Italy Re - Cap... Eating and Sightseeing

Verona was one of the cities we visited while on our Italy trip. They have farmer's markets, a quaint fountain, beautiful, colorful homes and an amazing arena. Whenever we travel to Europe, I'm always amazed at its history. The arena in Verona is about 2,000 years old! Incredible! Verona is also known for Romeo and Juliet. You are able to see Juliet's balcony and many tourists flock there to take pictures. (Unfortunately, we didn't see the balcony on this trip, so no Juliet photos to share.) But the images we did take are amazing- they really speak for themselves...

Inside the arena...

A look down from the top of the arena...

The lion's cages inside the arena...

The arena was originally constructed in Roman times for live entertainment. There were gladiator battles, lions, and the images above are where the lions entered. They still use the arena for operas and ballets. While we were there, they were getting it all ready for a summer opera, which explains the red floor and stage/seating in the 2nd picture.

As you can see from some of the pictures, a storm was coming. We had to leave early, when it started to rain, but this beautiful city was worth even a small visit.

What to eat in Italy???

For us, we loved...

- The pizza! It's super thin and they give you the whole individual pizza, which you use a fork and knife to get through. It's so delicious! You really can't go wrong with any topping, but my favorite was Pizze con Funghi e Salsiccia. That's pizza with mushrooms and sausage. It's amazing!

- The pasta! I love it all! Our absolute favorite is Bigoli all' Anatra. That's a thick spaghetti with duck sauce. Really- it's incredible!

- The risotto! (Can you tell I like carbs??) Risotto is a thick, creamy rice and my favorite is Risotto con funghi, which is risotto with mushrooms.

I basically kept having those three meals again and again, never getting tired of it!  :)

Oh, and the dessert! When you're there, you have to have a daily gelato! My favorite gelato flavor is Straciatella, which is chocolate chip ice cream. 

Tell me about your favorite vacation spot!