Part 9 Verona and Como
The bit about getting to Verona has had some coverage in the train story . So no further repetition needed! Save a sigh of relief once deposited on the platform. The taxi fare was reasonable , although it’s only a couple of k at the most – 10 euro. I am amazed to learn my apartment had once been home to lords and ladies in the 14th century. Hence its name – Residence Palazzo Negri – right in the heart of the historic pedestrian precinct . This of course means teeming with visitors – the ever present tour groups following their leader with the flag aloft.
Having checked in , and the suitcase deposited, I decided to hit the streets and find out just what a sunny August afternoon in Verona offered. Round the corner to Piazza Bra – a huge expanse right in front of the equally impressive Arena Verona . One entire side of the Piazza taken up with wall to wall restaurants where throngs of holiday makers do the menu rounds. I love people watching – so just the place to stop and make my selection from about 10 variations of Spritz listed and watch the world go by .
Most important job – to find the supermarket – the fridge in my apartment needed stocking . Note to others , Aldi is strategically located on the other side of the arena , just outside the Citta Antica. The ladies from my ‘residence ‘ had given me a couple of names neither of which were Aldi but finding one was not hard . However, my return journey turned into one of my ‘lost in Verona ‘ moments of which there were a few .
Getting lost in Verona is easy , so a word of advice for travellers – telecommunication is great, and most of the time it works really well. For some unknown reason, maybe the limited connectivity in the mountains impacted on the capacity or the network availability. I was fully expecting the Telstra Day Pass to kick in upon arrival in Verona but this turned out not to be without some help. I only realised the problem when I pulled out the phone to navigate back to Residenza Palazzo Negri from the grocery store .
In Santa Cristina I had no network other than Wi-Fi. I had not bothered with an e-sim at that point, largely due to my ignorance in that department. As I later learned , all it takes is downloading an app, making payment , and you are as they say ‘good to go’.
With some off line coverage by Google Maps, not Apple Maps, I finally find my residence . The streets in the old town tend to run in directions best known to themselves. Despite the Roman penchant for the construction of straight roads , the Citta Antica does not have parallel streets. I walked around in circles for a bit.
One discovery timed to perfection in my favour – Verona’s opera festival. Staged in the magnificent Verona Arena night after night over the summer, the classics are performed without a single microphone such are the natural acoustics of the venue. Here was I , in Verona never having sat in the audience for an opera . Why not take a quantum leap into this feast for the ears and the eyes? Aida no less. The opera festival was first staged in 1913 – and the first production was Aida. My ticket secured for the evening of my second night , and preparing, listening to various performances of Aida courtesy of Spotify whilst meandering through the streets of the Citta Antica
A 9 p.m start meant that it was well after midnight when the final curtain fell. It was a spectacle, and I’m so glad I went. The couple beside me are from Melbourne. They come every year and attend night after night. Given the venue, the seating isn’t especially comfortable and my Melbourne friends found it somewhat challenging . After four hours , my backside was also talking to me . All in all an amazing spectacle. I made my way back along the deserted streets to my apartment , not seeing a soul, and feeling really safe. On the definitely worth coming back to list.
Verona is just the right size for a combination of shopping and sight seeing . Warm and busy but not crazily so . The city is known for the its legendary citizen Juliet (not to mention Romeo) – the tragedy of their lives inspired not only Shakespeare but Shakespeare’s tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Not to mention the many and various clones based on the same sad tale .
Armed with an online ticket I completed the mandatory traipse through- wondering just how many subjects of soon to be Instagram posts at the famous window would have any idea of the story let alone actually read the play. Still, the whole precinct is on the bucket list for the mass majority of visitors to Verona and tourism is a major contributor to Verona’s economy .
My final day in Verona – with which to do whatever took my fancy , so why not another train encounter. This time a brief journey to Peschiera – a town on the shores of Lake Garda, the biggest lake in Italy. It seemed very easy, but of course the irregularity of the Italian train ended up playing a hand.
