Travel Lover Siobhan O’Neill

Travel lover and Guest Goddess, Siobhan O’Neill introduces us to her favourite Italian cities, Venice and Verona

VENICE

Venice – or Venezia – is a perennial favourite with tourists to northern Italy, for obvious reasons. There is hardly another city in the world like it; with its spectacular waterways, laneways, piazzas, architecture, history, art, and a postcard view waiting at every turn.  The archipelago of Venice spans 118 islands and laying the first stone of what has been called the world’s most romantic city is celebrated as being on the islet of Rialto in 421.

Getting Around:

Venice is super easy to get around. Trains come almost to the water’s edge of the Grand Canal at Santalucia Station, and the bus depot is situated just one arched footbridge away from the same spot.

The best way to start exploring this ancient, majestic city is undoubtedly by water bus or water taxi. For best value, I recommend getting your bearings by catching the waterbus – there’s a stop right outside Santalucia Station and regular stops all along the Grand Canal. A variety of passes are available for purchase via automatic machine or staffed ticket booth. There are multiple stops on each line and the route along the Grand Canal, stretching from Santalucia Station to Piazza San Marco (St. Mark’s Square) and the Basilica Catterdrale Patriarcale di San Marco (St. Mark’s Basilica) and the nearby Bridge of Sighs, covers many of the best known sights in one fell swoop, including the famed Rialto Bridge.

For a few hardy souls, hopping into a gondola is the quintessential experience of Venice. It is undoubtedly romantic and uniquely Venetian, but the waters are often choppy and sometimes smelly (especially in the small back canals), plus the water traffic is heavy – not something I felt compelled to try, but certainly easy to access at almost every turn and very affordable for anyone who wants to add a gondola ride to their Venice experience.

 Of course, wandering the laneways on foot is also a must, as is a trip to some of the outer islands, including the famed Murano Glass factory. Make sure you also leave room in your luggage for some of the city’s famed leather goods.  You’ll pay more along the tourist trail, understandably, but there is little to rival the fun of shopping on the classic white arch of the Rialto Bridge, for example. I also found that pens, glass gondolas, carnival masks and even world-famous, hand-blown Murano glass pieces make reasonably-priced, oh-so-Venetian gifts for many oh-so-delighted friends back home!

Where to stay:

There is an abundance of accommodation to suit every budget, but do remember that 3-star ratings in Italy are the same as 2-star ratings elsewhere.

My fave place to stay is the Rialto Hotel at, yes, the Rialto Bridge. It’s reasonably priced, even for canal-view rooms, and the views of the Grand Canal are nothing short of spectacular! I recommend asking for a room on the higher floors but, beware, the lift only goes to the 2nd floor and the higher floors are only accessible via a myriad of steep, narrow stairways – a good workout if you’re toting heavy luggage!

Tip:

I highly recommend treating yourself to a water taxi ride to Marco Polo Airport. Any water taxi will take you from any stop – it isn’t cheap (110 Euros one-way in 2012), but very exciting, and how many places in the world can you catch a water taxi right to the airport?!  

VERONA

Famous to romantics worldwide as the home of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, The Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Taming of the Shrew, the exact age of Verona is unknown and could date back as far as 550 BC.

Verona is a town of striking architecture; so striking, in fact, that its urban structure and architecture is World Heritage listed. The city is a walker’s delight, and exploring its ancient cobbled streets, buildings and traditional gardens is a quintessential Italian experience! On the practical side, it is a very accessible city for people of all abilities. And, as a travel experience, walking through beautiful Verona is literally like stepping back in time! 

This is a city of churches, bridges, food, art, jewellery, sensational-yet-affordable fashion, and utterly delicious ice-cream!  If you are lucky enough to be there around June, treat yourself to one of the Summer Season opera performances in the Arena that sits in the middle of the sweeping Piazza Bras in the middle of the city. The Arena, arguably one of Verona’s most famous sites, is a Roman amphitheatre dating back to 30 AD, and the third largest amphitheatre in Italy. The Roman Theatre of Verona is another memorable site, dating back to the 1st century BC. 

Other impressive Roman sites include the Arco dei Gravi, which was built in the 1st century across the then main road into the city, nearby Porta Borsari, which was the 3rd century gateway in the original Roman city walls, and Porta Leonie, the 1st century remains of what was once the original Roman city gate. In some streets you’ll see open archaeological sites, where the original Roman streets and remains of the gateways are visible below the present street level.  

I highly recommend a trip up the hill to Castel San Pietro (St. Peter’s Castle) for a stunning view of the city and the wending Adige River. The Ponta Pietra, in Italian meaning the “Stone Bridge”, dates back to 100 BC. Four arches of the bridge were bombed by retreating German troops in WWII but, in 1957, locals painstakingly and determinedly retrieved as many of the original bricks as possible from the riverbed to the rebuild the bridge to its former glory. The difference in colour is now the only indication between the ‘new’ and the old parts of the bridge; the original arch untouched by the bombing is that closest to the town gate (far left side of the bridge).

Also recommended is a stroll to the magnificent Giardino Giusti , via Giardino Giusti 2 in the Veronetta, just across the river. One of the most beautiful gardens in Italy, Giardino Giusti surrounds the equally impressive Palazzo Giusti. Open every day for a small entrance fee, this Renaissance garden even impressed the poet Goethe.

But, of course, the most popular tourist stops are Casa di Guilietta (Juliet’s House) via Capello 23 in the centre of town and (somewhat strangely, I thought) Tomba di Guiliette (Juliet’s Tomb) via Liuigi da Porto, about 10 minutes’ walk from the Capuleti (Capulet) family is said to have lived. If you want to take the Romeo and Juliet experience a step further, it’s not so many steps to find the lesser known Romeo’s House. Just about 10 minutes’ walk from Juliet’s balcony, via the famed Scala Family Tombs, the house of the Montecchi (Montagues) is today a private residence, so it can only be viewed from outside, where you can photograph the outer wall of the 13th century house with its unique swallow-tail battlements. 

If, like the stars in the charming contemporary romantic movie, Letters to Juliet, you would like to explore some of the surrounding countryside, driving the winding country roads you will be rewarded with picture-postcard scenery of hills and fields adorned with grapevines and ancient walled towns like Montagnana and Soave, the latter famed for a delicious local blend of Chardonnay. Or perhaps spectacular Lake Garda is more your style? Only about 30 minutes’ drive from Verona is the quaint hillside town of Peschiera del Garda; a picturesque spot to take a boat ride or simply kick back and drink-in the breathtaking vista of the sparkling expanse of the lake and distant snow-capped mountains.

Verona is a major rail hub giving access to most of Europe. From Verona Porta Nuova railway station, you can easily catch a train to Venice (about two hours) or, in the opposite direction, the fashion mecca of Milan (also two hours away). 

Alison Carmichael-Rulten

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