A couple of months ago we realized that our time living overseas is limited (and punctuated by the birth of another child), so it was time to make some crucial travel decisions. We pulled out the atlas and discussed the countries we would like to further explore. France, Spain, Greece and Italy made the top four.
Northern Italy was the first of our four big trips. We rented a small apartment in downtown Verona and made the 6 hour drive. Prior to living there for a week, my knowledge of Verona was very limited. Having taught it, I knew the famous Shakespearean play, Romeo and Juliet was set in Verona; and that people still flock there to see Juliet's home and balcony, thought by most to be folklore. However there is a lot more to this historical city. It houses the Verona Arena which is an ancient amphitheater built by the Romans that is still used today for opera, dance and theatre performances. In addition to the arena, many other Roman monuments, exquisite churches, and bustling plazas are found throughout the city.
Venice is only an hour train ride away, so we left early one morning to spend the day in the city on the water. After a fun train ride, we arrived in Venice and immediately hopped on a water bus to take us on the Grand Canal. After we toured Venice on the water by boat, we headed to a great lunch at a small, nine table L'osteria where we feasted on Venetian specialities, followed by touring the city on foot. What a great day!
Modena was another day trip. CM wanted to hit the Ferrari Museum and Factory and I wanted to get my hands on some of that great balsamic vinegar for which Modena is known. The Ferrari Museum was kind of a disappointment. After visiting the Porche, Mercedes and BMW museums (my husband enjoys cars), we had certain expectations for the Ferrari Museum. Unfortunately, they weren't met. The staff was rude and it was small and expensive for what was on display. Modena itself was a lovely city with a large indoor market, (where I found my balsamic vinegar) and we shared some fantastic pizza, so the trip wasn't a total bust.
Our week in Northern Italy was memorable. We ate our way through the region and tried it all (who knew that the Veronese ate horse... regularly!??) and got a real feel for the Northern Italian culture. Off to France next....stay tuned.
