Beautiful Spaces: A Large Studio in Verona, Italy

For me, 2013 was The Year of Beautiful Spaces. Because in 2012, after four months of full-time travel, I realized that where I live has a massive impact on my health, creativity, and happiness.

And so 2013 was full of exposed-stone walls, open-air bungalows in the Mexican jungle, and, now, a playful, spacious studio within the city walls of Verona, Italy.

Of course, my trip to Verona actually started as something of a tragedy. As I was walking into the city, I tripped on a cobblestone and went flying onto the sidewalk and into a pillar, injuring my shoulder in the process and alarming about 10 Italian passers-by, who all, kindly, stopped to give me water, bring me a stool, help me sit up, and let me borrow a phone.

I called the vivacious, kind woman who owns this apartment and explained my predicament. I was sitting in the middle of the sidewalk injured, and could she come and help me?

She was there within five minutes, kindly carrying my heavy backpack down the street and up two flights of stairs. She ran out to bring me anti-inflammatories, herbal healing gels, and a hot/cold pack. And she offered to drive me not only to the hospital (an offer I declined in favor of putting some heat on my shoulder and giving it a day to heal), but also to the train station the next morning.

In short, when I found myself alone in a foreign city and injured, my wonderful landlord came to my rescue, making me feel that I wasn’t actually alone. In fact, after the stay, I nominated her for a host award, because if caring for an injured guest isn’t going above and beyond, I don’t know what is.

But it wasn’t just Ilaria’s kindness that made this stay really wonderful (despite my injury). The apartment itself, which was clean, quiet, comfortable, and homey, was a huge relief, especially since I spent most of my one day in Verona indoors taking a hot shower and training the steamy water on my shoulder to encourage blood flow, curling up in the giant, comfortable bed to nap, and taking advantage of the snacks provided in the kitchen when I definitely didn’t feel like navigating my way to the grocery store or a restaurant.

In short, I’m endlessly glad I stayed in this apartment. It is, hands down, one of the most comfortable places I’ve ever stayed. And the hostess deserves some serious applause for how perfectly she handled things.

If you are planning a trip to Verona, I highly, highly recommend a stay in Come Casa Tua.

Enough talk, though. You want photos, I’m sure…

I was given a discount on my stay in Come Casa Tua, but, as always, all opinions and stories are my own. With exception of the first photo, images belong to Ilaria, the landlord, (at least in part because my injury made some of my own shots quite blurry) and were used with permission. I originally found Come Casa Tua on Airbnb.

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