Sept. 20; To Verona
With our Eurail Pass running out of travel days we decided to start heading back to Geneva. A look at the map and a train timetable helped us to choose Verona as our next stop. We arrived in the early afternoon and started up the main street heading from the train station towards what looked like town center. Not having done any research about this town we started looking for lodging on this street, Corso Porta Nuova.
This is the Porta Nuova, the 'new door', which was constructed between 1533 and 1546. Austrians modified it in 1854, giving it a new facade.
We found the B & B Albergo Trento on the main street and it turned out to be the nicest and least expensive of several places we found nearby, so we got a room.
We stowed our stuff and headed out to explore. Just up the street is the 'old door', a gate through the ancient city wall.
Inside the gate is a plaque with a quote from Wm. Shakespeare. Well, 'Romeo & Juliet' is set in Verona, guess I learn something new everyday!
Inside the gate the street opens into the huge Piazza Bra' with the Roman Arena circa AD 30 at the center.
Meandering around streets off the Piazza we saw this cute marketing gimmick for a bakery.
We stumbled upon the Porta Borsari, another gate in the city walls, dating from the Roman times.
Via Borsari led to the Piazza Erbe, another large plaza encircled by interesting architecture and filled with vendors. This is the Madonna Verona Fountain with the Domus Mercatorum (circa 1301) in the background.
At the opposite end of the plaza is the Lamberti Tower.
If anyone can tell me the significance of the whalebone hanging from the arch under the Lamberti Tower I would appreciate it!
Detail of the frescoes painted on the upper story of a building on the plaza.
A bridge over the Fiume Adige (Adige river).
As the sun went down we found Via Mazzini, the main high end shopping district. The wall to wall marble street feels as if we are at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, but this is the real thing, open to the sky!
What's with the tourist traffic jam?
Oh, -'Casa Giulietta'- the supposed balcony of Juliet's house from 'Romeo & Juliet'.
Ancient Roman ruins excavated under the streets, a bit of the sidewalk is visible in the upper right.