After our first night in the hotel, we purchased a Verona Card, which allowed us access into a number of attractions, including the Arena. We both agreed that we'd both like to return here to watch an opera in the future, as the setting is out of this world.
Sarah didn't take long to start twiddling with her camera buttons and trying to catch me unawares. The plus-side of this is the much-improved photographic memories coming home with us in contrast to my efforts i.e. shadowed building here, person walking in front of the camera there etc.
In true Roman style, I fought my way to allow my release from the Arena......
......and headed off in search of my Juliet, who was conveniently waiting on this balcony of the Capulets' house, mopping her brow - no doubt in anticipation of my arrival.
We continued together to Piazza Erbe for further photo-taking......
......and headed up the Torre dei Lamberti for some views of the surrounding area and the rest of Verona. Sarah headed further up the steps of the bell-tower, whereas I chickened out having read the sign that claimed the bells would be rung in the next 5 minutes. They indeed rang but I'd failed to realise that standing underneath the bells was probably equally if not more deafening than being above them.
We returned to Trento on Sarah's third day and braved the bitter chill in the air (helped somewhat by the sun) to walk down and sit in the Piazza del Duomo for lunch.
On the Saturday evening, we popped down to the German beerhouse in Trento. We walked through the doors to find a pretty drab restaurant but decided to walk further and further and further inside before finally discovering an amazing circular room filled with tables. The bar was stocked with glasses and sat in front of huge copper tanks, in which the beers that had been brewed on site were stored. It's just possible to see the glass floor panels in the photograph below, through which it was possible to view the plumbing route from the brewery in the back through to the tanks.
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Beer could be purchased by the 10 litre keg but I don't go in for such extravagance and settled for just a litre.
And finally, just one for the engineering geeks: this is the Regione Autonoma Trentino-Alto Adige building in Trento, which I think houses Council offices but I'm not entirely sure.
What I like about Italy this week:
Verona! The city is somewhere I would really choose to go back to. After a full day and two evenings there, it still felt like there was more to see and discover about the place.
The beer house. Enough said.
Italian television. Not like as such but more find amusing. Italian television isn't for your average TV viewer. It's for men. And people without a life. They have people singing in a New Seekers style environment on at least five channels at a time. More aimed at the people without lives. The men can alternatively watch ridiculously simple game shows in which questions are answered, then a scantily clad girl will dance around for 30 seconds, before the quiz is resumed. Or sport, which is on all the time. Or very badly-dubbed episodes of 70s/80s American TV series, such as Charlie's Angels or Nash Bridges.
What I dislike about Italy this week:
The unusual appetites of the Veronese. Seriously, does anyone honestly eat horse stew or calves' brains through choice?
Opening times. Apparently, the Italians never have need of a supermarket on a Wednesday afternoon. Or a Monday morning in certain instances. I can understand them closing on Sunday, which they also do, but also another day a week. They only open from 10am until 7pm. And they're closed for lunch from 12 until 3-3.30! Italian supermarket employees have so little stamina!
What I miss about/from the UK this week:
Gravy. How can you eat Sunday roast without it?
Broadband. The Italians have yet to discover the benefits of the Internet. And I suspect they think the same of the computer. One tiny computer room in the entire Engineering department, which is unarguably the size of a palace.
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