Verona

We drove our rental car up to Verona a couple of hours to the north of Florence via Bolognia. We ditched our (only slightly damaged, but they didn't see it) rental car there and met up with Davide Zavaroni, who stayed at our place in Dec 2006 while touring NZ. Davide had booked us some accomodation near the Arena and got us tickets to an opera that night. Verona is also the setting of the story of Romeo and Juliet, made famous by William Shakespeare.

The Arena was built in 60 (yes sixty) AD


Davide lives about an hour from Verona. Oscar looks in awe at the Arena


Statue of Romulus and Remus being raised by a she-wolf. The pigeon is an extra!


Statue of Bill (Shakespere) who apparently spent some time in Verona.


The entrance to Tomba di Gulietta (tomb of Juliette)



Deep in the basement, the actual tomb. Sadly covered in kids feltpen graffiti.

Then across the other side of town was at Casa di Giulietta where Jan is out on THE balcony... "Johnny, Johnny, where for art thou"?


The 'saw tooth' decoration is unique to Verona and can be seen in a number of places around the city.


Later, we bought some food and drink from the deli and went to the Arena for the opera. By sheer luck the opera was 'Romeo & Juliet', you can't ask for more than that.


Click on this for the full view


There were big screens and all the scenery was projected onto screens. It was a stunning, unforgettable show .


This is the battle scene between the Montagues and the Capulets


And in the end they both die...


...or do they???


What a show, the highlight of the trip - grazie mille Davide!


Davide left us after the opera and drove back home and we wandered the streets in search of Pizza. Next day we were off to BARCELONA...