In Verona, the city dramatized by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, a stop below Juliet’s balcony is a must pilgrimage. Follow the fashionable pedestrian streets of Via Mazzini and Via Cappello, to the house of Juliet. Despite the ever present crowd, all eyes are fixed onto the balcony above. Your imagination will envision the light of dawn, as your ears will hear Juliet’s words searching for her lover. Thousands, have by now, rubbed shiny a breast of Juliet’s brass statue that stands below, a gift of the Rotary Club, for a lucky love photo; and have contributed their initials to the graffiti that blackens the portico. the entranceway to this immortalized courtyard.
In Piazza Erbe, is the permanent daily market that sits in centre of what was once a Roman forum. The crenellated walls that surround this open rectangle bear evidence to centuries of events. But today’s vendors are only concerned with their sales. In front of me, succulent, sweet local cherries: I buy half a kilo, and follow others to the old stone fountain. I wander into nearby Piazza Dante where a lone statue commemorates the, father of the Italian language, since it was in this city that as guest of the Scaligeri family, rulers of Verona, Dante completed his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy. The Scaligeri monumentally artistic tombs are visible from this point and beckon a closer look.
The small cobblestoned streets that lead from one piazza to the next are a shopper’s paradise Antiques, designer fashion; markets … all offer an array of fun shopping. As one `o’clock approaches, however, people begin to rush trying to make yet another stop before the stores close. Then you hear the rolling metal doors clunking as they hit their stone thresholds. As the streets quickly empty it is time for the noon meal. A sacrosanct time. Family run restaurants, or trattoria are easily found in the small streets off the tourist path. Just let your nose follow the aroma of fresh tomatoes, basil, rosemary and roast that waft through the air. Whatever the menu choice, the accompanying local wines are a must: Soave. Valpolicella, Bardolino…An excellent way to enjoy your first day in Verona.
