A journey of discovery through the landscapes, art, food, and people of Italy
Day 3: Verona and the Dolomites
We headed for the bus today and met our driver, Michele, who would be with us for the remainder of the tour. He was great, and had an obvious pride in his country. Our end destination was the Dolomites, but we were stopping first in Verona for a tour and our lunch stop. On the way we got our first introduction to the Autogrille! We had seen similar travel centers/gas stations on our tour last year, but are always amazed at how many wonderful treats are available at these rest stops. Donald taught the group how to order a coffee and pastry from the cafe, and here David is stepping up to the counter like the locals for his morning espresso. This became a tradition with David joining Donald and Michele for a coffee at each stop.
We learned that Verona is the largest city in the Venice region, made famous by Shakespeare as the setting for Romeo and Juliet. We met our local guide, Valeria, who gave us a tour of the city. We walked around the outside of covering the Castelvecchio, and viewed the Roman arena dating back to AD 40 that is still in relatively good condition and in use today (for music, not gladiator battles). The city was the domain of the Scala family, who made their fortune producing ladders. The family decorated their buildings with swallowtail accents signifying their political alliance with the emperor rather than with the Pope (which would be signified with square finishings. Valeria had so much passion for her city, so it was hard not to love it right away!
After the walking tour, David and I headed off to find a quick lunch. This lunch won the award for the cheapest of the trip! For 6 euro we got two pieces of delicious foccaccia and two drinks, and we ate them on a bridge overlooking the river. Sometimes the simplest meals are the best ones!
We spent the rest of our free time in Verona wandering the city. As plant lovers, we were enthralled with all the balcony gardens on every building. We climbed a series of stairways to the lower level of the Castel for amazing views of the city. After snapping a few photos, we wandered back into the downtown and had the best gelato we had to this point before making our way to the balcony of Juliet Capulet…yes, the fictitious character has her own home, tomb, balcony, and statue (which tourists are supposed to fondle for better dating success). Amazingly and sadly, this was the busiest attraction in the city. We were then on our way into the mountains!
On our bus ride we all got excited as the landscape started to change! Dolomites, here we come! We saw some beautiful castles and vineyards along the way. We arrived at our home in the Seiser Alm for the next two nights, and the view took our breath away! It was unreal! We were perched right in the mountains with a beautiful farm right in front of us. Our views for the sunset were unbelievable! We wandered around in the fresh air for a bit, checking out the horses in the pasture and making some feline friends before heading in for one of the best meals of the trip. The chef at our hotel was creative, preparing wonderful specialties like a savory pumpkin style pastry for dinner. This is heaven!
My favorite photo of the day - see, I told you it was heaven! I still can't believe we were lucky enough to travel here to see this place! Use the button below to see more about our adventures in this gorgeous region.