Bardolino and Verona

Yesterday we had an easy day and just cycled along the waterfront into Bardolino to take a stroll around their weekly market.  This was probably the longest market we've ever been too - the stalls are all in a very long line along the prom for at least half a mile.  John bought a new leather belt and we found a geocache under a jetty despite the huge crowds.

A bit of Bardolino market

Today we caught the bendybus No.164 to Verona.  It only took an hour and we were in the heart of the city.  We walked just about everywhere - over the bridge at Castelvecchio, by the Duomo, San Fermo Church, through lots of piazzas, saw arches, towers and beautiful buildings, marvelled at the enormous Roman arena and enjoyed lunch at Caffe Alle Fogge in the shade.  We also admired the many cafes in the huge Piazza Bra, but had a cheaper sit down in the small park by a pretty fountain.  And of course, we had to go to see Juliet's balcony!  It was actually quite fun, because the tiny courtyard was full of people, some writing messages to put on the wall, some leaving their personal padlock, some cupping the statue of Juliet's right breast (which is meant to bring new love within the year and is extremely shiny!!) and some paying to go up and stand on the balcony that was done up in Gothic style in 1935 to capitolize on the Hollywood movie!  Our quest was to find a particular padlock with the geocaching symbol on it and use a code to unlock it and sign the log. The funny thing was that it was right behind the statue, so at least a dozen people now have a photo of themselves not only with Juliet, but also with John's bottom while he was bending over unlocking and locking the padlock!  
Altogether a grand day out.