As part of our plan to see as much of Italy as possible during Al’s extended days off we booked a break in Verona. It’s just less than an hour by train from Bologna on the intercity train service. We chose an Airbnb in the old town, close to the river with aircon as we had suffered from over a week of poor sleep in Bologna due to the heat. The Covid 19 virus had once again taken its toll on the number of usual visitors and we were able to take advantage of lower accommodation costs although Verona had more tourists than other places we have visited recently. We mostly heard German and French accents with one or two Italians from other regions asking advice about local produce.
Good wine bar 
Torre Dei Lamberti 
Part of the old walls 
Market in Piazza Delle Erbe 
Piazza Delle Erbe
Verona has a long history of involvement in the arts, particularly music; from the Roman Amphitheatre which still hosts live performances including at least one Opera Festival, to the old castle that now houses an art museum with plenty in between. It’s also the setting for two Shakespeare plays “Romeo and Juliet” and “Two Gentlemen of Verona”. It is fair to say that the Shakespeare influence is evident in many shop names such as “The merchant of Venice” and tourist sites like “Juliet’s house” ,complete with legendary balcony, “Romeo’s house” and “Juliet’s tomb”. However, it has plenty of other things to recommend it too.
Where is it?
Verona is in the region of Veneto in the north of Italy, west of Venice and close to Lake Garda. Its location means that the air here is fresher than in Bologna and many people stop here on their way to the Italian lakes or to cross the borders into France or Switzerland, which are close by.
What to see?
Verona is one of the main tourist destinations of the region because of its many attractions, its 2,000 year history and important location. Its magnificent architecture and city structure were awarded UNESCO world heritage site status.
The Arena
Built in Roman times one of the few remaining arena in Italy. It is an impressive structure and there are information boards giving the history of the arena, various adjustments and extensions to it and the many uses it has had over the years before being renovated to be used as an Opera and live music venue. Sadly, there were no opera performances scheduled while we were there, but you could look around during the day (except Mondays) which is what we did. If you walk to the top of the stands you get an interesting view over Verona but be warned, in the heat of the day it can be a dizzying experience.
The performance area 
Old arena structure
Juliet’s House
This tourist favourite still attracted a lengthy queue every day despite the low overall tourist numbers. You can see the famous balcony from the entrance, but you need to go in to get your selfie and visit Juliet’s house museum. We went when the queue was shortest and only waited 10 minutes or so. The museum boasts historically relevant themes over 9 rooms, but some of them were closed when we visited, although this was not reflected in the price. However, it was not expensive and given that Juliet is a fictional character we went more for the experience than the learning opportunity.
Castelvecchio (The old castle)
The old castle is interesting because it is now an art gallery showing a great collection of art from an extensive period in history. It is organized into time periods which allows you to see how art in general, and religious art in particular, has changed over time. There is also quite an impressive armoury: swords, lances and suits of armour etc. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really retain any of the detail from when it was a home or mention much about the history of the castle itself and who lived there, unless I missed it.
The Adige River
The old part of the city is almost encircled by the river so there are a number of picturesque and important bridges uniting the old city with other areas. It is well worth planning a meander across of few of them to get an alternate view of the city and see some other parts away from the main tourist spots.
Adige 
As the storm retreats
Giardino Giusti
The house and gardens of Giardini Giusti are well worth a visit. There are only a couple of rooms in the villa open to the public but they are sumptuously decorated and evocative of an earlier time. The gardens themselves are beautifully laid out with paths all around. Sadly the lion’s head no longer breathes fire, but you can climb up the tower in the cliff face to emerge in the “secret” garden on top, with excellent views of the city. You can get guides from the ticket office for both the garden and the open rooms.
View from the top 
View into the gardens 
Landscaped gardens 
The non-fire breathing face 
Arch in the garden 
Fountain
Dining in style 
Piano in the salon 
Art and living
Where to Eat?
Here are our top tips for Verona, all personally sampled and recommended.
Breakfast
Pasticceria Flego
Great range of Brioche in a local institution.
Aperitivo/lunch
Osteria Caffe Monte Baldo
Impressive range of wine as well as cocktails and a great Aperitivo. We came here for a glass of local wine when we first arrived and it was so good we came back for Aperitivo. Staff are patient and friendly.
Osteria Caffe Monte Baldo 
Inside 
Cicchetti al Monte Baldo
Osteria del bugiardo
Wine, tagliere and secondi. We had their Valpolicella and it was great.
Antica Bottega del Vino
Traditional restaurant serving local classics such as Risotto con Amarone. It has an extensive wine list including several pages devoted to local the local wine Valpolicella. A uniquely Veronese establishment. I don’t think a visit to Verona can be complete without a stop here.
Risotto con Amarone 
The wine we chose 
Inside with kitchen glimpses 
Part of the Valpolicella section
Maratonda – Craft beer pub
Good range of local and international craft ales.
Terrazza Bar Al Ponte
Aperitivo, cocktails with a view over the river
The View 
Aperitivo
Dinner
Hosteria Vecchia Fontanina
Traditional food, slow service, large portions. Staff were excellent despite being busy.
Wine selection 
Primo 
Secondo 
Inside 
Antipasta
Locanda 4 Cuochi
A more modern innovative approach to Italian cooking. We had the tasting menu and it was delightful. The staff were attentive and friendly.
Summary
Our main take away from Verona was a new found appreciation for Valpolicella. We drank a few excellent examples and found people who were happy to give advice on what to look for and how to choose the best one to suit you. We would like to have gained an appreciation of Amarone too, but with prices starting at €60 a bottle, this was out of our budget.
Verona is a very beautiful city with excellent local cuisine. Although there are places which cater to the tourists you can also find delightful local dishes such as the risotto Amarone, duck ragù and horse stew. Its historical strategic importance to multiple empires means there are many unique features and stories to uncover. We didn’t have time to see everything we wanted to so we hope to return soon.