Verona!

Friends in Verona
Originally uploaded by catrberry

Ciao! I am just back from Verona, the city of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet."
Ahhh, what a quaint city. It's the first European city that has had a lot of greenery, so it reminded me of sweet ole Georgia. (Side note: Peaches here are not that good. When they SHOULD be ripe, no, they're still firm. And a little mealy tasting. Georgia peaches are definitely superior.)
Verona is very colorful and the whole story of the Montagues and the Capulets haunts the town. There is an Arena there that was built before the Roman Colosseum. It's still in use! There are many operas and concerts performed for a crowd of about 15,000. I would LOVE to go check one out sometime. I may be making a trip back.
We went to Juliet's house and toured the museum. Also, we got to peer out her balcony. Our walking tour guide told us that there were actual, dueling families with "cognomi" similar to Montague and Capulet, and that the house we visited was the house of the "Capulet" family. I don't know if this is to be trusted or not, but I'll romanticize it in my head, thank-you-very-much.
We all wrote letters to "Juliet" and wrote our names in her book. I reverted back to being a schoolgirl for a day. All I'm sayin' is is that Juliet better write back. Or I won't come back to Verona.
Before dinner on Saturday night, my family called me from the hospital and I got to talk to my grandmother. It was hard to understand her, but she asked all about how I was and what I was doing, and we exchanged "I miss you"'s and "I love you"'s. It was very much a relief to hear her sweet voice.
I spent the weekend with Meredith, Sabrina, and Olivia, and I have to say I am so blessed to have these friends. They're adventurous and fun (and hilarious!) without any pressure to party all the time. We spent hours just chatting and laughing, and even time on the steps of a museum not speaking but sketching and reading. What beautiful friendships! I really enjoy and appreciate them.
The weekend was tiring but excellent, and now I have to do tons of homework. Check out my pictures for more specifics!