The Junket Journal: ...A Time to Stop and Smell the Vineyards...

Well ladies and gents, we are finally caught up on our blogs!! ...enjoy it while it lasts! haha!

Today was very simple and ultimately non-eventful - which is good seeing as how it's Friday the 13th and we were SURE something would happen to remind of us of this unlucky day - but nope! Alls well!!

This morning started out pretty easy with us just checking out of our hostel and heading over to catch a 10am train to Verona. We did book it a bit because we weren't sure just how long it might take us to arrive (even though we hadn't bought our ticket yet due to past lessons learned, we still hoped to make it on that one!), so that was fun. not.

But we made it! And though we had to kiss a hasty goodbye to Venice (we definitely could've stayed another day but it just means we'll have to come back!!) and head off towards the setting of Shakespeare's classic romance....Romeo and Juliet.

However, once we got off of the train, we had a bit of trouble actually getting to our B&B. We knew the place was a bit outside of the city limits so we hopped on a bus and were hoping to recognize a sign for the neighborhood we needed to get off at. But as per usual, we missed it and ended up having to get off, wait for another bus, buy more tickets, get on that bus, get off the bus, ask several locals for directions to a pay phone and then have the B&B owner come pick us up from a piazza. So much fun!!

But the guy was super nice and very friendly and his B&B is simply ADORABLE!! It has it's own little kitchenette, a lovely little bathroom, plenty of furnishings, and an overall Italian charm that has totally won us over. We kind of wish we could stay in a place like this for the whole trip...

After we got settled, we thought about trying to go into Verona itself, but due to our bus adventures, it was pretty late in the afternoon and we were kind of exhausted so we decided to stay in and catch up on these blogs and pics and videos!!! (Check it out - we're not fully up to speed on the vids, but we're getting there!)
Also, back in Venice, I had noticed some advertisements for operas playing at the Verona ancient Roman Arena so just for fun I looked it up and no joke, the 5-part Romeo and Juliet opera is playing tomorrow night!!!!!! I was adamant and Tibby was determined. WE WERE GOING TO SEE IT NO MATTER WHAT!! So, even though we are supposed to be in a hostel in Milan tomorrow night, we decided to eat the cost of that room, book another here in Verona, and go see Romeo and Juliet in the city where the story actually took place.....HOW COOL IS THAT??!!!!
We are literally soooooooo excited and I'm jumping out of my seat as I'm writing this...still can't get over it! And we are required to dress up and everything! It's going to be so fun!!!

So yeah, with our plan for tomorrow night all set, we plan to take up the rest of the daytime with touring the sights - namely Juliet and Romeo's houses, and some other fun and historical sights! Can't wait!!

As for the rest of this evening, we decided to walk over to our little local grocery store and pick up a few items with which to make a spaghetti dinner! It was so fabulous just making pasta in our little Italian B&B room in Italy!! And it was even better getting to see a bit of the local neighborhood while we were at it! We saw cute little Italian old women fanning themselves in their backyards, kids in the streets playing ball, we heard opera playing from the windows above our heads, and we began to pinch ourselves when we casually strolled by the neighborhood vineyards....
No big deal.