Verona, Soave, and Lunch with a Movie Star

. . . and drinks with a football coach

24-27 October 2022

Wow! Talk about cities in contrast. After our days in gritty Torino, arriving in Verona is a 180-degree turn in experience. Our hotel is in the tourist center of this city. We know this is not a true reflection of the Veronese who live in the surrounding neighborhoods. But . . . Verona is one rich place. They have done an incredible job of creating a splendid pedestrian experience replete with shops, brightly lit window displays of expensive clothes, shoes, and wine. Occasionally you see a candy shop and a few gelaterie, but the wares are mostly very stylish clothes. You will not find a grocery store. If you are seeking a particular high-end brand—Chanel, Armani, Dolce e Gabbana, and many more—you will find it here, along with lots of German tourists who enjoy a day trip to Verona along with a better economy than Italy’s at this moment. And the grand half-circle of cafes facing the Roman arena outshines Paris. Verona is not large—only 250,000. And the historic center, surrounded by the Adige River, is quite small, barely a half-mile across. But, in truth, Bonnie found it a bit like Disneyland.

Even with the thoughtful recommendations of Giorgio and Carl for locations to visit outside the core, we decided to stay put, take it easy, and see a few churches during our brief stay. Robert had an incentive to avoid driving. Upon arriving in Verona and less than 1,000 feet from our hotel, it took us more than an hour of frustration to find a route through narrow streets that was not blocked by planters or one-way streets—even with Bonnie walking to the hotel and getting a personalized map. The final approach required another phone call with a different hotel clerk who directed us to set our navigation for the other side of the city center. This was definitely a case when you could not trust Google/Apple or the first hotel clerk you spoke to. After we checked in, Robert had to immediately take a walk to regain some composure. A cocktail afterwards helped too.

Roughly our route from Torino to Verona. We took local roads at the start, but were persistently forced onto the AutoStrada by Google navigation. **Soave** is only 31 kilometers due east.

**Places Visited:** 1 Basilica di S. Anastasia 2 Il Complesso della Cattedrale 3 Teatro 4 Chiesa di San Fermo

Hotel

Strolling

This would look great at Eileen W’s home in Napa

For Mark. Alas too small for the batches you would need to make for your cousin!

Unfortunately, the Arsenal was under extensive renovation.

Basilica di S. Anastasia

Il Complesso della Cattedrale

Teatro

This ancient Roman theater dates back to the 1st century. It predates the coliseum in Rome and was another twelve meters in height. A remnant of the outer wall still stands. Today, beyond tourists walking around its interior, it hosts a series of operas and events that end in September. They were in the process of removing the stage and the center seating when we arrived. We found the step treads to be very tricky and tall as evidenced by our stumbles and our sore thighs the next day. It must have been worse for ancient Romans who were shorter.

Chiesa di San Fermo

The ceiling design inspired by the bottom of a ship

Ellin and Callie: Very rare. Found in a tomb in 2005. Dates back to the late 15th century.

Soave

We did follow Giorgio’s suggestion to stop in Soave for a walk around the town and lunch. Glad we did. It is due east of Verona. About a 30 minute drive on the route to Treviso, our next stop. One of the more intact walled cities we have seen. The very extensive walls can be seem from miles away. Very low-key tourist-wise this time of year. The harvest is done, some of the grapes are hanging to make passito, a sweet dessert wine. They definitely support having a glass of wine for lunch and not a spritz!