Travel Notes | Take an in-depth tour of Italy that you will never have to go to again (10) - Juliet and the Dolomites

First thing the next morning I visited the University of Bologna. On the way to the university, the morning light shines on the body through the colonnade on the street, making people feel extremely warm and comfortable. 🔽

The elegant and extensive colonnade can be said to have become the cityscape of Bologna. This is actually a regulation on building buildings in Bologna in the Middle Ages, so that people can be protected from the sun and rain when walking outside. It is really very humane. Today, the city has approximately 38 kilometers of street arcades.

Especially when the endless colonnades match the colorful colors, an ordinary small street also firmly caught my sight. 🔽

Come to the neighborhood where the University of Bologna is located. Wandering around the ancient medieval buildings, you may encounter the door signs of various colleges. The campus was still very quiet in the morning, with not many students. I accidentally walked into the main building of an unknown department.

🔼The composition and light are so perfect. The little brother in the distance is sitting in the right position, lonely and not knowing what he is waiting for.

Founded in 1088, the University of Bologna is the first university in the Western world. Many Italian celebrities, such as Dante, Copernicus, Galileo, etc., studied or taught here. I tried to visit the old library in the university, but was stopped by the aunt at the front desk. The aunt didn't speak English, but fortunately, she quickly made me understand with gestures and writing that the library only allowed visits at 11 o'clock, and required special guidance. I had to visit other attractions first.

Passing by the Twin Towers again, I discovered the best angle to look up at the Twin Towers. 🔽

The third time I came to Piazza Maggiore, today I arranged for the most conspicuous building in the square. At first glance, the upper part of the church still looks like its original stone bricks are exposed, but in fact - it is simply unfinished. The Basilica of San Petronio was originally planned to be larger than St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican, but after a hundred years of construction, the pope suddenly interrupted the construction. At the same time, a university was built on the east side of the church, and the church The project has not been continued so far. 🔽

Walking into the interior of the church, the space is huge, but the decoration is very simple. 🔽

There is also the world's largest sundial in the church, which is more than 20 meters long by visual inspection. It is laid unharmoniously on the floor of the church. There is also a small hole on the roof (visible on the roof in the front left of the picture above), which is used to let in sunlight. Transmission comes in. It is said that at noon, the date of the day can be read based on the position of the sunlight on the sundial. 🔽

There are also twelve constellations painted on the sundial, evenly distributed on the axis. The numbers marked on the axis presumably represent dates. I successfully found my Sagittarius. 🔽

Next is the most fun activity today, and my curiosity can no longer suppress its excitement. The building where the "anatomy classroom" is located was originally a medieval palace. There are exquisite patterns and patterns on the walls and ceilings. 🔽

Anatomy classroom! This is the world's first human anatomy laboratory. In the 16th century, Europe was still under strict Catholic control. The sacrilegious act of human anatomy was prohibited, and the University of Bologna was granted a charter for the first time. The anatomical experiments performed here formed the basis of contemporary medicine. The decoration in the classroom is very sacred, which shows the special status of anatomy in the society at that time. 🔽

The dissecting table is located in the center of the classroom. It is said that at that time, the teacher was giving a lecture on the podium, and there would be someone below to do anatomy for the students to see. It was very close to the hospital at that time, making it easy to transport corpses. And anatomy classes were only held in winter to prevent the bodies from decomposing. 🔽

The surrounding statues are probably famous doctors of the time. The person below is holding a nose in his hand. 🔽

The anatomy classroom was really informative. On the way out of the building, there are countless colorful badges all over the walls. 🔽

I returned to the University of Bologna library at 11 o'clock on time. I was received by a student boy, and I was the only one in the entire "visiting group". My major is library science, and I also work part-time in the library. This job is really suitable for me.

🔼Walking into the reading room of the old library, the retro tables and chairs and the wall-to-wall bookshelves are really antique and completely in line with your imagination. I can't help but sigh that it would be great if I could study in such a university, but my brother said that this place is not usually open to students.

🔼As I casually approached a bookshelf, I could vaguely make out the words "Histoire de Paris" - "History of Paris" on the mottled cover.

🔼Facing a wall full of books, the aroma of books hits my face. Above the head, the school's statues of historical celebrities inspire students.

