BACKPACKERS ON THE GO, LITTLE TIME
This was one of those stops that no one told me about, I just became curious about it because the photos of Verona kept coming up on my feed and they were so amazingly beautiful. Some of the surrounding towns called my name and my camera. Yet, I knew we only had a small window of time to visit. Still, I added Verona to our list of stops in Italy.
If you do a little bit of research you will find out so much about this rich city. I found out that it was once part of the Republic of Venice (I am in love with Venice) and that it is
SKIPPING MILAN FOR VERONA
Why would we skip Milan? We were limited on time, is the recurring excuse. Since we were backpacking I wasn’t feeling super cute and Milan is known for the fashion and shopping. Two things I didn’t feel pretty enough to do. So we decided to advance our plans and head to Verona earlier.
Verona, Verona, oh Verona. Getting off the train seemed a lot like Pisa, just not as small. Not many people around and especially none to help us out. I think next time I head to Italy I will be sure to buy a cell phone or make sure I get access to mine in Italy. Sure would have made getting around easier, or finding an uber or cab, but then again we would miss out on things we saw walking.
THE GATES
We knew we arrived when we saw the gates or porta in Italian. I know they are in all the cities in Italy but for some reason, they were on display here. This was the Piazzale Porta Nuova, we really didn’t know where we were going until we saw the Piazza. We were so happy to see the gates since we were people watching and walking doing the sightseeing tour, it was a short 5-10 minute walk. We could have done a bus if we would have had the patience but that wouldn’t have saved much time, it was six minutes on the bus. It’s really up to you, the easy way or a little walking and eat more gelato.
BAD LUCK, BUT DIDN’T STOP US
If you have been keeping up with my Italian backpacking stories you know we were on the go. Not quite committing to a place until a day or two before. The day before we had decided to make our way to Verona, so I came in contact with a couple renting a room close to the gates of Verona and close to the train station. Silly me that assumed nothing would go wrong. Not having further access to the internet, I came equipped with address and contact information. Arriving wasn’t the problem, but having them answer the door was. Who knows what happened. We had to find alternate accommodations, more expensive but oh well.
BEAUTIFUL BUT PRICEY
I hadn’t felt the price of things in other parts of Italy we had visited until this city. I don’t say this to deter people from going to Verona but to make them aware and be prepared. It might have been that we stood out as tourists but who knows, but
The hotel we stayed at was very pretty and small. I don’t mind since the room is for sleeping and showering. It was close enough to get to the several of the main attractions and the plaza by the arena/amphitheater. It was perfect for our date night. Every night was date night, sitting with a gelato and people watching.
ARCHITECTURE
The buildings were absolutely my style, beautiful and full of texture. I know I said the same thing about Genova but they were different here. In Verona, the buildings looked like they should be part of a romantic painting. Even the overly touristic Romeo & Juliet balcony attraction (Casa di Giulietta) had such a romantic structure.
TIP: Arrive early before the crowds. This is a major tourist attraction, we could hardly move.
EASY TO GET AROUND
Remember we are backpackers on a budget, so we love the place even more if it’s easy to walk. This was one of those places. Even though we really didn’t know where we were going, we went. Poor hubby, he was already starting to feel the weight of the backpacks by this point. He was secretly moving more things out of my backpack and carrying the heavier one. That’s why I love him so.
I knew Verona was easy enough, because he didn’t complain much. There was plenty of shade to keep cool and we took it easy and sat down to people watch often. One of our favorite places was the Piazza
WOULD I RETURN?
At the moment it wasn’t my favorite of our stops, but now reliving the time spent there via my countless photographs, I have to say I like it. What I didn’t like was some of the snottiness I felt, but I guess that’s what backpackers get. Plus we did decide to eat our sandwich sitting on the street and people watch. I imagine that Verona can be a place that slows down on offseason, I wouldn’t mind returning with my little toddler. This time I would make sure to pack a dress and plan for a night event at the arena.
ATTRACTIONS TO ADD TO YOUR LIST
- Piazzale Porta Nova
- Piazza Bra (It’s stunniong at night)
- Gran Guardia
- Lipidary Museum
- Casa de Giulietta
- Piazza dei Signori
- Torre dei Lamberti
- Colonna di San Marco (if you like architecture)