26 August 2017
Travel days. Humph.
We woke up early (yes – it can happen!) to visit the Rialto market. We were so early that half the stalls were not even open yet, which, of course, provides a whole different view of this busy market. Boxes and boxes of fish, fruit, vegetables, and more, are unpacked every morning. And not just unpacked. Arranged beautifully so they look like you just want to taste them all. Although from the men’s experience in the grocery store, we were cautious not to touch. 🙂
We had to find our way back to the airport in order to get a shuttle to our rental car company. We were quite pleased to leave the stairs of Venice bridges behind, although comments like ‘we should walk more when we get back home’ still pop up in conversations regularly. We should.
Our first driver didn’t last long behind the wheel before he started threatening to fall asleep. So we banished him to the passenger seat to ensure that we reach our destinations safely. We were heading for Verona, but wanted to take the scenic route via Lake Garda, and one other stop. But because of time that somehow just runs away a little too fast, we opted to skip the lake and head for the mountains.
Santuario Madonna della Corona is a place of silence and meditation, extended between heaven and earth.
Hidden in the heard of the Bold rocks, only accessible by the narrowest of winding roads, exists this place of breathtaking beauty. The original monastery and chapel were built in the second half of the 13th century by hermit monks. The church was built between 1625 and 1685, but was largely rebuilt and extended between 1974 and 1987 under the supervision of some of Verona’s best engineers and architect. Care was taken to preserve the most important and significant pieces. The road that leads to it was a challenge to drive, but so worth it. The view alone from the sanctuary is exquisite. As for the Church – Silence is the best way to describe it.
Finding our way back to Verona took a while longer than we anticipated. This generally happens when you enter an autostrada in the wrong direction. So we found ourselves heading North into the next province before we managed to get off the freeway again. My theory is that, detours like these often mean that the universe is telling you that there is something more that you should be seeing. This we did. The route North along the Adige river is beautiful, surrounded by spectacular mountains. And we managed to see the Santuario Madonna della Corona from a different perspective. Astonishing to see just how high up in the mountains these monks managed to create their special sanctuary.
Verona remains my favorite Italian city. There is such a lovely vibe to it. We were astonished at the number of people roaming the street, even at 11pm. It might even give Venice a go. Except that it feels more local. People just look like they are locals on a night out, and whilst I’m sure there are many tourists as well, it certainly did not feel like the stampeding tourists you find in Venice.
Today we were privileged to exist, just for a little while, somewhere between heaven and earth.
