Italy trip day 3 ~ Soave and Verona

Day 3, and we went where the day took us.  We didn't make plans on where to go or what to see before coming to Italy. Before bed last night, I said I would really like to go and see the castle we passed when we got to Vincenza, so that's what we did today!

The castle of Soave dates back to the tenth century, during the period of the Hungarian invasions, commissioned by the Italian king Berengario I. It's a truly stunning place, and I tried to capture as much of it for you as I could. 

After the amazing castle tour, we decided to head into the town of Verona. The story of Romeo and Juliet is set in Verona, so we made sure to see Juliet's house. 

Juliet's house is a tower house from between the late 13th and early 14th centuries. On a stone in the wall, there is a bas-relief of a hat. Popular tradition considers it the coat of arms of the Cappelletti or Capuleti, Juliet's family. In the English version of the story, it became "Capulets". At the beginning of the 20th century, Juliet's house was restored and opened to visitors.           This was the best photo I was able to get of the Juliet statue. We waited in line to be able to get as close as we did. 

                         Juliet's Statue

For I will raise her statue in pure gold;

That, while Verona by that name is known.

There shall no figure at such rate be set

As that of true and faithful Juliet.

William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet - Act 5, Scene 3

After seeing Juliet's, we headed into the Verona town square, found a nice outdoor restaurant where we enjoyed pasta, limoncello, and then a cup of strawberries and chocolate before checking out the shops. 

Today was also Liam's first full day of Volleyball clinic and the reason we are here. He was up by 7 am, had breakfast, and was ready to go. It was almost 5 pm by the time he was done, and he was exhausted, but he still posed for a photo for me.  He's such a handsome guy!

Once Liam was home, he wanted to rest, so Arturo and I walked next door to the Vincenza Polladio Shopping Center. It is so much bigger than we expected, with over 80 stores, 10 restaurants, a grocery store, and a movie theater. We hoped to see a movie there, but the only one they had in English was The Fantastic Four, which we saw last week. 

We've had a wonderful trip so far. Can't wait to see what adventures tomorrow brings!