Local traditions and culture in Verona

Some things in Italy are different from other countries and so you will find a special kind of shop all over Italy, selling Tabacco, Salt and stamps. Do not expect to get stamps at the places, where you buy your postcards !!
In Verona you even have such a "Sale/Tabacchi" directely on Piazza Bra, next to the BRIX restaurant and it's sign has an important addition :
24 ore means it is Open 24 hours a day !!

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Verona is right in the middle of Italy's second largest (after Chianti) DOC zone. The red wines are made primarily from three varietals, corvina, veronese and rondinella. Each producer seems to have their own special mix. The wines are produced with little aging and no barrel time, some with at least a year. The famous Amarone style where the grapes are harvested in October and then dried on racks for about four months, then put into must, then into barrel for three years. This creates a very rich, almost sweet red wine for the big meals. The ripasso is created by adding some of the amarone must to the lighter valpolicella wine. Also produced is the recioto dessert wine.

Many wineries are available for tastings, but you must reserve.

One of the things I really enjoyed in Italy is that when you order drinks, your waiter usually brings you some chips, olives or other little snacks to go with it. When we found ourselves in Verona on a Friday night, however, we discovered that things could be brought to a whole new level! Along with our usual spritz and prosecco came some bruschetta, frittata, chips, olives and small canapes with ham and shrimp. No wonder people eat dinner so late! Since it was still too early for dinner after that we stopped for another drink at Piazza delle Erbe and this time they had a full-blown buffet set up for customers. Forget about Happy Hour, I'll take Aperitivo Italiano anytime!

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I thought this was kind of goofy and funny. Piazza Bra...the largest Piazza in Verona, where the Arena is located was taken over one day by a bunch of dog owners, which I thought was weird until I noticed that this Friar Tuck of a fellow was blessing the dogs. Hilarious...

It is not certain that this palace was Juliet's house, nor that Juliet and Romeo really existed.

This building dates back to the XIII century and was restored in the XX century.

There is a big statue representing Juliet in the courtyard of this house. They say you will have good luck in love if you rub its right breast.

Juliet's house is located in Via Cappello, 23; not far from Piazza delle Erbe.

When traveling in a country where english is not the main language I try to make an effort to speak the local language. Italian is a beautiful language and it isn't very hard to pick up the basics. I got a phrase book and a CD, which I put on my i-Pod, to help me learn some phrases. And while I was shy about trying to speak the language at first, by the end of my 2 weeks there I was ordering meals and ice-cream (gelato) all in Italian!

So here are some helpful phrases to get you started!

Hello/Goodbye (informal): Ciao
Good Morning: Buongiorno
Good Afternoon/Evening: Buonasera
Good Night: Buonanotte
Yes/No: Si/No
Please: per favore
Thank you: grazie
That's fine: Va bene
How Are You?: Come sta?
Open/Closed: aperto/chiuso
Entrance/Exit: entrata/uscita
Where is...?: Dov'e...?

and...
I didn't understand: non ho capito
Do you speak English?: Parla Inglese?

Veneto is the home of grappa production; it was originally produced in Bassano del Grappa, near Vicenza, which is just east of Verona.

It's a strong brandy made from all the by-products of grapes, about 80-100 proof, rarely aged, and served chilled. Call it firewater if you must as it really burns.

I thought it was one of the most putrid things in the world the first time I tried it. Well that thought certainly changed. I slowly developed an appreciation for this potent stuff.

People asked me what I did during all my time in Verona. Well, my colleagues and I reverted to nightly grappa drinking sessions, perhaps to relieve the stress of our intensive training. One local even exclaimed that she had consumed more grappa with us during this period of time than she has cumulatively in her 50+ years of existence in Italy. Not that this is something we should all be proud of, but it certainly became a joke between all of us.