Rub a breast for luck

Every time I visit somewhere new, I feel as though when I leave I always say "This place is worth another visit", guess what... "This place is worth another visit". Verona is 90 minute drive east from Milano (another 90 minutes and we would be swimming in the Veniziano canals). Known as piccola Roma, (little Rome), for its importance to the imperial days. I think it is little Roma due to the alley wayed cobblestone streets, ancient buildings and ruins and the mass of pizzerias and gelati hole in walls.





I shall refer to Verona as the 'city of love', it has an ambiance of enchantment. Maybe it was my good mood, maybe the lovely weather, maybe the delicious coconut gelati? Perhaps the history as Verona is known mainly as the setting for Shakespeares fictional Romeo and Juliet, which was based on real savage family feuding and rivalry in the 13th and 14th centuries. I made my eternal mark of love (along with 100 000 others) on a graffiti wall on the entrance to the courtyard of Juliets balcony. My eternal mark was made with a borrowed biro running out of ink from a German tourist ("Danke") and poetically pronounced "Jav luv's Cath 4 eva 2010". What am I? 12? I promised hubby I would return at a later date with a thick black marker to write a sonnet of my admiration for him.




Under Juliets balcony, men stared up adoringly as their girlfriends waved and giggled from above. I lined up with several others to rub the right breast of the bronzed Juliet statue, it was said to bring you good luck. Soul mate, too embarrassed of public displays of affection, declined the offer for a free feel. Thank goodness, because I later read that rub a breast for luck, was really, rub a breast for luck with a new lover. Opps, sorry honey.












At the Arco della Costa there is a whales rib suspended, (we are far from an ocean, and I will not even go into animal rights, but each city to their own), and legend has it that the whale rib will fall on the first "just" person to walk underneath it. Not much of a consolation prize!! It has not fallen in several centuries, not even swayed in the breeze when several popes have taken the path underneath. Hubby and I walked under a few times (secretly having that feeling like when you buy a lottery ticket, "This could be my lucky day, I could be a millionaire", or "This could be my lucky day, I could be 'just' and get knocked unconscious with a whale rib!") It did not move. Two attempts and it 'just' would not fall...





Daughter wanted to save the princess; "the princess will be up the stairs in the highest room in the tallest tower". Do you think someone has been watching too much Shrek? So we paid our €4.50 admission and were happy to be greeted by a glass elevator to take us swiftly past the stairs we did not have to climb. (Do not think elevator was here when construction for Torre dei Lamberti started in the 12th century.) After cheating exercise 3/4 of the way, we strapped on a weight (child) each and escorted the mini Gonzo's to the top. A lovely 360 degree view, no princess, but a big bell, and plenty of churches, castles and terracotta roof tops to see.

Verona has a Roman Arena that still hosts opera, various piazza hosting markets and restaurants for people watching, and we spotted a few farrari's so it may be a place 'for show'. This destination would be well worth an overnight stay, especially of the romantic setting. There was an abundance of family tourists, but I am sure this would be an extra special destination at night time...