🔼Look what I found on the street corner - Mobike in Bologna! It looked really inconsistent, as if I had traveled through time and space in an instant. I don’t know what kind of strange brain circuit the “SORRY MOM” written in the slogan is.

After lunch, I set off towards northern Italy. Although my stay in Bologna was not long, it left a profound impression. The styles and colors of the buildings here are so unique. Bologna is not an unpopular city, but it was definitely a surprise for me. He looks like a literary young man and a learned old man. Thanks to the University of Bologna, this city is both mature and dynamic. If you want to experience the unique ancient city style, then come to Bologna!

The train rushes towards northern Italy. In midsummer, crops grow very luxuriantly. 🔽

Arrive in the northern city of Verona. As soon as I got out of the train station, I saw a huge statue of the Egyptian Pharaoh, with a small sign underneath that said "Aida". During this time, the Verona Opera Festival was underway, and "Aida," which was set in ancient Egypt, was the festival's flagship repertoire. 🔽

After checking in at the hotel, we went out to explore the old town of Verona. The sun is blazing outside, and the temperature in Verona has reached 36 degrees today.

Come to the big square at the entrance of the old city. The name of the square is "Bra"😂. There is no opera performance today, and there are piles of props presumably from "Aida", with an old palace in the background. 🔽

Across from Piazza Bra is the Verona Amphitheatre. This was also the arena of ancient Rome. Although it is one size smaller than the Colosseum, it still functions as a theater today. During the annual Verona Opera Festival, many operas are performed here. We won’t arrange a visit today because there will be a surprise here later [laughing evilly]. 🔽

🔼Enter the pedestrian street next to the amphitheater and walk towards the center of the old city. In the distance is the Lamberti Tower in the center of the old town.

The name Verona sounds very romantic, but it is actually the hometown of "Romeo and Juliet". Juliet is originally a fictional character in the novel, but people are flocking to "Juliet's House", probably regarding it as a "holy place" of love.

The stone wall in front of Juliet's house has been changed beyond recognition by messy graffiti and chewing gum. Do you see the beauty in art or is it disgusting? 😂🔽

There are more "artistic" things going inside. In addition to successive graffiti, there are also dense notes on the entire wall. 🔽

Juliet's House only has a small courtyard, but it has been crowded with tourists. There is a bronze statue of Juliet in one corner of the yard. Most tourists will definitely do one thing when they come here: touch the breast of the Juliet statue. It is said that this can bring good luck in love and happiness in marriage. The key parts of the statue have been touched and polished. 🔽

Another thing visitors have to do is take a look at the balcony where Romeo allegedly climbed, which is also a plot described in the novel. In fact, it is just an ordinary small balcony. 🔽

I discovered a new gadget in an ice cream shop on the roadside in the downtown area: "Ghiaccioli" ice cones, which looked very tempting. I bought a watermelon 🍉 flavor. It tastes like freshly squeezed juice that is concentrated and then frozen into ice. The rich sweetness combined with the cold feeling is really refreshing in this weather. You can also see finely chopped watermelon seeds inside, so it should be very pure. 🔽

Piazza del Baica is the iconic long square in the old town of Verona. Many ancient buildings stand in the square, including the towering Lamberti Tower and the Mazzanti Palace with Renaissance frescoes on its exterior. The center of the square is filled with stalls selling clothes and groceries, which is very lively. 🔽

Climb the Lamberti Tower for a stunning view of Verona's old town. The brick-red roofs are everywhere again, but I still don’t get tired of seeing them as I love to climb high and look far. 🔽

The Adige River is not far away, crossing the frame. On the other side of the river is St. Peter's Castle, which we will visit later. 🔽

On the other side, Verona Cathedral stands out behind a cluster of ancient houses. 🔽

🔼A few steps away from Baicao Square is the Piazza della Signoria. There is a statue of Dante in the center of the square because he once served the court of Verona. Compared to the bustling Baicao Square next door, Piazza della Signoria was much cleaner, so I was able to capture a picture without anyone in it without much effort.

The trip has reached the 19th day, and there have been almost no major mistakes along the way. The planned compact itinerary is basically on track, and even I am a little surprised. So much so that when we arrived in Verona, our itinerary was even a bit ahead of schedule. Since I had plenty of time, I visited a few more lesser-known churches and also walked around the quiet streets in the old city.

