Romeo Romeo..

Did you know the city of Verona Italy inspired the setting for William Shakespeare to write Romeo & Juliet. This charming town is the last city I explored solo before my parents joined me in Venice to help bring my suitcases back. I truly have the best parents in the world by the way. It’s also one of the richest cities in northern Italy in Roman remains. I had just come from visiting Torino & Milan which I will make a separate post about those cities, but there was something about Verona that felt so romantic and endearing. It had this beautiful Arena which is a Roman amphitheater in Piazza Bra built in 30 AD. It’s definitely the centerpiece of the town and surrounded by all the best shops and restaurants. Of the 6 Italian cities I visited, I would say this one was the one I was least looking forward to visiting because I only chose it because it was on the way to Venice which I needed to get to by Friday to meet my parents. It surprisingly ended up being one of my favorites and one I would definitely return to. It’s not one of those well known cities like Rome & Milan and it definitely had the small town feel if that’s what you are looking for when traveling. I was able to get lost in it’s streets and take in all of its charm. It was also the city where I fell in love with the Hugo Spritz and let me tell you there is no going back. Aperol who? The first day I got there I remember going to the grocery store and buying a bag of chips with some salsa and I sat at the steps of the town hall across from the colosseum just people watching and thinking to myself how incredible my life was. I had no idea how great life would actually turn out a whole year later after my divorce was final. I hope to return to Italy someday to finish exploring the Southern part but getting to explore the Northern part of it is an adventure I’m extremely grateful for. We only have this one life to live and I am going to continue to embrace this journey one day at a time.