The train ticket to Pesciara set me back about 3 times what it cost to return . All because it was the very fast train. Being none the wiser, I fell into the tourist trap of buying the very fast train ticket for 20 euro plus . That ticket was issued by the fast train operators. My ticket to come back was the slower service and was issued for $3.40
The town of Sirmione sits on the southern peninsular of the lake and is home to glamorous establishments such as Terme di Sirmione Spa and Thermal garden. Hypothermal water from the Boiola Spring is used for indoor and outdoor pools. It has amazing restorative powers apparently. One day ! I elected for the boat ride out to Sirmione and back . I’d not have time to explore the town properly .Still a beautiful hour on a sparkling blue lake.
Time to give some time to Como – the Italian resort town on the lake that bears its name . Another battle with Milano Centroid train station, involving up and down escalators and whatever else. Mission accomplished and out the front straight to a taxi. I observed many people around my vintage with large amounts very expensive luggage struggling even more than me . No doubt returning to their fabulous Como residences as the heat and the crowds abate .
It wasn’t long before I had my first experience with ‘Como prices’ a taxi drive of less than five minutes set me back euro 18. My destination – another pedestrian precinct in the old town . The driver deposited me and the suitcase and pointed to a building in the distance – I corralled the luggage and manoeuvred my way through the throngs of tanned holiday makers looking for the entrance to ‘Rumi Rooms.’ The entry a restaurant with a totally different name.
The ‘roomy’ room came with a fridge ! The supermarket beckoned – a short stroll to the Carrefois . This seems to be the ubiquitous grocery outlet – certainly in Italy and even Morocco. The Como store overflows with all my favourites repeated all over the store – especially cheeses, pancetta , Parma ham fruit and veg . Not to mention the wine department . The cost of eating out and being on my own tends to put a dampener on fine dining . I slipped into a routine of one restaurant meal a day, a chance to sample the local cuisine without breaking the bank.
So two full days on Lake Como . What to do ! I recalled advice -in order to appreciate the size and scale , one needs to get up and look down on the city and surrounds. So to the funicular – the destination Brunate – with magnificent panoramic views over Como and the lake . I wandered ( let’s make that slogged) up to the Volta Lighthouse. For me the surrounds are somewhat disappointing – a bit tired and littered , they could have done with some TLC . Along my way to and from , I shared the road with some very cool looking convertibles, driven no doubt by someone rich and famous.
The Volta Lighthouse and view of Como from the top of the funicular .
Like so many iconic places on the planet , Como is a tourist magnet. If crowds aren’t your thing , the lake precinct and surrounds in August are to be avoided. For me , adding Verona and Como worked in well . Crowds or no . Having checked out the view from above, my next day was on the water . Long queues at the ferry terminal were daunting but an attempt to buy tickets for the next day was unsuccessful.
So the plan was to hit the counter bright and early to beat the ticket queue – a day pass was the go . My first choice – Bellagio . However it was also the agenda for most of the passengers . Plan change – up the lake to Varenna . I soon discover this’sleepy’ village is also popular with the masses . Undaunted, I push through and past the sauntering throngs – along a narrowish boardwalk from the terminal to the town centre . It’s lunch time and the Hotel Royal Victoria is just one of the many glamorous ***** establishments with the lake on their front step. This particular hotel commands a tariff of anywhere between 1€k and 2€ K a night depending on the season . It was stretching my budget to afford an appetiser let alone a glass of Prosecco ..
It was charming .charmingly expensive .
The botanical grounds at Villa Monestero are a few metres further along . There’s a small entry fee, but well worth a meander along the terraces and stairways to admire the collection of huge Cypresses, agave and others species that are very familiar . Including something that looks suspiciously like hedged lantana !
The afternoon evaporated as did the throngs of day trippers .
I have encountered some curious behaviour never before experienced along the way .
I don’t understand how it is possible to generate income simply by being represented on social media .
However , it is a strange new world out there most certainly .
There may be a few revisions but for now, this is pretty much Verona and Como 2026.
