RO: Ca sa vezi, toti internetii ne ameninta ca ploua cu galeata tot weekendul. De sambata dimineata pana duminica seara, non stop, fara pic de urma de crapaturi in nori. Si pe-urma soare si caldura de luni incolo. Ei bine, Verono, de asta-mi esti! Ori poate ai lucrat cumva mana in mana cu mercurul retrograd si ai comandat ploaie tocmai ca sa intram mai acatarii in atmosfera de romanta. Ca doar nu si-o fi racit bietul Shakespeare gura si nu si-o fi tocit penita la stilou degeaba cand ne povestea de-ale lui Romeo si Julieta 🙂 Asa ca da, cu ploaie ori fara ploaie, cu ori fara sentimentalisme, dulcegarii si “siropisme”, ne inghesuim si noi cu toti turistii pe Via Cappello, sa vedem balconul Julietei si sa ne fluturam batistele in lacrimi. Figura de stil, nu aruncati cu pietre 😀

EN: Well what do you know, all the internet is threatening us that it will bucket down all weekend. From Saturday morning until Sunday evening, non stop, without a crack in the clouds! And after that back to sunny weather and warmth from Monday onward. Oh well, Verona, so that’s how you roll! Or maybe you worked closely with the Mercury Retrograde and ordered some rain precisely so that we can get into that romantic atmosphere. Well Shakespeare did not speak in vain when he was talking about Romeo and Juliet 🙂 So yes, with or without rain, with or without sloppiness, sweet talk and syrupy phrases, we’ll cram into the touristy crowds on Via Cappello, to see Juliet’s balcony and to wave our handkerchiefs up in the air. Figure of speech, do not throw stones at us 😀 

RO: Nu de alta, dar n-ai loc sa fluturi nici batista, nici lacrimile si nici macar un amarat de ac in curtea casei Julietei. E full de oameni, fie ploaie, fie vant. Asa ca facem selfie-ul de rigoare, nu mazgalim peretii deja plini de inscriptionari si graffitiuri, nu ii scriem scrisori Julietei si nici nu mangaiem sanii statuii din curte. Asta e, ne asumam ca n-o s-avem noroc in dragoste 🙂 Si intre noi fie vorba, o fie el balconul Julietei faimos si ras-faimos, de vin turisti din toate colturile lumii sa retraiasca serenadele lui Romeo, insa mare lucru de capul lui nu e. Si daca ne intrebati pe noi, altele ar fi punctele forte ale orasului. Castelvecchio cu Ponte Scaligero, Arena Verona, pietele frumoase din centru ori Podul Pietra. Dar le luam pe rand, sa nu zicem hop inainte de a sari gardul 🙂

EN: The problem is that you don’t have enough space to wave your handkerchief, your tears and not even a tiny needle in Juliet’s courtyard. It’s packed to capacity, no matter the weather. So we’ll take the usual selfie, we’ll not scribble the already full of inscriptions and graffiti walls, we’ll not write a letter to Juliet and we’ll not even touch the breast of the statue standing in front of the balcony. Oh well, we’ll probably not gonna have too much luck in love, but we’ll take this on our own shoulders 🙂 But between you and me, Juliet’s balcony may be extremely famous, as tourists from all around the world are coming here to relive Romeo’s serenades, but there’s not that much about this balcony. And if you ask us, there are other attractions that could be considered the city’s strengths. Castelvecchio and its Ponte Scaligero, Arena Verona, the beautiful markets in the city center or the Pietra Bridge. But we’ll take them one by one, let’s not put the pedal to the metal 🙂 


RO: Apropo, la doua strazi de Casa Julietei, pe Via Arche Caligere, e si casa lui Romeo 🙂 Acum este o resedinta privata, nu se poate vizita si nici macar intra in casa sau in curte, dar la intrare este un semn care indica cum ca acolo a locuit Romeo cel amorezat 🙂

EN: By the way, two blocks away from Juliet’s house, on Via Arche Caligere, you can find Romeo’s house 🙂 Nowadays this is a private dwelling place, you cannot visit it or enter the house or the courtyard, but at the entrance there is a sign that indicates that the loving Romeo lived there 🙂 

RO: Bun, si acum sa ne intoarcem la Arena Verona, ca doar ce credeam, ca numai Roma se mandreste cu un Colosseum? Ba bine ca cel din Verona e inca folosit si intr-o stare tare buna. Asta chiar daca exteriorul a cam fost distrus in urma unui cutremur puternic din 1117. Dar interiorul e impecabil! Si pe timpul verii chiar se tin spectacole de opera de toata frumusetea. Ei bine da, uite pentru asta e renumita Verona in toata lumea, pentru opera, nu pentru balconul Julietei. Ba mai mult, cica i s-ar spune Orasul Operei. A si apropo, cica ar exista un carnaval al Veronei, Bacanal del Gnoco cum ii spun veronezii, vechi de 600 de ani. N-o fi el atat de faimos si spectaculos ca cel din Venetia, dar are gnocchi-uri din plin, muzica, masti si voie buna 🙂

EN: Ok, and we’re back to Arena Verona, as what do you know, not only Rome has a famous Colosseum. The one from Verona is still used and in great condition. Even though the exterior was destroyed after a powerful earthquake from 1117, the interior is impeccable! And during summertime there are opera concerts held there. Oh well, that’s why Verona is so famous around the world, for its opera shows, not for Juliet’s balcony. And even more, people call it The City of Opera. And by the way, there’s also a carnival in Verona, Bacanal del Gnoco as the Veronese people call it, 600 years old. Maybe not that famous and spectacular as the one from Venice, but it has plenty of gnocchi, music, masks and cheerfulness. 