This church has a simple appearance but has a long history, dating back to the 10th century AD. 🔽

The interior decoration is a bit surprising. It is full of floral and grass texture decorative paintings with a light yellow background, which is bright and warm. 🔽

Verona Cathedral was built in the 11th century. This church is actually not as "big" as its name sounds, but its appearance is still very distinctive. There are two cascading round arches on the front facade, and there is a bronze sculpture of an angel at the door, as if to welcome people. 🔽

The interior of the church is not gorgeous, but there are some beautiful murals and sculptures. In fact, I have seen too many churches during this journey...🔽

A beautiful wall full of paintings, worth admiring. Most of the paintings collected here are from the Renaissance period. 🔽

🔼Compared to the church, the inadvertently warm glimpses in the old city are more heartwarming.

🔼Cross the Adige River and aim at the Castle of St. Peter on the other side. The evening sun shines on the eaves of the colorful houses on the shore. The clock tower pictured above is featured again.

Take the cable car up to St. Peter's Castle before sunset. But the focus is not on the castle, but on the viewing platform in front of the castle!

🔼You can have a bird's eye view of the entire city from here, which is even better than the view from the Lamberti Tower just now! Verona looks even more charming at sunset.

🔼The Adige River meanders through the old city, gently decorating the old city like a ribbon. At this moment, the Verona in front of us is as romantic as its name.

The tour of Verona ends with dusk. But the story here is not over yet. I will come back here in two days, and then I will arrange a "surprise" for myself. And tomorrow, I will continue to go north, rush into the Alps, and embrace the beautiful nature.

Set out early in the morning. The train entered the mountains not long after it started, and then almost moved along a long and narrow valley. The scenery on both sides was superb, with green fields and tall mountains all the way. It made me look forward to the upcoming Dolomites. 🔽

Directly to the small town of Bressanone. It has penetrated deep into the Dolomites, very close to the northern border of Italy, and is only 50 kilometers away from Austria. The same train line leads directly to the Austrian ski resort Innsbruck.

Take a bus directly from the Bressanone train station and arrive at the village of Santa Maddalena half an hour later. The long journey is just to check out an internet-famous attraction in the Funes Valley.

🔼The Chapel of San Giovanni is definitely worth a visit! On the large open grassland, a small and cute little church suddenly appeared. It was a god-like existence!

🔼I found the entrance and ticket vending machine on the roadside - it turns out that the chapel can be intimately contacted! So I walked into the fields and approached the church, as if I was walking in a landscape painting. Although the door is locked, the appearance of the chapel is dreamy enough.

🔼The chapel of San Giovanni is surrounded by green hills and green grass. In fact, even without the decoration of the chapel, the beautiful scenery in front of you is enough to make people mesmerized.

🔼Looking back at the large grassland and rolling hills on the other side, the pastoral scenery of blue sky and green grass is really eye-catching. The scenery in the Dolomites is definitely comparable to that in Switzerland!

🔼Walk back to the road and successfully find the classic postcard view of the chapel outside the fence! The magical chapel forms a perfect picture against the towering Dolomite peaks behind it. Dolomites are a unique landform in the Dolomites. The peaks are like stalagmites emerging from the flat ground, standing like sharp teeth. The Dolomites fascinated me the first time I met them.

Return to the Bressanone train station and take a train back to Bolzano, one of the important towns in the Dolomites. This is where I will stay tonight. Bolzano is also a transportation hub with a large number of buses, making it easy to travel to various destinations in the mountains. This is also a big reason why I choose to live here.

Due to its proximity to the Austrian border, all proper nouns here, such as place names, have both Italian and German names. For example, the Italian name of Bolzano is Bolzano, and the German name is Bozen. For the same reason, people here are more strict and punctual than in German-speaking countries. Compared with the public transportation in South Italy, which has no sense of time and is still fresh in my memory, the buses here are really super reliable. They completely follow the schedule, depart on time, and stop at the stop basically on time.

After checking in at the hotel, we immediately continued on our way. Get on the bus again, this time we are going to Fassa Valley. Less than an hour later, the bus stopped at Lake Carezza.

🔼Another surprise! This lake is so beautiful! The water of Lake Carezza is amber-green, so clear that it reflects the trees and mountain peaks.

