17. Left Venice for Verona

Left a few hours early for one last trip on the Grand Canal,

Wanted to get photos and videos for my grand finale.

Passed under the Rialto and the Mercato bustling in the morn,

Took videos to hear the water taxis and horns.

Little bambini on his tiny bike,

Landed at the stop in Ferrovia to catch the train,

Boarded earlier, for in Venicia it started to rain.

Met two women from Detroit Michigan,

I believe their names were Shirley and Ann.

Ann gave me an Italian dictionary of words

And we laughed at the toilette opening door.

Took at taxi to the Hotel Arena, and I am glad I did,

An itty bitty place tucked in between buildings it hid,

I am greeted by Francisco, very happy signore,

Who gives me the scoop, a map and a tour.

Go to my room and it is by far the worst,

But hey, it’s Italy, near everything, I’m a tourist.

I head off to the Arena main square,

Find the information office and asks where.

A guided walking tour is starting out front

I join the group so places I don’t have to hunt.

The group is from Chicago Illinois,

And, I start talking to Mary, it brings me joy.

To find some camaraderie, or so I hope

But the group has to take a bus to the ski slope.

We first go to Casa di Guilletta,

Which is really a legend of five stories

The Capulets home is signified by the cap.

And Guiletta’s balcony is really a sarcophagus tomb,

Which was constructed in the 40’s after redoing the rooms.

You can no longer stuff letters in the wall,

Or stick chewing gum & write in the hall,

But now you go to a computer and write a letter

And, Juliet will answer ‘cos now it is faster and better.

Walking into to the Piazza Erbe,

Are booths of souvenirs and the fountain from the 14^th century.

Madonna has bought a flat for 12 million.

The architect bought it for 2, so he made a killing.

At the Piazza dei Signori, Dante wrote for ten years,

Now Italian children memorize it in fear.

The steps of Palazzo della Ragione,

Has an external staircase of stone.

If you want to climb the Toree dei Lamberti

It rises from the courtyards, with steps of plenty.

We go to the Roman Arena from 1 BC

So intact, it is amazing to see.

In the  morning the lions killed their prey,

By midnoon, it is people who are eaten, so they say.

Then the gladiators fight after two,

If they survive, they are heroes who paid their dues.

I wandered into the plaza park to watch the children ice skate,

And, this video is for Julian, he will just have to wait!

It is getting dark and I find Castelvecchio,

It closes soon, only an hour to go.

The paintings were amazing, the castle impressive,

Jewelry and suits of armor  to show how they lived.

Outside on the castle walls, there is a walkway with views

The Adige River and the medieval Ponte Scaligero too.

I walked it at night and it was mysterious to see

Imagining  the knights and ladies from 1355.

The local people were walking across Ponte Scaligero

And pictures at night I had to take, to you I show.