Monday, June 3, 2013

Parma, Italy

Day 4 

Off to Parma, yum, yum! Parma is known throughout the globe for prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar – a few of our very favorites. We arrive in the afternoon well rested and excited to explore a part of Italy not flooded with tourists.

We check into Savoy Hotel, get settled and head off. As we walk, we notice most shops and restaurants are closed. While it takes a minute to calculate what day it is, we confirm our assumptions, it’s Sunday. Most Italian businesses close daily between 4-7ish and often completely on Sundays – especially those in a city not catering to tourists.

We head to Parma’s square to see the city’s main attraction, the Duomo. As we continue to be “tourists” in a city that sees very few, we notice extremely dark clouds roll in and are splashed by the first raindrops. Within seconds, these light raindrops become a downpour - are we back in Seattle? We watch as the locals scatter to shelter as we attempt to do the same. We have no choice but to succumb to the street vendors – most likely charging far more than market value – and buy an umbrella. While this provides minor relief, the force of the rain soaks us through as we scurry to find a restaurant.

After minutes of our unsuccessful search, we decide to head back to our hotel to collect our concierge’s suggestions. “Impossible”, is his response. We learn that all restaurants in Parma are closed on Sunday afternoons and we’ll have to wait until 7:30 (several hours from now) before one will re-open. We are starving and cannot wait that long; we luckily find a small pizzeria serving by the slice, open.

Day 5

Our next day in Parma is spent leisurely exploring. We enjoy the freshest and most delicious Prosciutto, taste exceptional Parmesan and pack away a bottle of beautifully aged balsamic. Lunch is spent at a local café where we share amazing gnocchi accompanied by an unforgettable Pinot Grigio.

Parma concludes as a pleasant escape from the crowds; we are itching with excitement for the Cinque Terre.


































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