Verona, Italy

In which I seek out the real-life historical families that may have inspired the Capulets and the Montagues, and get a sense of what Verona may have looked like in the century of Romeo and Juliet

{Verona, Italy}

I’ve given up.

It’s early morning in Verona - my first day in Italy. There is a chill in the air, but the sun is shining and the sky is a piercing blue. I’ve been wandering through the streets of the town center for a while now, but I can’t really find what I’m looking for.

Coffee. That’s all I want. Coffee and maybe a bite of something to eat for breakfast.

I pass a couple of pastry shops but they don’t seem to have anything that looks breakfasty. And I haven’t really seen any coffee shops, either - except for that one right down the street from the apartment. I noticed it on the way out, but I thought I might find something else…what was the name again? It started with an S.

Starbucks. That’s right.

I got in late last night and I’m up early this morning - I want caffeine. So, out of sheer desperation, I retrace my steps and go to the admittedly very beautiful Starbucks and buy a venti coffee and a couple of cornetti. It is packed to the gills, and I learn later that it has just opened - the first Starbucks in Verona, and one of the first few in Italy. Whether or not this is a good thing is up to Verona to decide, I guess.

As for me, I grab my cornetti and head back to the apartment, promising myself I’ll try to find something a bit more authentic tomorrow.