Sweating it out in Verona

For the first leg of our stay the Wee Girl chose Vicenza.  Her Host Family were teasing her saying it was awful and we should have stayed in Verona. So glad we didn’t. Vecenza is lovely, it’s quiet and pretty, the food has been fantastic and the old city is old and stuff. It’s been really hot, apparently unseasonable so (happy days) so we’ve been sweating it out, happily the hotel room is air conditioned.  The Wee Girl was just having a panic about Umbria “What??? The hotel rooms aren’t air conditioned????” and frantically looking up the weather, Umbria is fine, a seasonable 25.  That’s when we found out how hot it’s really been here for the last few days (37 degrees), glad I bought a hat.

We spent the first afternoon wandering the streets and eating gelato.  I’ve been going Italian with the Wee Girl; breakfast is a tea and biscuits (2 or 3) then nothing until about 2 which is a big lunch.  Dinner is at about 8.  For lunch we stopped in a café and had pasta with tomato, olives and capers.  It’s very enjoyable having the Wee Girl being able to speak Italian, she was telling me the man next to us (who had the same thing) was telling the owner that there was not enough sauce, not enough salt and the pasta was over cooked.  He was not impressed (and got given more wine).   I tended to agree with him about the sauce and salt, but as I’m Australian I’m used to ‘over cooked’ pasta cause that’s how we have it. 

It was a Monday night so lots of the restaurants were closed for dinner, but we found one near the piazza which was a little touristy but open.  The Wee Girl had truffled gnocci which was delicious and I chose the spaghetti vongoli (which was way too salty!)

The plan was to do Verona the next day after lunch so we got up late (we’re on holidays! Hooray!) and had a leisurely lunch at a lovely Taverna we’d wanted to go to the night before (but it had been closed). For starters I had buffalo mozzarella with tomatoes and Wee Girl had burrata instead of mozzarella (it’s like mozzarella but runny on the inside, she’s acquired a taste for it).  They were both fresh and amazing.  Our mains were hand-made ravioli which was yum too.  Then we trotted down to the station.

After an hour on the train we arrived at this fabled, romantic town… romantic? No. Packed to the rafters with tourists? Si.  I hated it, the Wee Girl kept telling me to ignore the tourists (as I tripped over another loud American) and enjoy the buildings.  They were nice, we finally after some searching found Juliette’s balcony and the wall where you’re meant to leave your love lorn letters.  Ha! It is so far from ‘Letters to Juliette’ it’s not funny.  You could hardly move, there were people scribbling on the walls leading into it and one wall was covered in old gum (some weird romantic thing I guess – here! Have my gum! I love you!) Two souvenir shops and a portcullis covered in romantically inclined padlocks (5 euro each).  I may have bought one, I felt like I had to fit in.

We had a bit more of a sweaty wander then left in disgust, Verona was not for us.  We headed back to the lovely Vicenza for a quiet dinner in.  We had earlier found a secret ‘locals’ deli and purchased delicious meats and cheeses.  Also some strawberries from the greengrocer round the corner.

Here’s a picture of our deliciousness – tomorrow off to Venice!