Sunday, 22nd of September, 2019.
Wow, Verona! To be honest I think I went over there just more because of the movie Letters to Juliet than actually because of what Shakespeare wrote about it. OK, it was just because of the movie because I honestly could not even remember of Shakespeare writing about Verona. Romeu & Juliet is the last of my favorites plays, for sure.
I like to see, to know, how much they can change a town in a movie, how they can make it look different. And with Verona it was not different.
So in the morning I am about to leave my backpack in the park when I see another bag, a smaller one, also hidden between the bushes. I take a look inside, because it is open, and I see some hygiene products and some pills. It looks like is in there for a while now but maybe it is just an old bag. If the owner come back for it, it could see my backpack and maybe take it. I take it with me.
In town, I know how to get into the tourist information and a few places I could pass before there to ask about the backpack. I first have my breakfast in front of the Arena of Verona and take a picture of Robert. The only and one. I watch tourists and people going to a wedding, a see the bride, all of that before the place be open.
So I finally I get a map of town and ask about leaving the backpack in there. They say no, of course. A few more places and nothing. So I am walking to Juliet’s House already thinking about caring the backpack all along the morning (my plans are to spend just the morning in Verona and then head to Milan), when I see a Cannabis Amsterdam shop. I decided to ask in there. When I am still trying to explain to the guy there why I was asking for that favor, that no one else would accepted to help me, he was already saying that of course I could leave in there and also do not understanding why people would not let me just leave the backpack in their places. I know, right? It is an absurd! A total and completely lack of care or wish of helping the other.
Much lighter now, I was walking much happier through the streets of Verona. At Juliet’s House so many tourists! All the time, people coming in and out. That make it so difficult for me to take my perfect picture. I mean, I could take a perfect picture of any one who would be up to wait a few minutes, because there are always those “time windows” when there is no one in the middle and no one in the balcony. Oh, yeah, you must to coordinate those two spaces, because people can go to visit the Juliet’s House Museum (they must pay, of course), and from there they can go to the balcony. I would say that 95% of them are couples who want to take a picture of kissing each other. It is so ridiculous that you believe that doing something related to a fictional couple, in a fictional place, it will make your relationship stronger. And even worse it is this couple, who stands in there for followed minutes, kissing and kissing, oh my Loki, while so many people are still waiting to take there pictures. So you are not just stupid enough to base you relationship in something fake but you are also a stupid selfish bastard. And they came back one more time after. Oh! Me and another woman were protesting from down, really pissed, and we clapped hands when they left. She was the one who took my picture.
About the place: it is incredible smaller than what we see in the movie. And the people do not leave the “letters” in the wall like we see in the movie too. At least not anymore. The walls from where you walk into the building is where you can attached a note or something. Not letter, but just a notepad with names and dates, something like that, and of course, no one collect than and answer it. What a break of heart, yeah, I know. But that is how it is.
Leading to Romeu’s House, you will pass through charming houses and squares, with wonderful balconies. But the magic of the town it is a bit destroyed by so many fancy shops all over the place.
Romeu’s House it could not be more the opposite of Juliet’s. It is not even open to the public! Laugh. It might just be a normal house, I do not know, because there is nothing there.
So then you can just walk around town. There a few nice bridges, with feature to Ponte Pietra, which leads to the Museo Archelogico al Teatro Romano, which you can also visit. I did my walking. You can walk beside the river, which is a beautiful view. You can also maybe go to some churches (if you pay, of course) but then that is it.
I come back for my backpack at the time I told the guy there: midday. And then guess what? You guys are not going to believe what I did? Yeah, a wrong decision again. Again.
