Where For Art We, My Verona?

Day: 225 & 226

Towns / Cities Visited: 143

Countries Visited: 27

Steps Taken Today: 23,208

Steps Taken Around the World: 3,718,304

Awaking to a final big breakfast in the company of my brother and his travel companion, we tidied up our mess, packed our bags, and bid them farewell. It was not a ‘goodbye’ though, as much as it was a ‘see you soon’, for we would be seeing them again in Rome in a week. Now, whereas they would be cycling their bicycles 700 kilometres in 7 days, we were taking a somewhat less exhausting route, and as such, we trundled off with our bags to the train station. Managing, with a little strategic maneuvering, to get across the route of a local marathon, we reached the station. With substantially more effort, we attempted to decipher the confusion that is buying a ticket in a place which seems to have three or more separate train companies, and no main desk at which to purchase your fare. Somehow we muddled through, and stepped onto a train to our next location: Verona.

As it was a local service, the train lacked anywhere to stow bulky luggage and all of the seats were full, leaving us standing in the doorway, clinging to our suitcases for the entirety of the hour long journey. Despite how tiresome it was, we arrived soon enough, alighting and making our way to our next Airbnb. The sporadic weather took a turn, but luckily we managed to duck inside just in time to miss the downpour. Agreeing that it wasn’t looking as though the rain would let up, we made the group decision to leave sightseeing until the next day, and enjoy an afternoon of rest. Cobbling together an antipasto platter from tidbits we found at the nearby supermarket, we whiled away the hours with blog writing and video games until the light had waned, dinner had been eaten, showers had been had, and our beds called.

We arose to an almost equally as dreary day, we refused to be dissuaded from our adventuring, thus we scoffed down the continental breakfast provided by our host, left our luggage in their care, and headed out the door, raincoats on and umbrella in hand. The rain misted over us, coming and going at almost infuriating intervals, as we meandered through the picturesque streets of this historic old city towards our first sight: Arena de Verona, a Roman amphitheatre built in 30 AD. Like many ancient sites, the majority of the original structure no longer remains, due to an earthquake in 1117…