Verona, Juliet's House: love in every language
Friday I went to Verona by bus for the fist time alone, feeling like Oscar the Grouch, and hoping to get out of my funk. There was one place in Verona that the girly romantic in me had been craving to go and join the throngs of amore-philes that come flocking to Italy each year. It is the house of Juliet Capulet, girlfriend of Romeo. I had gone twice with my fiance who would start making faces like he was eating a sour grape and looking itchy. Most men there get similar symptoms, so going alone was actually ideal.
Verona, is a busy city, with Veronese slickly walking through the marble stoned streets while bus loads of tourists arrive hourly tramping off the buses sore from the drive but camera ready.
Verona is a fascinating city but the magnetism for every female tourist pulls their feet in the direction of the Capulets, knowing that the house of Juliet is steps away. Here, women for the last two centuries, have written letters to Juliet asking her for help, intervention and advice in their love life. Juliet's love story didn't end happily ever after but somehow her house is the icon for love. The street leading to her house dates back to the 13th century, with stone walls that go from dirty to speckled with love graffiti. The pedestrian traffic gets thick at a certain point, like for a movie star, and there is a reverent silence.
It is at that moment that one can realize that it is Juliet's house. A small carriage tunnel slowly leads lovers and those seeking love to the family piazza that is her house featuring the famous balcony. This carriage tunnel is important. It has a strong feeling of passion and secrets. From the bottom to the top it is covered with hearts from lovers with their names, statements and questions.
Once a year it gets repainted white, this day was my lucky day since they had just repainted.
Girls from everywhere part of the globe were pulling out the permanent markers they packed back home and silently writing their names in hearts.
I took my pen out and drew my own heart with the name of my fiance and I in a heart with wings. He would laugh if he saw me.
There were women from every walk of life still searching for love.
I returned to my bus stop feeling more warm and fuzzy. Going to Juliet's house made me see how many people love, it doesn't matter where they come from to have the element of affection and passion in common. I went back to my little town and as I got off the bus, next to the Rivoltella church, I was greeted by my grouchy priest with a smile. He had just married a couple and was grinning like a happy gargoyle. Seeing him smile was eerie, like seeing Frankenstein grin. Regardless, love can bring the nicest smiles in even the biggest grouches.
Verona, is a busy city, with Veronese slickly walking through the marble stoned streets while bus loads of tourists arrive hourly tramping off the buses sore from the drive but camera ready.
Verona is a fascinating city but the magnetism for every female tourist pulls their feet in the direction of the Capulets, knowing that the house of Juliet is steps away. Here, women for the last two centuries, have written letters to Juliet asking her for help, intervention and advice in their love life. Juliet's love story didn't end happily ever after but somehow her house is the icon for love. The street leading to her house dates back to the 13th century, with stone walls that go from dirty to speckled with love graffiti. The pedestrian traffic gets thick at a certain point, like for a movie star, and there is a reverent silence.
It is at that moment that one can realize that it is Juliet's house. A small carriage tunnel slowly leads lovers and those seeking love to the family piazza that is her house featuring the famous balcony. This carriage tunnel is important. It has a strong feeling of passion and secrets. From the bottom to the top it is covered with hearts from lovers with their names, statements and questions.
Once a year it gets repainted white, this day was my lucky day since they had just repainted.
Girls from everywhere part of the globe were pulling out the permanent markers they packed back home and silently writing their names in hearts.
I took my pen out and drew my own heart with the name of my fiance and I in a heart with wings. He would laugh if he saw me.
There were women from every walk of life still searching for love.
I returned to my bus stop feeling more warm and fuzzy. Going to Juliet's house made me see how many people love, it doesn't matter where they come from to have the element of affection and passion in common. I went back to my little town and as I got off the bus, next to the Rivoltella church, I was greeted by my grouchy priest with a smile. He had just married a couple and was grinning like a happy gargoyle. Seeing him smile was eerie, like seeing Frankenstein grin. Regardless, love can bring the nicest smiles in even the biggest grouches.
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