Can I find me a Romeo? If not, I'll take the wine country . . .

Be forewarned - - - - the following post contains a lot of pictures, when I say a lot I mean a plethora, an abundance, a bulk, a cargo, a clump, a cluster; as well as gobs, masses and mounds! I hope you enjoy the splendors of Verona, for I sure did:) (click on the pics to see them in the biggest form because the countryside is beautiful!!!)

"There is no world without Verona walls, but purgatory, torture, hell itself, hence banished is banish'd from the world, and world's exile is death . . . ."

People from Verona take their Shakespeare seriously. This is the birthplace of Romeo and Juliet - the city of love and they are proud of that. Interestingly, I always thought that Romeo and Juliet was just a play, but no, to them it is real and based off the real thing - - - because of that we were able to tour the home of Juliet and see the infamous balcony in all it's glory, there was also and empty tomb which is Juliet's tomb that holds a special place in the heart of Verona.

A lion with wings - what more could you ask for?

Entering into the heart of Verona so that we can see the epic arena that is second only to the Colosseum of Rome.

The entrance to the tomb - beats Peterson by a little but, don't you think?
Through the fountain and the trees you can see the arena - the third largest in Italy that was build around 30 ad

Cele and the girls on the famed arena steps
Mia and Lisa standing in glory - I look like a gladiator right?
View from the top of the steps
Looking into the arena - it is used today for many different events, especially the opera
I will never get sick of seeing these streets

While this might look like awful graffiti, it is not - this is the entrance to the home of Juliet and the walls are lined with the expressions of love that visitors have left for good luck . . .
I hope Laura and Martyn are still together or that would be embarrassing:)
There it is folks - the balcony - the scene to end all scenes, "Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo?" (i keep writing Romero and not Romeo - it's driving me crazy!)

The courtyard in which Romeo walked
The beautiful statue of Juliet that sits at the base of the balcony - it, like other things, is said to grant love to those who touch her.

Me crying out for my Romeo on the balcony - I waited for like ever but her never came and I finally had to leave the balcony because a line was forming behind me:(
The look from the balcony - - -
Now, if I remember right - she dies first and he takes the potion after her - that's embarrassing for that artist . . .
A fresco from the 16oo's - "A portrait of a Lady"
Another view of Juliet . . .

Here we are at the entrance to her tomb - - - dun, dun, dun.
This is a statue that greets you at the entrance - you may be thinking, "but Romeo and Juliet aren't Asian." You would be right in that assumption but this is a statue of the Butterfly Lovers - the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet, Liang Shanbo and Zhu Zingtai. Check it out on Wikepedia, an interesting version . . .
This guys gone and lost his head . . .

Underneath this window is where I left my letter to Dear Juliet - not only do they think she brings luck but she is said to be able to find lovers for people - sign me up! Except for I felt like I was writing a letter to Santa and ended up asking for a Radio Flyer . . .

The Romeo and Juliet story carved in wood and luckily it only took 10 boards

They love them some Bard . . .
Here is is folks - the tomb we have all been waiting for - - - -
What the? Empty!? How can that be?????
The stairs she must of walked out on after waking from that long nap of hers
Lisa doesn't know where she went -
- - - neither does Cristina:(

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The River Adige - second largest in Italy

All around the outside of the Verona city walls lies the Sdige river, the second largest in all of Italy. The source seems to come from the border of Austria and Switzerland and it makes Verona one of the most beautiful cities - see for yourself:)

The outskirts leading up to the mountains.
In the distance - San Fermo Maggiore, a classic church that combines gothic and renasiance style.
Are there any other words but beautiful?
Towards the bell tower
A pedestrian bridge leading into the heart of the city.

A small Italian street -
Looking out towards one of the hills that surround the city
Another view of the hill
View through the peephole - - -
Love children - Cristina playing at a crosswalk, to be like that again . . .

The ivy covered balconies - it really is true, they do all look like that:)

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Now we turn to the wine country of Italy - all towns here like to be known for something, that is no different for the town of Soave, they are known for their vineyards that stretch down from a castle that now houses a majority of the town . . .

True Italian gentleman relaxing and having their coffee

Again - another castle. I have to say that you are probably going to be seeing a lot more of these.
It never gets old - seeing the castles not the castles themselves, of course they are old:) (yikes, that was bad right)
In the entrance to the castle they have their grapes hanging from the ceiling - Cele and I thought they were fake and when we asked this old gentleman he almost took us out - of course they were real!!!
Beautiful right?!
The secret entrance - castles always have to have secret entrances!
View towards the top with grape trees all the way up!
Beautiful vineyards -
- - - - as far as the eye can see . . . .

Someone loves Irene . . .

How many times in life do we really fight to go against the current? In beautiful Verona, after a long day of walking and seeing, we had stopped by the river to sit in the shade and just take in the moment. That is something that can often be hard on vacation because you want to see it all and capture it all and are so caught up in the doing, that sometimes you forget to truly be in the moment. I thought about that when looking down the river and far in the distance was this man, rowing against the current. I was in the moment and full of emotion and was struck by the beautiful lesson that was unfolding before me - go against the current.

He was alone in this big river and he was doing what most would shy against. He looked relaxed and empowered as he slowly and steadily made his way up and through the hard water currents. He could have decided that he was too tired or that it was too hard but he didn't - he saw ahead and realized that he was coming closer to the hardest part of the river where there were rapids and rocks and so much in his way - he didn't stop, he didn't waver, he kept going. Many times in our lives we are struggling upstream, fighting against the current and wishing for the easy way. If we hold out we come to realize that the "easy way", really wasn't all that easy and that we cheated ourselves from so much more; yes, maybe more heartache, more pain, more suffering but also more strength, more love and more knowledge and experience. I want the more strength and sometimes I'm just going to have to realize that to get it means to . . . . . . go against the current . . . .

ps - do you like the color version or this black and white, i can't decide:)