A Wonderful (packed) Weekend
Friday was another one of our at "home" days - spent reading (me and Rachel) and painting (Julia). We made ourselves venture out around 5:00 in the afternoon to see the Treviso Museum which is literally a stone's throw from our apartment. It was one of those places that is almost too close - easy to overlook and just never quite make it there. But, I am really glad we did. It was a very nice museum actually - divided into three sections - art, the Church, and archeology of the region. A woman met us we thought just to point us in the right direction but ended up staying with us and guiding us through during our hour-long stay. We poked around a few stores afterwards and went back to the bigger grocery store. We realized that Italians really only eat Italian food - so we thought we would try to make something different at home. Our attempt at quesadillas, given that they don't have black beans or cheddar cheese in Italy so made with mozzerella, fontina, and parmesan, ended up tasting very Italian regardless. (We have successfully made guacamole a few times when we have been able to find an Israeli avocado.) Luckily we aren't at all tired of pizza or pasta - and are just going to embrace it. Last year before going to Paris, we let the girls watch the Bourne Identity, so we downloaded and watched part two of the series cuddled up on the couch.
Our weekend plans were centered around the tickets that we bought to return to Verona to see an opera (Romeo and Juliet, suitably) in the Roman Arena. We decided to first drive past Verona to Lake Garda - the largest of the Italian lakes. We stopped on the Sirmoine Peninsula which juts about 4 km into the center of the lake from the southern shore. The entrance to the cute medieval town is guarded by a 13th century well-perserved moated castle. We had lunch right next to the castle at a great little pizza place. I totally embarrassed myself by thinking that our waiter had asked where we were from when he actually asked if the pizza was good. It seems the more Italian I learn the more I become aware of just how little I know. But, that opened a good conversation and we learned that he was from the town of Sirmoine and that we were in fact eating in his living room. When we went back outside and looked at the building, it was an actual house.
We explored the castle - Julia and I actually making it to the very top of the winding staircase (unlike the Duomo experience in Florence). Afterwards, we walked out to the very tip of the peninsula through the winding streets of the town (past several gelato shops which we felt obligated to try) and back to the castle along the water.
Since we had missed the gardens the last time we were in Verona with the Brennans, we wanted to be sure to get to them on this visit. We drove straight to Giardino Giusti and entered under ominous thunder, though rain never appeared. Within the beautifully sculpted renaissance garden there was a hedge maze - il labirinth - and this time it was open. Jim cheated and made it to the middle before the girls, but they found their way there pretty easily. I am not sure that challenge is the same when the hedges are only waist high. We climbed to the top terrace (belvedere) of the gardens to enjoy the panaromic view of the city of Verona.
In turns out staying right in Verona during opera season is very expensive, but we found a reasonable hotel in nearby San Giovanni Lupatoto. We checked into the family room and spent the next hour all reading in beds before getting ready for dinner and the opera. We dined on the Piazza Bra with the Arena in the background. The tickets we had purchased were for the general seating section on the arena steps (as oppossed to assigned seats on the arena floor). We entered the Arena about 9 for a 9:15 show and found that our section was very full and we had to kind of smoosh in between rows of people - upsetting the people both in front and behind us. When the opera began, the first of five acts, I realized that other than the ending, I don't really remember much of the Romeo and Juliet story - and seeing the opera version wasn't going to help to remind me. But it was beautiful and the natural acoustics of the setting are so great that no microphones are used - you can hear just fine even where we were way in the back. The first intermission came after the second act and we decided that we had experienced what we had come to experience and that staying until the ending (which wouldn't happen until after 1:00 am!!) wouldn't enrich us any further (I am not very sophisticated when it comes to opera)...so we left then and walked through the still bustling town before heading back to the hotel.
Sunday's mission was to exchange rental cars (marking the half-way point of our trip) and to return to Venice. We needed to exchange the car because the insurance through VISA only is good for up to 31 days. During the longish process of returning one car and getting the next, the first real rain of our trip finally hit. But, by the time we were ready to head to Venice, we were under blue skies again. Given our upcoming weekend travel plans, this was Jim's last day to be in Venice during this trip and he wanted to be with us when we visited Doge's Palace - so that is where we headed. We drove into Venice this time and parked next to the bus station. The vaporetto took us to St. Mark's Square and we entered Doge's Palace. The Doge was the name for the ruler of Venice, and the palace was his home, the place of laws and order, and a prison - all at the same time. We followed Rick Steve's tour of the Palace - I am a new convert to Rick Steve's travel guides but now am a true follower. Notable in the Palace were the entrance stairwell flanked by Paul Newman and Moses (really Mars and Neptune, but you have to admit Rick Steves is right on with the Paul Newman comparison), the largest oil painting in the world (Tintoretto's Paradise), learning about the Council of Ten (aka the Terrible Ten) who doled out 'justice', and walking across the Bridge of Sighs down into the prisons.
