Arriving first in Trento, we decided to visit the old town and take a break from the driving the "straddle-bahn".
With a lingering light rain falling, we decided to first tour the 13th century Basilica, which also happened to be built upon a Roman city. After touring the Basilica we exited to find that the clouds has parted allowing us to wander Old Town in the sunshine. The ancient city of Tridentum has extensive areas of archeological excavation sites under public and private spaces. We were able to view more of it while exploring some "off the main" palazzo areas, where we stumbled upon an open art exhibit beneath the building housing the city tourist center.
Trento gets its name from the ancient celts, Trent, a tribute to the god of waters, latter Romans used Tridentum, which honored Neptune.
The drive to and around Lake Como was windy and extremely narrow, but also extremely beautiful. Passing through long tunnels in the mountains, we saw (well, I did anyway, poor G did all the driving) the coast of this vast lake and it's lovely Italian villas. We made it just before dark, our little hotel was perfect, family run and so friendly, it was my favorite during our getaway!! We set out for the center of the village, a romantic walk down alleyways of steps descending towards the lakeside. We found the perfect spot right next to the water to eat and enjoyed our first "real" Italian meal and wine together as lightning flashed dramatically just beyond the ridgeline across the lake.
Buying a bottle of wine from one of the shops along the way, we slowly made our way back to the hotel before the night's rain began. The weather forced cancellation of our planned paddleboarding excursion on the lake the next morning due to choppy waters and the lingering threat of thunderstorms, but it did not dampen our spirits in the least, as we leisurely enjoyed a fabulous breakfast spread downstairs before venturing out. Once in the village, the weather improved and we walked along all the alleys and down the lakeside, taking in all the Italian ambience and flavors.
Packed up and ready to head out for Verona & Treviso, we took the long drive back out along the lake. Verona was a pleasant surprise. Just wanting to make a mid-way stop, we didn't really know all the history and sights we had in store. But Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona, and that was too romantic to miss! Three of Shakespeare's plays are actually set in Verona: R & J, Taming of the Shrew, and Two Gentlemen from Verona. The city has also been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status because of its urban structure and architecture. Having no real feel for the layout of the city, we drove in until reaching the historic city walls and then ventured out on foot. With very little trouble our wandering brought us to the restaurant-lined Piazza Brá and the Arena di Verona. The arena is from the 3rd century and still holds plays and operas that are very popular with locals and tourists alike. Our timing didn't allow us a visit or a show, but it is on our list for "next time"! So we settled for a lunch of pizza on the piazza in the shadow of the Arena and then headed off to explore the other sites that the city had to offer.
We even made it through the crowds for our touristy shot at Juliet's balcony.
Verona has dozens of palazzos filled with beautiful buildings. New fascinations seemed to simply open up before us at every turn, around every corner and through every archway of our wanderings. We ventured through an old church and burial grounds with massive crypts squeezed between residential buildings.
Verona was a stop worth making, but we want to see Venice, so off we go again. Heading towards Treviso, we had erroneously made hotel arrangements outside the city in the little back country town of Arcade. The hotel itself was nice and was located in front of a good pizzeria and next to an old villa turned museum. Other than that, we were in the middle of nowhere. In the morning, we had to ask for coffee from a very unwilling hostess and try to pack around the cleaning lady who came as soon as we ventured out the door (we were staying two nights, not sure what the rush was). But we were heading to Venice via the train and determined to make it a perfect day!!
I'd purchased tickets online for an 8:52 train to Venice from Spresiano, a short 15 minute drive from our hotel. With barely enough time, we left the parking lot and made a few erroneous turns before heading in the right direction. We pulled into the station right at 8:52, just in time to watch the train pull away. Finding parking in a section good only until 10 pm (and return tickets for 10:05, ugh!), we tried to check our options. Finding no one in the station, the next train not for another hour, no parking spot available for past 10 pm, and feeling just a little stressed, we decided to head for Treviso. Treviso was the nearest "big city" and had more options for the train, plus we were able to park, see the city and still have lots of time to spend in Venice. Thank you GMan, for being so amazing, calm and flexible!!! After purchasing tickets for 11:25, we had an hour to walk through Treviso. It was a quaint little place, purportedly a "human friendly little Venice". Nice enough and with a lots of high end shops, it was easily seen and left with plenty of time to catch our train.
