Day 2 - 4: Verona

Verona is the home of Romeo & Juliet, and they don't let you forget it :) All around you are constant reminders that the lovebirds, if they ever truly existed, lived here in Verona.


We got into town very late in the evening, and for the first time were failed by our trusty Rick Steves' guidebook. Lost, we enlisted the help of a very friendly local couple to find our hostel a few blocks outside the city center.


The next day we walked along the ancient walls that used to belong to a castle that protected the city in times past. Away from the hustle of the city, most of the time we were alone to ponder the mysteries of these enormous structures; interrupted infrequently by a passing dog-walker or jogger. We also took in the old Roman ruins, which were mildly interesting, but a great precursor to the magnificent ruins we'd find in Rome. When we made our way into town, we saw the Colosseum (nearly intact, I found it more impressive than the big one in Rome), and we made the requisite trip to Juliet's House.

Of course, this never was really her house - Verona basically created it to cash in on the tourist appeal. Regardless, it was fun to see the balcony, and even more fun to rub the bronze breast of Juliet's statue downstairs, hoping for good luck in love. Despite the cornyness of the place, thousands of lovers and seekers of love left their mark in the way of multi-colored graffeti that covered nearly all the walls. You couldn't help but read some of it and smile. The power of true love prevailed, and in spite of its touristy nature, "Juliet's House" has become a heart-warming testament to love and passion.



Verona is known for its passeggiata, or evening stroll, where all the young italians get dressed up in their best shoes and shiny clothes. They congregate in the city proper, and stroll along the streets and walkways, checking each other out, looking for their next Romeo or Juliet. Men greet each other with kisses on the cheek, and handclasps that endure longer than most American males would be comfortable with; sometimes for a significant portion of a conversation. Of course, if a woman passes near, she's given the appropriate, hungry look-over, and if she's lucky, a heartfelt Ciao bella!


We sat and drank Spritz Aperol, the pleasant and smooth unofficial drink of Verona, watching the passeggiata unfold. No dinner tonight, the drinks came with a snack tray of olives, peanuts, and potato chips. Small finger pizzas were served, eaten and replaced several times. We weren't sure if they were free or not.


Back to the hostel. We had to get up early to check out and catch the train to one of the places we were really looking forward to - Venice!

Day 1 - 2: NYC -> Milan

Ah, Italy! The land of Michelangelo, Fiat, and Dolce & Gabana.

I had expected my last trip to be my last for a few years, but it turns out that I got a two week break from Submarine School over Christmas, and I figured - why not go back to Europe? I told my friend Heather, who's about to finish med school, and next thing I knew, we were looking for the cheapest tickets to Europe.

They turned out to be for a little city called Milan. Once we bought the tickets, our trip was pretty much planned. For about 14 days, we'd travel around the Italy, taking in the sights and eating spaghetti and gelato. I guess we'd also take in some culture, art, and history along the way.

We met up in NYC near the always fantastic Times Square. I was lucky enough to meet back up with Elissa, who I met in Austria. She took us out on the town, since NYC was her new and temporary home. After food, drinks and travel stories over some piano music, it was time to go to bed, we had a big travel day ahead of us.

The next afternoon, after worrying about the snow storm and sitting on the tarmac for 3+ hours getting de-iced, we were airborne. Eight hours later, plus a time change of 6 hours, it was morning and we landed in Milan. Right away, Italy hit us in the gut with a huge Roman-style train station that managed to impress and confuse us simultaneously. Once we figured out where we could leave our bags, we headed out to see what the city had to offer. Since we were leaving that evening for Verona, we decided to take in the most accessible sights, namely the Town Square, and the Church, or Duomo.

Milan is an electric city, full of fashionable energy. All the Italians were dressed to impress in their fancy shoes and fur coats. The Duomo is the 4th largest church in Europe, and it's huge! The outside is decorated in intricate spires and ornate statues. Inside, enormous paintings hang seemingly in mid-air, depicting various scenes from the Bible. Near the ends of the nave, unbelievable stained glass windows rise from ceiling to floor at least 100'. Columns as large as Redwoods run the length of the nave, carved from multi-colored marble. The floor as well is made up of intricate marble patterns.

The most interesting part of the Duomo (besides the vacant stare from behind his silver death mask of a random Saint entombed beneath the altar) was the statue of St. Bartholomew, who was skinned alive, wearing his skin over his shoulder like a Roman senator would wear his toga. Creepy. We'd see Bart again in Rome.

We also climbed up to the top of the Duomo, which was fascinating. We could see the amazing architectural accents up close and personal. It also afforded u s a fantastic view of the square below, the Galeria, and the expansive skyline of this tremendous city.

After the Duomo, we walked around the square, taking in the still-new italian sights. Running out of time, we had to leave The Last Supper for another trip, and we headed back to the massive train station.

Next stop, Verona!