On Our Own in Padova and Verona

Slept in. Enjoyed a light breakfast at the hotel. Time to explore! Padova: Lesson learned. Mostly closed on Sunday. GPS delivered us to the well graffittied area of town, so we winged it! Found our way to the Duomo with its painted ceilings, walls, and statuary that took our breath away. Walked around for hours exploring various piazzas, shops, a craft fair, and pasterias. Had our first grocery store experience which was fun! Verona: Bubbling with activity! A big family day with rafters on the river, kids doing all kinds of games, crafts, and activities all over the town. Adults enjoying coffee and wine at the open air cafes. Everyone was smiling, meandering, laughing, and just enjoying the day, as were we! Had our first gelato of many. OMG. Delicioso! Limited ourselves to one scoop since this will be a daily occurrence. The drive back was quite the adventure. Got partway home using the back roads and came to one that was closed by police. GPS "rerouted" through wine country and the winding roads of the mountains for about an hour to the point that we lost faith. However, GPS came through and delivered back to the hotel without incident. Currently sipping our Proseco in anticipation of our multicourse dinner here at the hotel. Planning another late night walk around the neighborhood this evening. Ciao!