Up early on Monday to catch the train to Verona, Italy. More beautiful vistas to soak up traveling through the Dolomites into South Tyrol (the Germanic northern part of Italy), down into Veneto region, arriving in Verona 6 hours after we left Landeck.
My friend Mary had told me that if I really wanted to go to a town in Italy that lived up to the images conjured when one thinks of ITALY--then go to Verona. I have to say she was so right! Gorgeous buildings, red tile roofs, beautiful plazas, plenty of Roman ruins to make up for the fact that we weren't going to Rome.
We had a great hotel recommendation care of Rick Steves, our local travel guru in the Seattle area--the room was a bit austere, but the sweet women running the place, the care shown to us, and the very convenient location to the center of town made it just perfect.
By chance we found our favorite restaurant, favorite local ambience, favorite Italian wine all wrapped up in a great osteria (eatery) on the first day. 3 euros (about $3.60) bought us a glass of fabulous Valpolicella wine, 5 euros bought a gorgeous plate of food. We went there three times in two days. Jeff even had a glass of wine every time we went. For those of you who know him--this is truly remarkable!
Lots of walking, sightseeing, and soaking it all in--my big Italian splurge happened there in Verona: I bought mysel a pair of Persol's (very nice Italian sunglasses--and happily I've needed to wear them every day since!). Mama Mia! A great conversation with the sales lady--shared puzzlement over what the American government was doing--she said the shock was palpable in Europe when our last presidential election yielded another four years of Bush2. I told her to check our the most recent RollingStone article written by Michael Kennedy (came out a couple months or more ago). For those of you not familiar with this article--google it. It's a most disturbing exploration of what may have really happened in Ohio with those Diebold voting machines.... I told her that I believe the US needs its voting days monitored by an international quorum. Such a reactionary I am, I know!
I think the best soft drink ever is Chino--or Chinotto (depending on the maker). An Italian soda pop--it's quite bitter, but sweet too--I think it's a tamarind-based flavor, but I'm not certain. I only know it's very hard to get in the states as it's decidedly NOT an American taste.
Almost every woman I saw was wearing gorgeous, knee high boots. I was surrounded by people in fabulous fashionable clothing. And, of course, there were many places to buy said articles of fabulosity. Oh the torture! I wanted to spend and spend...and just about the time, the day I thought to allow myself to try on some boots (oh just one taste wouldn't hurt!), the day was November 1--All Saints Day-- a holiday among the Catholic countries, and all the dang shops were closed. Ai!
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