Today is my birthday and I want to share with you my dream of a perfect day in Verona, my city, to celebrate it.
My adventure begins with the sweetest of awakenings: a good cappuccino accompanied by a “zaletto” at my favorite café. Don’t you know the “zaletto alla veronese”? It’s a delicious soft cookie, made with corn flour, enriched with pine nuts and sultana raisins, a must-try!
Then, instead of being a tour guide (my everyday job!), today I will give myself the luxury of being a tourist in my own city, being my own guide! I get lost among the most romantic alleys, I stop at scenic spots that make my heart beat faster, the ones I usually share with my guests during tours. Like any truly romantic person, I make a stop at Juliet’s house. I sometimes go there alone – call me superstitious, but renewing luck in love is a ritual I never give up, and Juliet in Verona is a must! After all, aren’t we in the city of love?
My corner of paradise? Stopping on Ponte Pietra (the Roman Bridge) to take yet another wonderful photo of San Pietro hill with the Roman Theatre and San Pietro Castle. Here time stands still, stress vanishes, this is emotionally the most relaxing place in the city for me. But the real secret of the city hides… up high! While walking through the alleys of the historic center, I always keep my nose up to admire here and there the splendid Venetian-era frescoes hidden under the wooden roofs on the facades of ancient palaces. I always wonder why most people walk looking straight ahead, missing all this beauty, you just need to look up a bit!
For lunch? A special risotto all’Amarone in one of my favorite restaurants. Amarone is a fine wine from Valpolicella, which also serves as an ingredient in some typical Verona dishes and transforms them into true culinary works of art!
To end on a high note, I buy myself a ticket for a summer concert at the Arena as a gift. The one that all foreigners call Arena di Verona and we Veronese people simply call l’Arena. What better way to celebrate? Love, history, beauty, music… everything I love to experience and share in my tours about my city, Verona!
Haven’t I made you want to celebrate your next birthday here, in Verona? Discover the best tour for you: http://www.veronawithlaura.com/en/verona-with-laura-tour-romeo-and-juliet/