G's paparazzi 
We arrived in VE Maesto, the main station of Venice, which was NOT, however, Venice. After another save, G got us tickets to VE Lucia, the direct train to the islands. Leaving the train station, you immediately come to the canals and main boat stations. The line for the boat was very long and the ticket options that we could see were more than what we wanted. We opted for walking and headed for the first bridge over. Already, Venice is weaving its magic...
After walking and walking and walking, trying to get my bearings, it began to look familiar. Wanting to find the less touristy spots for lunch, I finally asked G to take the lead and just wander even as his eyes glazed over from the labyrinth we had just traversed. The high, narrow alleys can make Venice feel like a giant maze, especially to someone who has never been there before. But I assured him that there is really no way to get lost. With fits and starts and some trepidation he ultimately found the markers leading to San Marcos Piazza and there we landed.
Although our first encounter with lines had been long, the Basilica, seemed to have eased, and within a few minutes we were inside. Dazzling, 8500 sq metres of luminous mosaics, many made with 24-carat gold leaf, and some 950 years old. My favorite part is the Quadriga of St Mark's, a group of four bronze horses originally plundered from Constantinople and later carted off to Paris by Napoleon before being returned to the basilica. We enjoyed the views from the balcony over Piazza San Marco as well. By this point we were both beginning to feel tired from our day's adventures and decided to head to the palace gardens, which provided a quiet tree filled refuge from the crowds. There we napped briefly beneath the trees before venturing into our explorations again with renewed vigor.
Refreshed and re-energized, we wandered around the Venetian maze again, encountering beauty and magic everywhere, including churches and small art exhibits tucked away in tiny niches of the city.
After a brief stop at a small friendly local pastry shop to sample their specialties accompanied with prosecco, we returned to St. Marks to climb the tower... Well, actually we squeezed tightly into an elevator and rode up. But the views from the top made it very worthwhile!
Back on ground floor, we continued wandering, trying to find places we hadn't been. Often we'd find ourselves back in familiar spots.
Having walked off lunch and the pastries, we went in search of dinner. Looking for less traveled streets, although many day tourists had already left, we ventured into tinier alleys. This meant no outside seating, but with the weather getting a little cooler and rain threatening, that worked. We encountered several small restaurants in our search, trying to find the one that would provide the perfect end our our Venetian adventure. At last we came across a small place with an intriguing menu, reasonable pricing and a friendly welcoming atmosphere. Upon entering we were told that all but one table had already been reserved. Taking this as a positive sign, we quickly snapped up this final spot. While we assessed the menu deciding on our meals the other tables slowly filled with locals and gondoliers returning from the canals. The wait staff was comprised of two brothers, the third brother taking the role of bartender. Once we had decided on our meals the elder of the brothers came to take our order, informing us that their was a "special" that evening, homemade pasta with mixed seafood prepared for two. I don't recall what we had selected initially, but this was too tempting to pass up. We ordered the special with a liter of prosecco as accompaniment. The prosecco arrived first, served golden and sparkling in a large white ceramic pitcher. Shortly after this, two enormous plates of pasta were set before us, covered in a feast of freshly caught clams, mussels, and razor clams, with whole langostinos and shrimp. We dove into our feast with earthy enthusiasm. The wine flowed as we extracted and devoured the shellfish along with the freshly prepared pasta and the subtly rich sauce that sent G's eyes rolling into the back of his head. And when the last morsel had been eaten and the last drop drank, and the rain began to fall outside, we sat back smiling in the realization that we had found the perfect place and shared the perfect meal.
Beautiful Venice!!
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