Our Trip To Italy
Jeremy and I decided that we were ready to take our first trip out of the UK to start exploring Europe. Since he has a cousin living in Italy who was soon to leave for Turkey we thought this would be a good first trip. So we booked our tickets and left on Sunday, November 20 for 4 days. The flight was good with only a small glitch before we left. We booked a seat for Sophie, since they were SOO cheap, but since she is not two, we had to change this, a little hassle.
We flew into the Verona/Brescia, Italy airport having just gone over the Alps! That was very cool to see and unbelievable huge and beautiful. I was amazed at all of the small towns/villages in the mountains and wondered how these communities lived and survived. Traveling internationally really opens up your mind to think about how others live (at least it does for me).
The airport in Verona was small, comparable to the Duluth airport. The customs official was extremely relaxed and didn't even ask us one question! Joel was ready and waiting for us.
Our first stop was at the bed and breakfast that Joel works/stays at called La Fredda for lunch. It is officially an "agristurismo" which means that 60% of what they serve to clients must be produced on their land. They have olive trees, kiwi, oranges, chickens, and pigs and even some peacocks. Sophie loved seeing the animals including Rex the farm's dog. The owners signor Benedetto and signora Costantina were extremely hospitable and made lunch for us even though they don't typically serve lunch to guests. Joel was a great interpreter and speaks Italian fluently. I learned a little before we left (I crammed in 2 weeks worth of Italian) and was glad I did since English is spoken very little in Italy. What I knew and learned was very helpful.
A Day in Venice!
For our first full day in Italy we took a 1 1/2 hour train ride from Verona to Venice. It was great seeing the countryside this way. Sophie made lots of friends walking up and down the aisles with her daddy and I tried to have a conversation in Italian with a couple sitting across from us on the train.
Once we arrived in Venice we walked around the area just outside of the rail station called Campo San Geremia. There were some interesting shops and stalls. Sophie took a nice nap so Jeremy and I took advantage of a peaceful lunch at a little restaurant called Gino's. It was good and we had the entire place to ourselves which was nice (off season is a great time to travel!). 
After lunch we took the water bus to Plaza San Marco. What great views of the buildings and architecture! It is so unbelieveable that Venice is made up of over 100 different islands! This city really blew us away, we have to go back and spend more time there! We mostly just walked around taking it all in. We did buy a piece of art in Venice which we are thrilled with and can't wait to get the perfect frame for it. The sculptures, architecture, and overall atmosphere is undeniable unique and an experience we will never forget.
A Day in Verona
We spent our second full day in Verona, northern Italy, with Jeremy's cousin Joel who was an excellent tour guide. This too was an amazing city. There were so many sculptures and unbelievable things to see that it is almost too hard to take it all in.
Highlights included:
1. Viewing Giardino Giuti which is one of Italy's finest Renaissance gardens, we would agree. It was beautiful and the sculptures amazing.
2. Touring Verona's enormous Roman Arena in Piazza Bra`. There are only two in Italy (the other is the Colosseum in Rome which is in ruins and unusable for anything other than tours). At the Arena in Verona they still hold events such as opera, which would be a great way to see it!
3. Seeing where Romeo and Juliet both lived and the infamous balcony of Giulietta (Juliet).
4. Walking around the various Piazza's, our favorite was Piazza Erbe.
5. Seeing the Castelvecchio, a castle which is now an art gallery, and walking over the Ponte Scaligero bridge from the castle.
6. A great lunch of pasta and pizza and gelato for dessert!
Overall this was a great day, with too many details to mention. Again thanks to Joel for giving us such a personalized tour. Molto Grazie!!
