Day 2 of our Labor Day Weekend Adventures....

After a semi-nights sleep we were on the road again! Only for a small jont before we had to stop for a Cappiccino! :) Must experiance a real Italian cappiccion to understand the appreciation for this coffee. Anyway after a quick stop we were on our way to Verona Italy.

Our first stop was to see Arena di Verona. The Roman Arena was used in the past for the gladiator fights, but now is used for operas and other cultural events. Part of the outer building was destroyed in the 1117 earthquake. The boys really thought this was cool, especially the people all dressed up as gladiators!

  

Arena di Verona was used in the past for gladiator fights, but is now used for operas and other cultural shows. Part of the outer building was destroyed in the 1117 earthquake, however this being one of the biggest theaters in Italy it is also the best preserved. Next we walked down Via Mazzini to get to Piazza delle Erbe (center of the city.) Mazzini is a perdestrian only street that is lined with chick boutiques. These particular boutiques are filled with Italian designer clothing!! :) Which is probably why we never stepped foot inside them! LOL



Next we headed over to the ever so famous
Casa di Giulietta (House of Juliet.) Juliet's balcony dates back to the 13th century. You can pay 3 euro and go inside the house to the balcony for a fun photo op, but there was to many people and wasn't really worth the wait. The brass statue of Juliet in the courtyard is another big photo op. Many believe that if you touch the right breast of the statue that you will have good fortune. Had Clark's hand not been on her right breast you would notice just how worn that breast is compaired to the left! :) Juliet's wall is another must see. Many believe that writing on the wall will make their love everlasting! OOPS we forgot our sharpie! It is also a tradition to put small love letters on the walls (Letters to Juliet) Regularly the walls are all cleaned and the notes are all taken down, just to keep the courtyard clean. They must have just removed all the notes when we visited because there were non on the walls. 

 

Gelato, Cappuccino, and lunch time. Yep in that order too!

After filling our bellies and getting a jolt of pick me up we finished our stay in Verona with a couple more tourist stops. We ventured onto the Scaligieri Graves, which are on the grounds of St. Maria Antica's Church. In front of the Church the Della Scala Family erected their own cemetary. Over the Church's front door there's the Cangrande Idella Scala Grave (1329) the most important Veronese monument from the 14th century. In the Arche Mastino II and the Cansignorio grave, rest in peace other members of this family that ruled Verona from 1260 to 1387. This monument was also open for touring for a fee, but we passed on going inside.

 

Next we made a quick pass by Casa di Romeo. Romeo's house was not preserved and so it is not open to the public for touring so there really wasn't much to see here.

   So this concludes our very fun weekend touring Pisa and Verona Italy! Be sure to check out my Facebook page for many more pictures.