Today we travelled to Verona,  and what a beautiful city it is.  What is amazing however, is the number of people who turn up and want to be taken to the Capulet’s or the Montague’ place,  particularly ‘THE BALCONY’.   Even Shakespeare himself didn’t manage to see that particular tourist attraction

There are of course lots of places that sell R & J trash.   Far more important to the town however is the Roman Arena.  It is one of the best preserved of the remaining arenas and is used regularly for outdoor concerts. The quality of the acoustics is apparently first class – the Romans wanted to hear every scream and gurgle. Outside it is guarded by Rob from Toronto dressed in full Centurion kit.  He tries to get 5 euros from any poor sucker who takes a photo of him.  I was interested in taking a free shot of Rob on the phone and having a smoke, however he didn’t want to play that game with me, 

The trip home was a little out of the ordinary.  We travelled to Verona on one of Italy’s fast trains – 25 minutes. To return to Venice we arrived at the station just two minutes before our train was due to depart.  Children,  if only you could have seen your father running through that Stazzione how proudly your little hearts would beat. You may remember the incident in Constantinople,  (largest city in the lands of the dreaded Turk),  when I was forced to sweep your dear Mother into my arms,  run through clouds of tear gas, then, carrying her, force my way through the police lines to safety. This required similar degrees of athleticism, as today’s sprint involved a series of tunnels and stairways.

Even without a walking stick I was able to leap gracefully onto the train just in time – only to discover we were 20 minutes early. Your mother and her friends must have seen an amusing local whilst waiting for me to catch up, because by the time I boarded the carriage laughter had rendered them speechless.  The return journey with RyanRail took two and a half hours (not including the breakdown). My company had almost stopped laughing by Venice but were unwilling to share the cause of such mirth. It remains a mystery to me.

I would like to spend more time in Verona. It has the feel of a vibrant,  confident town.  There are a number of arts events throughout the year,  particularly in summer,  this alone would encourage a return. And I would happily negotiate a price to get just one photograph of a New World centurion talking on a mobile and having a smoke.

Pity we didn’t have time to see all of the balconies though.   Maybe next trip.

Modern day wordsmiths leave touching sonnets under the balcony (‘For a good time see Rob outside the arena. Can’t miss me – wearing helmet and carrying wooden sword’)

Depending on the taxi driver you talk to, this is one of the many balconies that Juliet used. They are spread throughout Verona, above banks, pubs, dress shops and private houses.
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