🔼From this angle, you can more completely see the entire row of spectacular dolomite peaks behind. The lake is very small, so you can walk along the lakeside trail and enjoy the beautiful scenery. You can complete a circle in 20 minutes.

It’s almost evening when we return to Bolzano, but today’s arrangements are not over yet. I took the cable car up Mount Rennon right on the spot.

🔼Mount Renon is located right next to the city of Bolzano, which is the best place to stop by and enjoy the dusk. You can already see the magnificent scenery on the cable car.

🔼The cable car arrives at the "Alto Bolzano" station, from where you can seamlessly connect to the famous mountain train of Mount Renon.

🔼The little train moves forward slowly, sometimes it seems to be driving on the hillside in the magnificent scenery, and sometimes it seems like the little train in a children's playground zigzagging through the woods. The artistic conception along the way is really to my liking.

🔼After taking the small cable car and the small train, you can then take a short 25-minute hike to reach the unique geological landscape of Mount Rennon: the "Land Pyramid". They were born more than 20,000 years ago, and they look so out of place with the surrounding fields and meadows that they are truly magical.

🔼Here you can also overlook the lovely villages on the opposite hillside. Under the sunset, everything feels just right.

🔼On the way back from the small train, I took a photo of Rizhao Jinshan Mountain in the distance, which is still the majestic Dolomites.

🔼On the cable car on the way back, there was a fairyland-like scene at our feet, with the twilight dim in the distance.

🔼As the cable car 🚠 slowly descends, Bolzano gradually reveals its figure shrouded in twilight from behind the hillside.

🔼A large area of ​​the city is clearly displayed in front of you. Compared with many traditional Italian towns we passed through on this trip, there are fewer brick-red roofs here and more German-Austrian style buildings.

Back in the city of Bolzano, one thing you won’t miss in the city center is the somewhat dark Bolzano Cathedral. It was built in the 12th century and is a typical Gothic building. However, the church has long been closed at this time, after all, it is not my focus. 🔽

Opposite Bolzano Cathedral is Watt's Square, which is also the central square in every town in Europe. The square is neat and clean, and is named after the statue in its center, the medieval Germanic poet Watt. 🔽

I couldn't wait to return to the hotel to rest, because even after entering the mountainous area, the nightmare of high temperature continued mercilessly, and only Mount Renong in the evening was slightly refreshing. But compared to the unforgettable scenery I saw today, these are no longer important. Although tomorrow, the weather test will become even more severe...

Today we continue to explore the stunning scenery of the Dolomites starting from Bolzano. However, what bothers me the most is that the temperature in Bolzano today is as high as 38 degrees. Looking back over the past twenty days, the weather has become hotter as we get closer to the north, and there has been almost no rain at all (I only encountered a few drops of rain in Florence, and really only a few drops). I don’t know if it counts. A kind of luck 😂. I heard from my parents that the “high temperature in northern Italy” has been in the news😂.

Go out in the morning and arrive at the bus terminal in Bolzano. For some reason, I made a stupid mistake and checked the wrong bus route I wanted to take today. After asking at the service center, I found out that the correct train had just left a few minutes ago, so I had to wait for nearly an hour. Fortunately, in order to get back to Verona in time today, I arranged a very relaxed itinerary for myself.

More than an hour later, the bus took me to Ortisei, a small town in the Gardena Valley. Then take the cable car up the mountain and reach the top of Mount Seqeda. 🔽

Looking back at the magnificent scenery behind you at the Peak Tram Station. The town in the distance is Ortisei, where the cable car starts. 🔽

The view from the top of the mountain is so good, it can be said that the 360-degree scenery is overwhelming. The dolomite peaks in the distance stand majestic, with remnants of snow still remaining. 🔽

Green mountains, green grass, and small towns form a profound picture. Looking around, the hillside is covered with various hiking routes, leading directly to the towns in the distance. There are so many hiking routes in the Sercheda Mountain area. You can hike as much as you want, either up the mountain or down the slope. 🔽

On the other side is the route to the mountain. It faces one of the iconic peaks of the Dolomites and has appeared in various photography. 🔽

This hiking route is so relaxing. It passes through charming meadows and gorgeous flowers, and then disappears into the hidden peaks in the distance. It is really fascinating. 🔽

