelling with my mum- the things we've seen, the food we've eaten, the crazy things we've laughed at. But I am looking forward to this next chapter alone.

At the hotel, we catch our first glimpse of TV in English. Strangely, none of the places we've been to even have subtitles! Here, we get several news channels bringing us up to date with world events.

The rioting in Greece has escalated. No longer the peaceful protest which it was a week ago when we were there, Syntagma Square is now filled with 20,000 very angry people demanding that they not be taxed even more because of their government's mismanagement of funds. Tear gas and molotov cocktails have become as much a part of the backdrop as roads are. ALL transport in Athens has been shut down (including ferries to the Greek Islands) and many tourism venues, including the Acropolis, are not open.

It's a good thing we planned our trip in the order that we did.

Bicycles are a common way to get around in Italy, and seeing little old men peddling home their groceries is something that I never seem to tire of. Our hotel lends us bikes for the day, and off we peddle with the wind in our hair (helmets are not compulsory- not even provided!) and goofy little grins on our faces, declaring to Verona our touristic nature. All is well until the bike path ends and we are forced to ride on the right hand side of the road with the cars. Unlike back home, these drivers seem to accept cyclists as equals, and we soon get our courage up. Cycling is a brilliant way to see the city- it's great exercise, it's much cooler than walking and certainly much quicker.

There are two highlights of my day.

Firstly, Casa di Giuliette, or Juliet's house. For those of you who have seen the film “Letters to Juliet”, you will know exactly what the drawcard is. Women flock from far and wide to pay homage to Juliet and ask for her assistance in matters of the heart. Once upon a time people could write letters to Juliet, either tormented by love or grateful for having someone special in their life, and leave them plastered to the walls, and tucked into nooks and crannys. Since the latest restoration in 2004 however, the walls remain bare to preserve the building. Instead, you can post a letter in the special mail boxes onsite, leave a note on her desk, or write in one of the books provided. I did the latter... For several Euro it is possible to take a tour inside the house and stand on the balcony with your love. I managed to take a photo of a random couple kissing on the balcony and am terribly excited about it! You say creepy, I say cute!

You can also locate Romeo's house, which we did, but all you can see is a big door and a big gate.

Casa di Giuliette

A kiss on Juliet's balcony!

Highlight number two of the day comes with returning to our locked up bikes to realise that mum's is permanently locked. She had the key, but despite every person we asked to help us, nobody could make it unlock. In the end we had to call the hotel, and not one but four people came to our rescue, including a burly man with a knife and a BIG pair of pliers. The streets came to a standstill as passersby tried to inconspicuously watch us all seemingly appear to be stealing this bike!

Our last night in Verona coincides with opening night of Opera Season, not coincidentally.

The beautiful old Arena (completed in 30AD) is the third largest Roman Amphitheater in the world, and it is here in which I will be watching my very first Opera. La Traviata, a tragedy, was a treat to be devoured under the stars of the night sky. With minimal amplification, the acoustics of the venue combined with the talent of the performers really worked at their best for an optimal feeling of live sound. Once again, this was another place that as mum and I walked up the stone steps from inside, and suddenly emerged into the air, just hit us in the face with it's energy.

Such a special place to watch theatre! Many concerts from worldwide superstars are frequently held at the Arena also.

Outside the Arena

Great seats!

Off to Milan today to send mum back to work and pay off the massive food and wine debt that has no doubt accrued on her credit card.

I'm going to end this entry with a few interesting tips that any future travellers to Italy may find useful.

1. No apparent designated lanes for traffic in the city makes for palpitating guesswork around the roundabout.
2. Be aware that when you dine at a restaurant you will have a coperto (bread and dining in fee) added to your bill. Usually 1.50 – 2 Euros per person.
3. When travelling from overseas to see a show at the Arena, don't book until you are in Verona. You will save about $100 per ticket!
4. Dangerous and perfectly suited to a backpacking lifestyle, alcohol is very cheap here. Even a basic Italian wine for 2Euro taste like the stuff we pay $15 for in Australia. A brilliant invention in my eyes, 25mL sachets of vodka, gin, rum can be purchased in a pack of 14 and stowed in your handbag or down your sock.
5. When catching a train, validate your ticket immediately at one of the yellow boxes. Not doing this can result in a pretty hefty fine, and in some places, the ticket men will wait for you prior to jumping on board to catch you out. I've been warned not to pay them on the spot and instead ask them to post it to you, as often they will rip you off and line their pockets.
6. When in a supermarket, you must often wear gloves to select your fruit and veg. Then you must bag it, weigh it, and tag it yourself before approaching the counter.
7. In any takeaway food store with a cash till and a bar displaying the goods, you must pay for what you want at the cash till first, then take your receipt over to the bar to collect your order.