Parma - 22 September 2022

It was a downhill walk all the way last night, which wasn’t promising for coming home in the dark with full tummies, and alcohol!

The restaurant was really just a sports bar. Based on our extensive two meals out - it appears you get tasters for ‘free’. Up the mountain at La Grave we had some delicate warm little pastries filled with either bacon or sausage. Last night it was little squares of focaccia. Our pizzas were just ok, not a patch on the ones up the mountain! Very soggy in the middle! Had a nice glass of rosé each, not fizzy, not classed as a frizzante, but definitely not just still. Was €29 in total. Glad I had my torch for the dark, steep lane back - but only took 13 minutes. Took our steps up to over 15,500.

A Dutch camper pulled in and the lady asked us whether it was a safe place to spend the night. Love the Dutch, they all seem to speak perfect English. They had come from Sicily! We asked what they thought about the roads, she just shrugged, as if to say it’s Italy - what do you expect!

Once it was properly dark, there were people outside playing some music, talking loudly, and I guess being just youths. By midnight they’d gone.

Tintin driving today, on our way to Parma (population about 196,000). I put the population in really because I like to have some idea of how big/busy a place may be! (or how bad the driving into the city might be!)

Was about 2-1/4 hours to get here. The first 30 minutes or so on awful roads! Hit the autostrada for about 100km - €8.70. Well worth it for our sanity, and to save Dave from being juddered about too much! I may or may not get over the state of the roads! I do think they make the ordinary roads so rubbish so that people pay to drive. It was very busy on the autostrada - especially full of huge lorries. Speed limit is 130km, but we’re comfortable anywhere between 80 - 90km.

The first Park4Night carpark didn’t have any space for Dave to park, so plan B, found a nice shaded residential space with just a bit of a longer walk into Parma.

Fairly pleasant 30 minute walk, through residential streets, the park, and getting busier as we got closer.

I wanted to see the 11th century Duomo, it was closed until 3pm - so we went back later. Is described as a Lombard-Romanesque church, with interior frescoes by Correggio.

The octagonal 12th century baptistery, built of pink Verona marble wasn’t bad either!

Can’t quite get my head around the size and opulence of the buildings, especially as they are so old. People centuries ago must have paid a fortune in taxes. All in the name of religion! However, even though we aren’t religious, we are somehow always drawn to churches, probably because they are the focal point of each town, village or city.

The Palazzo Della Pilotta is absolutely huge! Was damaged in 1944, and partially rebuilt. It houses a library, an archaeological museum, the National Gallery and a theatre.

We eventually walked to the tourist information in the Piazza Garibaldi, where are all the happy, friendly Italians?!

There were some smarty dressed people around - loved the blue suited man, and the typical lady with her heels and dog in tow.

We did window shop for a while, definitely some fashions I wouldn’t want to wear regardless of price!

It does make me smile now watching these females teetering around on high heels, with pointed toes - probably with squeezed faces to match. I know - I used to do that too, before getting into wearing barefoot shoes all the time - so much happier!

It’s been beautiful weather all day, brilliant blue sky, warm in the sunshine, but cooler in the shade - perfect for a walk.

We had to indulge in trying another gelato - Tintin had a white coffee, whilst I had the stracciatella - lovely - creamy with lots and lots of chocolate pieces! (€5).

Then we walked over the bridge, over Parma river to go to the park. Another huge building - the Palazzo Ducale. Walked down to the lake and sat and people watched for a while.

Then mustered up the energy to walk back to the Duomo to look inside. Again - wow! The frescoes are amazing, and hope the pictures speak for themselves. Trying not to get to bogged down with knowledge - I know I won’t remember that it was Correggio who did the main dome fresco of the assumption of the Virgin and the Apostles! Also really liked the pink marble flooring!

On our walk back, we found a grumpy man in a shop where we bought 6 slices of Parma ham (€4.50) - well it would be rude not to!

All in all, a good day, Parma had a nice feel to it.

At over 16,500 steps again, we were happy to find Dave still here, and sit down with a drink. 🥂

It feels like yesterday prepared us for today, maybe today will prepare us for Florence next week, which in turn will prepare us for Rome. Everything getting bigger, better - but probably more tiring!