RO: Si-apoi mai e si Castelvecchio, o fortareata de toata frumusetea, cu podul Scaligero, care a fost complet distrus in cel de-al doilea razboi mondial. De-am fi avut o urma de farama de noroc sa nu-l fi prins pe-o ploaie de zici ca turna cu galeata, ar fi fost probabil minunat. Dar nu-i cu suparare, am priceput ideea cu romanta si siropul 🙂 Face parte din decor!

EN: And there’s Castelvecchio, an extremely beautiful fortress, with its Scaligero bridge, which has been destroyed in the WWII. If only we would have been lucky enough to see it on a better weather, not when it was pouring rain 🙂 But that’s ok, we got the idea with the romance and sloppiness 🙂 It’s part of the scenery! 



RO: Si-apoi sa luam orasul la picior pe o vreme de te-apuca plansul, ca tot incepe sa ne placa sa umblam cu picioarele murate in pantofi, prin baltoace si-alte cele, sa ne plimbam si sa ne pierdem pe strazi, pana om da fie de Piazza Bra, fie de Piazza Erbe, ca inca nu ne-am lamurit care e mai frumoasa si mai recomandata. Una are amfiteatrul roman (Piata Bra), cealalta Turnul Lamberti (Piata delle Erbe). Bra e uriasa, spatioasa, plina de restaurante si turisti, Erbe e ceva mai mica, mai intima, cladirile au balcoane inflorate, iar terasele par ceva mai primitoare, mai de localnici. Mai putin tourist trap-uri. Cert e ca da, ne asezam la cea mai cea terasa si luam cel mai cel aperitivo. Si n-ar fi rau si-un window shopping pe Via Mazzini, un fel de Montenapoleone milanez. Nu de alta, dar chiar leaga cele doua piete, deci e-n drum 🙂

EN: And then we’ll start wandering the city’s streets on a terrible weather, but we already start enjoying walking with our feet soaked in water, walking through swamps and sludges, to wander the streets until we’ll end up in Piazza Bra or Piazza Erbe, as we still haven’t figured it out which one is more beautiful and more recommended.  One has the Roman amphitheater (Piazza Bra), the other one the Lamberti Tower (Piazza delle Erbe). Bra is huge, spacious, full of restaurants and tourists, Erbe is smaller, more intimate, the buildings have flowers at their balconies and the terraces seem a bit more welcoming, more local. So less tourist traps 🙂 One thing is certain, we’ll choose the best terrace and we’ll get the best aperitivo. And some window shopping on Via Mazzini would sound like a good idea, it’s a kind of Milanese Montenapoleone which connects the two squares, so it’s in our way 🙂 






RO: Si doar n-o sa uitam taman de Ponte Pietra, podul de piatra, care s-a daramaaaaat si-a venit apa si l-a luaaaaat – de cateva ori chiar pana in prezent. Gluma-i gluma, dar Ponte Pietra chiar e cel mai vechi pod din Verona, construit peste raul Adige. In al doilea razboi mondial germanii l-au facut ferfelita, insa dupa razboi a fost reconstruit de la zero, cu materialele originale. Noi am zice ca asta ar fi imaginea emblematica a Veronei: Podul Pietra, casele colorate de-a lungul raului si apele involburate ale Adige-ului. Si tot cadrul acesta perfect s-ar completa la fix cu un apus de soare peste Ponte Pietra, cu o sticla de vin si-o portie generoasa de mamaliga. Ca doar sunt innebuniti veronezii dupa polenta, branzeturi si salami-uri din carne de cal. Sau fie, renuntam la festinul veronez pentru o portie de prajitura pandoro. De regim 😛 Aaah, si de ne-o ramane timp, dam cumva o fuga si pana la Garda. Sa vedem daca e intr-adevar un competitor de temut al Lacului Como. Sirmione, hm, n-arata rau deloc! 🙂

EN: And of course we’re not gonna miss the Pietra Bridge, the stone bridge, which has been destroyed several times until present. This is the oldest bridge in Verona, built over the Adige river. The Germans completely demolished it during the WWII, but after the war it was rebuilt from scratch, using the original materials. We would say that this is the emblematic vie of Verona: the Pietra bridge, the colorful houses along the river and the churning waters of the Adige river. And all this perfect setting would be perfect with a sunset over Ponte Pietra, a bottle of wine and a generous portion of polenta. As we all know that the Veronese people are crazy about polenta, cheese and horse meat salamis. Or we can skip the Veronese feast for a pandoro cake. We’re on a diet 😛 Aaah, and if time allows us, maybe we’ll visit the Lake Garda. To see it is really overruns Lake Como. Sirmione, hmmm, doesn’t look bad at all!