Verona Italy holds a special place in my heart. I first attended Motor Bike Expo in 2012 with my lovely wife, Ashley, and as a result, we added a member to the family (My son, who’s now 11!). Maybe love was in the air, because after all, Verona serves as the romantic inspiration for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet (Casa De Giulietta). Long story short, I’ve literally planted roots in Verona. And it will always be a  special place because of that first visit.

There’s also this little bike show every January where around 150,000 or more people flock to the Veronafiere over the course of a weekend to see the latest and greatest from Italian customizers. There are also plenty of European builders that also make the trek to Italy. I’ve attended Motor Bike Expo since 2012 and it’s always been one of my favorite shows, for many different reasons. First and foremost, because everyone seems to actually be able to pronounce my last name. And second of all, it’s a great way to catch a glimpse of how things are done outside the US of A in terms of customizing motorcycles. It’s also a great way to kick off the year with a fresh new batch of some serious custom motorcycles.

Since we’ve taken a few years off from attending, I was eager to get back to Verona Italy this year and re-familiarize myself with the Italian custom culture, and more importantly, my favorite drink on the planet: espresso.