Why 'Dopo la rotonda'?

Perché 'Dopo la rotonda'?

Head south out of the beautiful ancient city of Verona, clear the suburbs and you'll soon find yourself out in the quiet, sparse, industrial/rural landscape of the pianura veronese - a wide expanse of flat land that stretches down to Emiglia-Romagna and the River Po.

Passing tobacco and fruit plantations, warehouse blocks and threadbare villages, you might find yourself approaching the town of Bovolone: A town with a small ageing population and a big heart, caught between the demise of the reproduction furniture industry (cherubs on your chairs, anyone?) and the current financial markets crisis. Forget Verona (or Firenze, Palermo, Rome...). This is small-town - a bit grey, not much to look at, less to do.

I moved to Bovolone with my wife in November 2012. Her family is from here and my father-in-law, whenever giving driving directions to somewhere out of town, always starts with the phrase "Dopo la rotunda..." ("After the roundabout..."). It seemed a good title for my blog, implying we live in a 'one-roundabout-town' and that the rest of the world is out there, beyond the roundabout.

Despite my description, I'm excited about living here. Up till now I've lived in or near London and spent a good proportion of my life travelling for work and pleasure. So small town life is an adventure - or feels like one right now.