Italy: Venice

It's such an obvious thing to do but I absolutely fell in love with Venice. Despite the crowds, despite the advertising hoardings covering up the Bridge of Sighs, despite the enormous cruise ships and the tourism. I was recommended a fabulous book called Venice for Pleasure and so, although I went to the Basilica di San Marco, and the Doges Palace, and the Gallerie Dell'Accademia, I also spent quite a lot time just wandering around the streets in the company of J.G. Links, having gargoyles and leaning campaniles pointed out to me and finding quieter places like a little coffee shop selling salami folded into hot foccacia and tiny crumbly chewy Italian biscuits which I ate in the nearby square, by Vivaldi's parish church, and a bar in the Public Gardens where birds tried to eat my peanuts while I sipped a bright orange sour Spritz, an acquired taste I think.

The weather was wonderful for two of the days I was there but on the middle day there was an enormous rainstorm when I discovered how slippery the stone streets are, especially when wearing flip flops! That evening I wandered out into the still damp Piazza San Marco which the night before had been full of tourists. It was not quite empty but far quieter and I ordered a twelve euro glass of wine (it did at least come on a nice tray with crisps and a glass of water) and sat for over an hour, listening to the musicians play songs from the musicals. It was clichéd and magical, all at once.

Italy: Verona

I spent 10 days in Italy earlier this month. Apart from the hordes of people (the Vatican City was a particularly horrendous experience), which I'm not absolutely sure one can complain about when you're on holiday being a tourist too, I absolutely loved it. There is far too much to describe fully, you're probably relieved to hear, so here are just some highlights, starting with Verona.

 It's a pleasant and slightly quieter city than some. Worth visiting is the arena or coliseum, still used for opera performances and almost intact (as opposed to the Colosseum in Rome) apart most of the outer wall, the remaining three or four arches of which were anyway covered in an enormous billboard as they were being restored. This was a common theme in Italy - the Bridge of Sighs was almost entirely obliterated by advertising but then I suppose that's how they afford the upkeep. There was also the notorious Casa di Guilietta, or Juliet's house, the home of the Dell Capello family, supposedly the inspiration for the Capulets in Romeo and Juliet. Rubbing the right breast of the statue outside is supposed to bring you luck and you can also pose on the balcony. All a load of complete bunkum of course, both are relatively recent additions to the attractions, and I found the amount of graffiti amazing, even including people's wads of chewing gum which they seemed to have stuck on just to get a space of white (or grimy cream) to write their initials and hearts on. I much preferred the beautiful churches.