Our first full day in Verona was laid back.
How cute is our B&B?!
We walked from the city center and to meet out new friend Tim, who had offered to show us where to get our first pizza of the trip. Â I was so hungry that I FORGOT to take a pic! Â Fail.
We ordered 4 pizzas and shared them… they were good, but Southern Italy is really the place for pizza.
Next we were off to tour L’Arena.  The stairs in that place were no joke!  The only stone was quite slippery.  If it were the US, we would have seen some serious “climb at your own risk” signage!
They were setting up for a concert that night with a popular Italian singer/guitarist. Â We couldn’t get tickets, but just seeing the contrast of the ancient against the new was surreal.
Next up was Juliette’s balcony. Â We took pictures and fought for a spot to rub Juliette’s boob.
Apparently it’s the thing to do here – there were small children feeling up her statue!
When in Rome…
It was unseasonably warm throughout our visit (we, of course, over-packed with all our sweaters). Â After all that walking around we were past due for our first gelato of the trip!
Vanilla-Hazelnut for me!
Refreshed after our tasty treats, we decided it was time to tackle Teatro Romano (the Roman Theatre). Â Doesn’t it look far away?
We got to walk across the oldest bridge in Verona to climbed about a million stairs to the top!
The view from the top was well-worth it!!!
Check out yesterday’s post for another view. 🙂
Next is my favorite part of the day – wine time dinner time!
We loved Antica Bottega de Vino so much our first night that we returned again for dinner! Â This place is the only restaurant in Verona to be officially recognized as a “historic establishment.”
There are worse places to be trapped!
Tim joined us and we feasted.  Everything was delicious, but I am sad to say that I did not get a picture of my favorite dish.  We started with an amazing plate of polenta topped with some the most deliciously creamy gorgonzola I have ever tasted.
One of the coolest dishes was an Amarone risotto. Â I still prefer to drink it in a glass, but it’s depressing funny that Amarone is inexpensive enough in Italy to use for cooking. Â In the States it’s hard to find a bottle for less than $80! Â
Yes, I realize this looks like baked beans.
You’ll start to see a theme as I post recaps… we ordered pasta with truffles. Â For the second night in a row.
The nutty parmesan and fresh olive oil coating homemade noodles combined with earthy, rich black truffles is too much for me to pass up!
You’d think that would be enough, but after dinner Tim had a surprise for us – we were able to meet the restaurant owner, Severino Barzan, who gave us a tour of his impressive 130-year old cellar (seriously – the wine in there was worth more than I can imagine).
The Wandering Winos in their happy place
The restaurant and it’s owner are quite well-known – we spotted a picture of the Clinton’s on a recent visit!  Can you make out the autograph below?
Not wanting the night to end, we spotted cognac bottles lining the walls dating back to the late 1800s… and decided we needed to have a glass from each of our birth years.
Tim, Brittany, Corinne, me, and Proprietor Severino Barzan with our birth year bottles
On our 2nd night in Italy we were already making memories more fantastic than I could have dreamed of!
***
In all my craziness I forgot about WIAW!!! Â I’m (late) joining the party with my “What I Ate in Italy” theme! Â As always, check out Peas and Crayons to see the tastiness everyone else ate today!
I’m out of town in client meetings for the rest of the week. Â I can’t believe I’m already jumping on another plane!
Did you enjoy reading Shakespeare in high school?
Have you had a surreal night like we did? Â I want to hear about it!
Love the pics! Esp the one of you behind the wine glass… so cool!!
The pictures make me want to go to Italy Now!!
Me too! LOL!
Awesome! And those truffles!!! Mamma mia!
Umm that pasta with parmasean shavings and warm olive oil sounds wonderful! I’m loving these recaps – keem them coming 🙂
The food sounds and looks so good! Those truffles are ridiculous girl…YUM! Looks like you had OH so much fun!
xoxo from Trinidad
Pasta with truffles sounds so amazing.
I am loving hearing about this trip! The gelato.. pizza, risotto… 🙂
Nothing in this world is quite as good as authentic Italian food. The fresh, hand-made pasta from people who have grown up making it is simply to die for. Did you, by chance, get a cooking lesson during all this? We did one in Southern Italy, and while there was only time to learn a little, it was an amazing experience!
I can’t wait to hear more about your Italian adventures and throw in my two cents on the cuisine of my favorite countries on earth. Indeed, my most surreal nights have all taken place in Italy…from a fantastic local joint in Rome, to some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in Milan, to getting engaged in Positano, to some of the finest cuisine of Southern Italy way up in the mountains overlooking the coast far down below. I could go on and on.
We didn’t have time for cooking classes – next time! We did get to tour a few kitchens and hung out with several chefs though.
It sounds like we need to sit down and talk Italy one day! 🙂
Wine was almost always less than a diet coke or water – crazy! Risotto was one dish I missed out on!
Oh my, i love truffles and pasta! sounds like a great trip 🙂
oh schookums you remembered just in time! <3 not late at all =)
and as for getting trapped in that wine glass. keep drinking your way out and ask for refills!!! <3 haha
your ice cream is making me so envious right now… ive never had hazelnut but i'm imagining it is uber luxurious =) happy wiaw friend! mwah!
It was fantastic, but I favorite on the trip was the almond-pine nut. I miss my daily “fix.”
Happy WIAW to you, my friend! xoxo
Ah my gosh<3 SO glad I found your blog! I can't wait to go to Rome this summer. Thank blog for WIAW ;D
Truffle pasta? I wouldn’t be able to pass that up either. Looks like an amazing trip!
I’d definitely on the side of your friend who opted for pistachio gelato in that photo 😉 Oooh, truffle pasta! THE ENVY OH MY HEAVENS.
Never fear – I ate that too. 🙂
And this was only the tip of the truffle iceberg. It was like 2 weeks of decadent truffle heaven.
All I can say is I’m jealous (and i really want that gelato). 🙂 Truffle pasta- I’ve never heard of that. I don’t get out much. 🙂 It looks amazing though. I’m living vicariously through your trip. 🙂 Keep it coming.
Never had truffles?! You HAVE to order it the next time you go out. Check local Italian places… they’re life-changing!
oh how much i love and miss italy!
I am so happy you get to experience so much and enjoying the italian hospitality. I LOVE Amarone wine and cannot even imagine how good a risotto with it must be. Have to google a recipe for it for sure!
It was incredible! They made it in every region with the areas best wine. I think you make risotto and add the wine in the last few minutes, much like when you finish a pasta in wine or another flavored liquid. If you make it, do let me know!!
Thanks for stopping by!
What a wonderful trip you had. I am so jealous that I can’t be in Italy right now, but I am glad that I get to enjoy your pictures 🙂
Yay! You’re having a brilliant time! Love that photo of you through the wine glass 🙂 Glad you’re getting good weather too. We were like WELL overdressed for Switzerland last month…so hot!
Buzzed
I am uber jealous of this amazing trip! What gorgeous pictures and even better, what amazing food!
Oh man! Why DID you ever leave? That looks so amazing! The pictures are just fabulous. Love the one through the wine glass!
You make me wish I was in Europe…so gorgeous!
Love that pic of you with the wine glass. And I loved the pizza in Italy when I went…can’t imagine Southern Italy if it’s much better than central/north Italy!
Have you been to Antico Pizza in West Midtown? I think that pizza is better than Northern Italy!
Oy. I think I’m really Italian, especially after reading this post. Everything looks so great and the pics are gorgeous. I have to go!
Me too! Wait until I get to Piedmonte – I almost didn’t come home!