For the past 6 months I’ve been dying to go to Verona. Unfortunately the idea normally comes to me right after returning from another trip, at which point I am usually broke. I have done more than my fair share of traveling this year, so I knew if I wanted to go to Verona, I would have to save up, and travel on the cheap. I looked for youth hostels-which they unfortunately don’t have in Verona, and then basically decided I just couldn’t afford it.
But it doesn’t end there. I recently wrote to an Italian friend of mine on Facebook. We met at 18 when she studied abroad at my high school. We became good friends and I really missed her when she left. She and I have written to each other now and then over the past 5 years, and, being in Europe and all, I thought it was a good time to say hi. I let her know that she could come and visit me whenever, and that if she had time for me I’d like to visit her.
She wrote, back, saying that I could come visit her in Verona, where she goes to college. A real coincidence! It ended up that the weekend I wanted to go and see her in May (20-22) was perfect for her, and after dealing with the financial logistics I booked a train ticket. I was so excited to experience an Italian city for the first time!
Elisa was the perfect hostess-she planned a dinner for me on Friday evening so that I could meet her friends. Together, we enjoyed pizza, wine, and dessert on a hill overlooking the beautiful city of Verona. For breakfast on Saturday morning she had the fridge stocked with Oreos :) and after such a healthy breakfast, we were ready to climb up to a castle and enjoy the view of the city. In the afternoon, after having enjoyed pasta at home, she showed me around the city.
First Stop: Juliet’s House, where every tourist in the world was trying to get a hand on Juliet’s breasts-it is said that if you rub the right breast of the statue it will bring you good luck. After fighting Italians and tourists alike to get my picture taken with the statue, I went into Juliet’s house, took a picture on the balcony that was added in the mid 1930s for tourist purposes, and then followed a sign that caught my eye: Letters to Juliet.
I had never expected that the club that was talked about in the film was actually real! When I arrived at the top of the steps I went into the small room that contained letters written by dozens of generations of women all over the world. These women write to Juliet like children write to Santa Claus, except they are asking for advice on love and relationships, rather than for children's toys. I wrote my own letter to dear Juliet and put it in the mailbox. According to their website, they answer every letter, and according to my hostess Elisa, even students are hired to help answer the letters that are written in many different languages from all over the world.
After walking around the city a bit we found a place that sold frozen coke! So, for the second time since I moved abroad (the first having been at a movie theater in Abu Dhabi), I enjoyed a frozen coke. We saw more of the city, including another castle, and walked along a river, and by that point we were utterly exhausted. We headed to an outdoor cafe to enjoy cocktails and appetizers, and then headed home and crashed at about 9pm like little old ladies. This morning she brought me back to the station, and now I am sitting on the train, watching Punky Brewster and drinking a cold Latte Macchiato.
I had a wonderful 2 days with an old friend. I hope she enjoyed showing me around just as I enjoyed showing her around Michigan 5 years ago.
Ciao Bella ☺
Molly
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