The Content Reader

We had a lovely stay in Verona. I arrived around 8.30 p.m. and it was still very warm. Martin met me, and we drove to a parking house, left the car there and walked over the 'Ponte Nuovo del Popolo' into the historical centre of the city. We were first heading to our room which Martin had booked by Airbnb (first try), so I was quite excited when he directed me to the main square, Piazza delle Erbe, and pointed up towards windows, just below the roof. Wow, an old house overlooking the piazza, not bad. It is lovely to stay on the top floor, it is just that it was five stories up and no elevator! What don't we all do for a little bit of character setting? Piazza delle Erbe, our flat; top three rooms on the left building A room with a view The piazza delle Erbe market We had the whole apartment to ourselves (the other guests had cancelled). Our room overlooked the piazza, and my first thought was,  A Room with a View  E.M. Forster's novel about Florence. Well, ...

What do you think of when you hear Verona? I think most people think of Romeo and Juliet , Shakespeare's immortal drama about eternal love. Casa di Giulietta  was also the main focal point for my recent visit to Verona. There are a lot of things to see and it is a beautiful city, straddling the Adige river in Veneto in northern Italy (more in a another post). Having walked around the old town, Juliet's house was one of the last spots we visited. It is without doubt the most popular one. We were not alone in the court yard. Juliet's balcony You enter through a wide gate. On both sides are walls where people write the name of their loved ones. These two walls are filled up every day, and in the evening someone comes to paint it white, to give space for tomorrow's lovers. You pass by to enter into the court yard. On the right you have the balcony where Juliet was standing listening to Romeo's declaration of love. I managed to get a photo with an empty balcony, ...

A room with a view in Verona! Back home after an intensive week of travelling. On Monday 3 August I flew to Verona, Italy, where Martin met me. One evening and a day in Verona doing all the musts there. Just strolling around is like walking in a museum! On to Lake Garda for one night in Lazise and its beautiful old town. The next day driving along the Lake Garda coast up towards its northern tip, where we went over the mountains and headed for South Tirol, Bozen/Bolzano. Continued north towards Innsbruck where we stayed two night with Martin's parents, and then on back home! Imagine doing this in degrees between 30 and 40 with humidity...it was a challenge, believe me. Especially for me who can't take heat that well. But considering the cold summer, I am not complaining. Lake Garda There will be posts coming on Verona, Lake Garda, South Tirol and Innsbruck. Posts about 'Wining and Dining', literature along the way and, I hope, some nice photos to go with it...