This hike is simply too beautiful to be true, so beautiful that you can’t bear to go on it. 🔽

The mountain flowers are blooming, like a dream. 🔽

When we reached the peak at the end of the hike, we found that the way forward was closed because it was too dangerous, so we had to turn back the way we came. The rest of the time was spent wandering around in the open space at the top of the mountain. The vast views on the hillside are breathtaking. What makes me even more fortunate is that it’s really cool on the top of the mountain. The temperature is extremely comfortable. It feels so perfect...🔽

Dolomite peaks rise from the ground in the distance, in various shapes and forms. 🔽

After taking the cable car down the mountain, I discovered that I had misjudged the bus time again, and could only wander around the clean but hot square in the small town of Ortisei, without even a seat in the shade. 🔽

The town is exquisite and cute, but on this afternoon under the scorching sun, probably few people want to stay in the square. 🔽

Today’s Dolomites ended so briefly. This short two-day itinerary was actually just a check-in to reveal the tip of the iceberg of the Dolomites. Time and the constraints of public transportation meant that I could only appreciate a very small part of the essence, and I could only learn from hundreds or thousands of itineraries Choose one or two hiking trails. There are many sights and experiences worth exploring in the Dolomites, and driving is the best way to discover them.

We went back to Bolzano to pick up our luggage, and then boarded the train back to Verona, just for one of the evening's reserved activities. It’s still the beautiful canyon we passed through when we came here, and we still can’t look away from the green scenery outside the window. 🔽

The sudden appearance of the majestic mountain peak caught my eye instantly. Although we are about to leave the Dolomites, the scenery on the road is still impressive. 🔽

I returned to Verona early at around 5 p.m., but the heat wave outside still forced me to rest until 7 p.m. before I bravely went out. Do you think 38 degrees in Bolzano is the limit? You are wrong, the more difficult thing is yet to come. The weather forecast said that in Verona today, the highest temperature will reach an incredible 41 degrees... I have never caught 40 degrees several times in China, but I didn't expect it to be here. A special experience in Italy😂.

🔼Verona’s old city gate is bustling as usual. Under the tower next to the door, there is also a statue of an Egyptian Pharaoh similar to the one in front of the train station. And this is the theme of my activity tonight.

How can you come to Italy without listening to opera! It coincides with the Verona Opera Festival, how could I miss it! Today’s program is the main repertoire of the opera festival, Verdi’s opera “Aida”. This is the surprise I arranged for myself.

🔼I walked into the amphitheater one hour early and picked a relatively good seat in my "Stone Seat" ticket area. Even though the weather was unbearably hot, the enthusiasm of the audience did not diminish at all. Looking around, everyone was fanning their faces with whatever flat objects they had in their hands, so my vision was all flickering. Feel.

🔼The performance is about to start, and the attendance rate is still quite high. Everyone is brave enough to come to appreciate the art despite the heat wave. I don’t know how many Italian locals are here, but everyone must have a true love for opera. In order to ensure the performance effect, the start time is set at 9 pm, when night is slowly falling.

🔼What is it like to listen to opera in an ancient Roman theater? That's hearing "Aida" in the Verona Amphitheatre! The trip was coming to an end, and I finally had the opportunity to experience an authentic performance in the hometown of opera.

🔼There are small screens playing English subtitles on both sides of the theater. With your own preview, understanding the plot is not a big problem. Although I was sitting a little far away, I could still tell that the actors were of high quality. You must know that opera singers don’t wear microphones, and their skills must be even more impressive when singing in an open-air theater. Of course, the effect is in no way comparable to that of an indoor theater. In addition, the stage design is also very thoughtful, and many scenes are very grand. The scene with the largest number of people visually estimated that there were more than 200 people on the same stage. There are even actors performing on the background stands behind the stage, making the whole scene very full.

🔼It was already 12:30 midnight when the performance ended. The high temperature of 41 degrees is really no joke. I was sweating profusely from the beginning of the show. I thought it would be much better after dark, but it turned out that I thought too much. After the whole show, I was sweating profusely, and I really worked hard for the art.

Quickly return to the hotel to take a shower and sleep. Air conditioning is an absolute necessity for life. Tomorrow, my trip will finally reach its last destination.