After an unplanned 2 month hiatus on the blog, I’m back in time for a Monday Mystery post!
I should note that between my last post and today — actually, after leaving New Zealand on October 16th — Chris and I returned to the US and then almost immediately hit the road. Again. First, we picked up our car from Palo Alto, California, where we’d left it (thanks, Dovie!). We headed to Florida first, by way of Idaho, with quick overnight stops in states in between. Eventually we then drove north from Florida to New Jersey and Connecticut, too.
And yes, you do not need to point out that Idaho is not on a direct path from California to Florida, our initial East Coast destination. Why we went to southern Idaho is a mystery for another day, as it’s connected to my early women photographers project, and too complicated to explain in a quick post today.
But one big mystery, of course, is after all that US travel, where are we today? Well, the answer to that lies behind door #9:
The Friendly Tourist & Door #9
That’s the Friendly Tourist, aka Chris, standing in front of a building with a white house marker with the number 9 on it to the right of the door. Please note that the panorama mode I used for this photo makes both the building and street it’s on looked curved; neither is, it’s an illusion by the camera.
Anyway, what’s behind the door #9? Glad you asked. Let’s take a peek:
Opening door #9
Behind door #9
Looking to the right in the courtyard behind door #9
Looking to more to the right in the courtyard
Looking right again
Yup, behind door #9 is an interior courtyard in an old Italian palazzo, which has been remodelled over the years and carved up into apartments. It’s in Verona, not too far from L’Arena.
And that’s where Chris and I are at the moment. We’re renting a “vacation apartment” (i.e., short-term, full furnished place) in this building for the next month here in Verona. Our apartment is behind the door on the right in that last photo, which is also shown in the following photo:
Entrance to our vacation-apartment in Verona
What’s behind that door? Well, here are some photos I borrowed from the apartment owner’s website to show the interior of the apartment. The photos are in a little slide-show, you can click to get to each photo in turn or wait while they cycle around. Note that I included a photo of a fresco that’s on a wall within the apartment. As I said, this is an old Italian palazzo built hundreds of years ago, and it comes complete with marble stairs and a fresco or two, too. There’s a bedroom and bathroom that aren’t in the photos I’ve included, so the whole apartment is actually a pretty good size.
BTW, over the past 20 months we’ve stayed in a lot of vacation apartments and hotels, all of which have been nice and affordable. But oddly enough, this palazzo is one of the cheapest per night of any of them. We’re not complaining – but the fact that it’s so affordable to rent is another bit of the mystery about what’s behind door #9. 
The palazzo suite looks wonderful. It’s good to read you again!
Elegant, very livable and functional. A rare combination.
What the Hell got you back to Italy?
Have you ever felt like the Fliegende Hollaender?
Looks great. Only a month?
Guess that means another move then.
See above. ‘
Pat
Thanks, everybody, for the comments! It’s good to be back!
To answer questions from the comments:
@Mom – yes, we’re here for a month, and then we move to a different apartment for another month+. More about that next month.
@Pat: There are narrow crossbeams between the larger beams, and there are lights hanging from those beams now (although not in that photo).
@Jack: Italy is always good and Verona is even better.
thanks for sending pictures of your elegant palazzo including the historical fresco. too bad the heat isn’t up to snuff. I hope it gets warmer both inside your apartment and outside.
I was accused of a duplicate comment and the powers that be wouldn’t send it. I hadn’t even sent any comment before.