We walked through Venice streets all the way back to the car, past some graffiti that reminded us of home. Though I would hardly call us locals, it is fun that the girls recognize where they are well enough to always find their favorite candy store along the route -and Jim was a fan as well. We made it home in time for Sunday night pizza (our tradition from home which we continue even though pizza is every day now) and the final Bourne movie, again cuddled up on the couch. For intermission, Julia and Rachel went down to the gelato shop and I had them bring me the granite I'd been curious about. Turns out they squeeze fresh juice in the bottom of a cup (in this instance lemon) and then mix it with slushy ice. (We've seen it around but never made with fresh fruit juice). It was so fresh and refreshing - and no sugar or fat - a whole new world!!
Our weekend plans were centered around the tickets that we bought to return to Verona to see an opera (Romeo and Juliet, suitably) in the Roman Arena. We decided to first drive past Verona to Lake Garda - the largest of the Italian lakes. We stopped on the Sirmoine Peninsula which juts about 4 km into the center of the lake from the southern shore. The entrance to the cute medieval town is guarded by a 13th century well-perserved moated castle. We had lunch right next to the castle at a great little pizza place. I totally embarrassed myself by thinking that our waiter had asked where we were from when he actually asked if the pizza was good. It seems the more Italian I learn the more I become aware of just how little I know. But, that opened a good conversation and we learned that he was from the town of Sirmoine and that we were in fact eating in his living room. When we went back outside and looked at the building, it was an actual house. 
In turns out staying right in Verona during opera season is very expensive, but we found a reasonable hotel in nearby San Giovanni Lupatoto. We checked into the family room and spent the next hour all reading in beds before getting ready for dinner and the opera. We dined on the Piazza Bra with the Arena in the background. The tickets we had purchased were for the general seating section on the arena steps (as oppossed to assigned seats on the arena floor). We entered the Arena about 9 for a 9:15 show and found that our section was very full and we had to kind of smoosh in between rows of people - upsetting the people both in front and behind us. When the opera began, the first of five acts, I realized that other than the ending, I don't really remember much of the Romeo and Juliet story - and seeing the opera version wasn't going to help to remind me. But it was beautiful and the natural acoustics of the setting are so great that no microphones are used - you can hear just fine even where we were way in the back. The first intermission came after the second act and we decided that we had experienced what we had come to experience and that staying until the ending (which wouldn't happen until after 1:00 am!!) wouldn't enrich us any further (I am not very sophisticated when it comes to opera)...so we left then and walked through the still bustling town before heading back to the hotel.
Sunday's mission was to exchange rental cars (marking the half-way point of our trip) and to return to Venice. We needed to exchange the car because the insurance through VISA only is good for up to 31 days. During the longish process of returning one car and getting the next, the first real rain of our trip finally hit. But, by the time we were ready to head to Venice, we were under blue skies again. Given our upcoming weekend travel plans, this was Jim's last day to be in Venice during this trip and he wanted to be with us when we visited Doge's Palace - so that is where we headed. We drove into Venice this time and parked next to the bus station. The vaporetto took us to St. Mark's Square and we entered Doge's Palace. The Doge was the name for the ruler of Venice, and the palace was his home, the place of laws and order, and a prison - all at the same time. We followed Rick Steve's tour of the Palace - I am a new convert to Rick Steve's travel guides but now am a true follower. Notable in the Palace were the entrance stairwell flanked by Paul Newman and Moses (really Mars and Neptune, but you have to admit Rick Steves is right on with the Paul Newman comparison), the largest oil painting in the world (Tintoretto's Paradise), learning about the Council of Ten (aka the Terrible Ten) who doled out 'justice', and walking across the Bridge of Sighs down into the prisons. 
We walked through Venice streets all the way back to the car, past some graffiti that reminded us of home. Though I would hardly call us locals, it is fun that the girls recognize where they are well enough to always find their favorite candy store along the route -and Jim was a fan as well. We made it home in time for Sunday night pizza (our tradition from home which we continue even though pizza is every day now) and the final Bourne movie, again cuddled up on the couch. For intermission, Julia and Rachel went down to the gelato shop and I had them bring me the granite I'd been curious about. Turns out they squeeze fresh juice in the bottom of a cup (in this instance lemon) and then mix it with slushy ice. (We've seen it around but never made with fresh fruit juice). It was so fresh and refreshing - and no sugar or fat - a whole new world!!
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