Verona - a very beautiful city.

Our next stop was the magical city of Verona and it welcomed us finally after our fabulous driver Ivano managed to find our hotel amongst the ancient streets and walls.
The very beautiful Hotel Victoria was our resting place and it is situated within the ancient Roman walls of the city, an easy walk to the city centre and the excitement of the markets in Piazza D'Erbe.
Our first afternoon was free to wander the streets and indulge in a little souvenir shopping then a family dinner in the hotel restaurant.

What a meal!!
The chefs pulled out all stops to impress our group with steak Tartare, eggplant ravioli, and more.  The meal included some local wines including the delicious Soave and we think Bardolino (hard to remember...it was a great night)
The family meals have definately become one of the highlights of the trip as we  enjoy local food specialities and what is in season as well as the wine favourites of the region  and all at the chefs recommendation.

Next day we explored Verona with our guide Martre who explained the glorious frescoes and artworks as we wandered the stunning marble streets.  The highlight of the day was the Arena, which is still used today to host Opera events and rock concerts, it is gorgeous but my legs are still paying for the climb to the top of the seated area....soo worth it!
During the afternoon, we wandered around the old city and headed to the most famous of all attractions, Juliets balcony where the obligatory photos of the balcony and Juliets statue were taken and then time for a well earned rest before dinner in the piazza and gelato for dessert.....of course.