Follow us through Venice in The Wandering Wedding Photographers, Pt. II here!

When we went to Italy to shoot Sophie and Stefano's wedding, we only had 74 hours on the ground and we wanted to make the most of it. My sister begged us to go to Verona, but to be honest, I didn't really care to see the city. The only thing I knew about it was that Juliet's house was there, and, well, Romeo and Juliet is a really awful love story. [Sorry Shakespeare, but you needed some serious relationship advice.] But my sister talked me into dedicating a whole day to Verona, and I'm so glad she did. It was my favorite place we saw in Italy!

We have to give a shoutout here: You have to get gelato from Gelateria Savoia - AH-mazing!! We were told about this place by a local before we went, and it was truly the greatest gelato we have ever tasted. When we were looking for it, there was another gelato place RIGHT NEXT DOOR and we accidently ordered there first. As we were sitting outside enjoying our mediocre gelato like a bunch of dumb tourists, we realized our mistake. We couldn't pass up the opportunity to have the real thing, so we went inside and ordered even. more. gelato.

Stop judging, it was totally worth it.

Wandering Tip: Go on a Sunday and don't pay for parking, which gets stupid expensive.

Also, we crashed a beautiful couple's wedding portraits. We can't help it, we love capturing moments like these! Don't worry - the couple and even the photographer thought it was hilarious, and there were dozens of people snapping photos. 

And now it's time for storytime with Hannah...

We were outside the Roman arena in the middle of Verona. I needed to find a restroom, and when a pregnant woman needs to find a restroom, you better find me one. I, along with my mom and sister, found a restroom, paid, and went into the available stalls. I was surprised to find nothing but a hole in the ground, but my brother and sister-in-law spent time in China and had told us about public restrooms like this. I did my business (as best I could), and left. I thought it was really weird that my mom and sister didn't say anything about it, since we're very open about bathroom stuff in my family. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore, and I said "Man, that was STRANGE." And they both looked at me like, "What in the world are you talking about??" I explained, and still... nothing. They had toilets. I did not. I had nothing but a gaping hole into the darkness.

Moral of the story: Bathrooms in Italy are supposed to have toilets. When you go, there may be a stall in an underground restroom next to the Arena in Verona that doesn't have a toilet. It's okay. Just go to any other stall in the restroom, apparently they all have toilets.

Wandering Tip: Not everything that looks like a toilet, is a toilet. Some of them spray water up your bum. It's frightening.

Wandering Tip: Stay in Verona for as many meals as you possibly can. It's just one amazing little restaurant after another, and an open air market in the middle of it all!

Wandering Tip: Juliet's Courtyard is craaaaaaazy crowded. If you're going to fight the crowds, take the time to go upstairs to see the city from her balcony.

Wandering Tip: Go to the river near sunset. On a Sunday afternoon, all you'll find are a few locals out walking and the faint sound of live music at the outdoor cafes.

Wandering tip: Every Sunday night, the Arena closes for an opera performance. Get there early if you want to see inside. Or, get there late if you have tons of money and a tuxedo.

Wandering Tip: Don't follow the tourists. Take your time and really, really soak in the moments wherever you find yourself.