Robert and I had a surprise in store for the kids. We packed up and headed in the car to a nearby neighborhood. A long stone wall with greenery blocked the view until we rounded the corner and the kids were surprised to see something familiar, something out of place in Europe, something that made them question why they were seeing double! It was a bronze statue of a giant horse!
Faywen exclaimed, “What is the Meijer Gardens horse doing in Milan?”
Yes, the brother horse of the Fredrick Meijer Gardens statue is in Milan, Italy. Charles Dent, a wealthy archeology and history enthusiast, took up the challenge of casting Leonardo DaVinci’s Horse. Sadly before it could be done he passed away and leading donor, Fred Meijer, continued the cause and completed the project. He had two horses cast, one for the Gardens and the other as a gift to the city of Milan where DaVinci had resided most of his life. The horse statue stands in a lovely garden at the gate to the Milan Race Track and is surrounded by smaller “themed” horses by Italian artists. There is also a lovely little museum with the original casts and photos showing the history of the Horse Project.
From Milan we drove an hour to the ancient city of Verona, which is commonly known from uses in Shakespearean plays including “Two Gentlemen of Verona:. However besides its connection to Shakespeare, the city offers a hidden gem that many tourists are unaware even exists. Verona is home to the only complete Roman Coliseum that is still in use today. Built in 30AD the coliseum was used by Caesar and local magistrates for battle and theatrical displays. The latter still occurs within the coliseum, which hosts various concerts and operas year round. The original coliseum could hold up to 30,000 spectators and today comfortably seats 15.000. We were able to walk through the old outer promenade and then climb up to the very top of the coliseum. It was humbling to think that when the Verona Coliseum opened Christ had just begun his ministry!
View from the left 
View from the right: Caesar’s box is above the door.
Sitting on the upper level 
Looking out of one of the outer windows
Stairs in the upper level 
Latin inscription over a door mantel in the coliseum leading back to the promenade
As we ate lunch at a lovely outdoor café we noticed several Italians dressed in USA and UK, WWII military regalia. Liam and Seamus inquired of the gentleman what it was all about and it seems that April 25 is celebrated in Italy as Liberation Day. Many towns have re-enactors who dress in Allied Uniforms, and have WWII military jeeps etc. on display in the town squares as a way of teaching the young about their freedoms and a way on honoring the men who liberated Italy from the Nazi regime.
Canal near our apartment 
Old boat dock
Grand Canal at night 
Gondolas tied up near our apartment
As the sun lowered in the sky we drove across the 3km bridge into Venice. Parking is only allowed on one of the 117 islands that make up the city of Venice. We parked our car on the 8th floor of the parking garage, gathered our luggage, and walked up and over a few bridges to reach our apartment. It was a charming place with beamed ceilings, slanted wooden floors, and several windows that looked out onto the Grand Canal. It was fun watching all the Vaporettos (public transport boats) and private boats glide by on the canal. We also heard the bells from the Convent next door calling the Sisters to Vespers. Meandering through the canal lined streets we found a local grocery to purchase breakfast items and
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