Verona, Italy

Happy Halloween! Normally, a day like today (in America) I would be prepping my Halloween costume and getting ready for a huge party at night. This year it’s obviously different as I am in Europe. Today, my school friends and I made our way to Verona, a city known for Romeo and Juliet.

For quite some time, Verona has been on my list of things to see in Italy. I was attracted mostly by its history and the architectures but, generally to explore. We started the day late and arrived in Verona around 3pm by train. First, I’d like to say that I found it very convenient that there were trains departing every 20 minutes from the Centrale Station in Milan. A definite plus for us because the station is easy to get to and near from where we all live. In addition, the train station has lots of shops and a few places to eat which is good if you have to wait a few hours until you depart.

*Don’t forget to stamp your ticket!!!!! Stamping your ticket is huge in Italy because when the tickets are purchased it never shows the time and date. It was difficult at first to remember this but, if you don’t stamp it at one of those yellow machines you’ll get a hefty fine when they check you on the train. It’s not worth it!

Upon arriving in Verona, V and I walked towards the center as we always seem to be drawn anywhere new we go to. There, in the middle of the square called Piazza delle Erbe you’ll find a ton of restaurants, a mini market and a great spot to people watch. Tourists and locals alike briskly walked in and out of the center. The city also seemed to be fond of dogs as they roamed around everywhere.

I admit, the downside of coming in the middle afternoon on a Saturday, with a good weather, is the crowd. Navigating through the streets was like going to a concert in a pool of people. You couldn’t dodge them because they were everywhere.
Verona Arena: Where you will enter to go towards Casa di Giulieta.

More view of the city center architectures.
From here, we made our way down to Casa Giulietta. The one thing good about Verona was that their streets were clearly marked and it’s a small town so, it’s really hard to get lost.

Verona Arena

When the sun came down, so did the temperature. It got very very cold. I ordered a chocolate milk which comes in a small cup (by American standards) with a side of cookies. What I loved about this chocolate milk is the fact that it’s real chocolate mixed together. You have to drink it slowly because it is super rich and thick.

Castelvecchio – A gothic style architecture with M-shaped merlons. My friend and I spent some time walking here and taking photos. It was hard not to.