GPS not keen to be helpful but eventually re-joined our side on the road back to the autostrada. We took a detour into Bologna in search of a farmacia. Managed to find a carpark, a food spot and get back on the road – all without the help of the GPS who had packed up again.
More variations in architecture and landscape, intensely farmed land with more closely scattered buildings. With the GPS not working, we couldn’t risk getting off the autostrada to visit Modena, or Mantova, although both looked fascinating.
A refuel stop on the motorway topped up the car - and our tummies. And then, once again, with 40 km to go the GPS kicked back in. We found the hotel “Euromotel Croce Bianca” in Verona following both the emailed instructions and the GPS.
We discovered a lovely helpful guy in reception which was great, as I was in no mood to deal with anything else. As I had lifted one of the cases out of the boot of the car I broke one of the bottles from Alberobello (my favourite one!) all over the inside of the boot - DAMN!! Had to swiftly chuck everything out of the car onto the carpark and rinse the base out with bottled water. To top things off the first room we were offered in the hotel smelled of smoke so back downstairs we went - new room further down the corridor. Turned out to be a blessing in disguise as the new room was much bigger and had three good size beds. Good move! We all had a lie down for a rest and then caught a bus from outside the hotel into the city proper about 3.40.
We followed a walking itinerary from a map we got at the hotel. What a city! There was so much to see but heat and sore feet really meant we didn’t appreciate it as we should. We were almost tempted to get tickets to the Verona opera as Placido Domingo was singing to-night but, luckily, decided against it – we’d never have survived.
Our first stop off the bus was the Castel Vecchio, with the attached Ponte de Scagleri. The castle has a drawbridge and moat at the front and backed onto the river. The drawbridge is still there and we walked across it. The place is now a museum/gallery. The bridge was rebuilt in the 1950s after being destroyed by a German mine in 1945. As far as possible, original materials were used, and the original design followed. It is extraordinary. We walked across the bridge and back then wandered around the courtyard of the castle before moving on.
Next door is the Arc of Gavi –from the 1st century! To think of its age – what has passed before it? We passed a number of churches of course – before passing under a set of arches and into the old city proper. These gates are also from the 1st century and this is where taxes were levied and collected on goods passing into and out of the city. Roads either side of the gate go up quite steeply. This area has been deliberately kept at this level to keep the gates in use! 
The road from the gates, lined with expensive shops, led to the Piazza Erbe, once the heart of the city and named for the regular vegetable market held here. Whilst still maintaining its original length of 150m (two Roman blocks) its width of 75m has been greatly reduced with encroaching buildings. The central area is still a market but predominantly touristy. In desperation to escape the heat we sat at an outside bar where fine, fine sprays of mist drifted over us from jets under the umbrellas every 15-20 seconds – BLISS!!
More exceptional, but fortress like, buildings followed. Many have swallowtail Ghibelline merlons along the tops. What a war-like place! The buildings are on the most part well preserved although some have suffered from poor rebuilding.
Strange things hang from overhead arches between blocks – a whale rib near a pharmacy, examples of torture equipment to discourage bad behaviour. Much of this from Venetian times, but, most much earlier.
We passed a house purported to b the home of Romeo Montecchi the ‘real’ Romeo. Also visited the house dedicated to Juliet where we took photos beside her statue.
The Verona arena, or colosseum, is large - but not as large as the amphitheatre in Rome although built before it. The Verona arena could hold 30,000 people in its day - more than the population of the city at the time. Today the arena is back in use. Over the summer period it hosts a number of operas in the open. Exhausted at this point of the day we followed the curve of the arena, passed the displays of sets for the operas currently running, amazed at the enormous crowds of people.
Leaving the walls of Verona and finding that there is still a world out there, irrespective of Shakespeare’s claim;
"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....."
We decided to head towards our bus stop before grabbing a quick bit to eat. Poor and slow service followed – although the ‘people watching’ was fascinating!! They were all dressed up for the Opera.Upon checking the bus sheet for final departure times and bus pick-up points I found we were on the wrong road for the last bus that would be stopping over the road from the hotel – Oh dear!!
Luckily there were two other bus numbers that stop relatively close to the hotel and we managed to catch one of these. With the help of an English speaking local on the bus we got off at the correct stop and walked/trudged/dragged our weary butts the last few blocks to bed. Caitlin and I entertained ourselves over this last stretch creating a story all about “Harry and his imaginary friend Charlie, a helephant, who both liked hairyplanes and helichopters!” Hee, hee, hee...
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