I picked Parma because it was on the major train route and
is in between the Cinque Terre and Venice, where I will be heading in a few
weeks. After a very long travel day, I
finally arrived and made my way to my hotel.
It is less than a mile from the
train station, so I decide to walk it as I have been cramped up in a train
for too long. After about half a mile, I
can’t understand why my bag is feeling so much heavier all of a sudden and not
as easy to pull. When I get to the
hotel, I discover it is because one of the luggage wheels rubber covering has
been ripped to shreds by the Italian cobblestone roads.
It’s no wonder… Do
you remember those old Timex watch commercials where they’d put the watch
through all kinds of crazy tests and at the end the spokesman (John Cameron Swayze)
would say - “it takes a licking but
keeps on ticking”. I think if luggage
companies really want to develop the strongest luggage wheels possible that they
should test their products on the streets of Italy!
I made to the hotel to be rewarded by a nice small room with
A/C, which is a very good thing as the temperature today is close to 100
degrees and humid as all get out. I
dropped off my luggage and take off to explore the town.
I can't seem to get excited about Parma. It’s a nice flat town, good for walking, but
I don’t feel the welcoming vibe here that I have at the other places. I don’t know what it is… The town is pretty, not a lot of tourist
attractions but it is known mostly for the Prosciutto per Parma and Parmesan cheese - both of which I have had and
are very delicious. But there is
something missing for me here - or maybe it’s the fact that it is a large city
and it is really, REALLY hot. Here, I have not found a restaurant, café or
shop that has made me feel welcome as I have at other places. I am overlooked
while locals are treated with the best service. Now I’m not saying that I should be put
above anyone, but the snubbing – whether intentional or not – is noticeable and
I sometimes feel as if I am actually unwelcome and I have even walked away from
places because of the vibe. I am constantly checking my manners and
making even a harder effort at communicating in Italian, but something is off for
me here… Is it because I left my heart
in Vernazza or am I really being snubbed, I don’t know. I try hard to relax and go with the flow
knowing not every stop is going to be a good fit and just try to enjoy it as
best I can.
There are lovely churches here and lots of streets to walk
and sites to see as I get lost rambling around the town.
I think Italy has another leaning tower....
And, of course, the food and local wine is very, very
good.
Baked Parmesan cheese!
And they don’t seem to sweat in this heat – there has got to
be something in the Italian DNA that prevents sweat! Bikers and walkers are everywhere here and
like most of the towns that I have been to, many of the downtown streets are
closed off to cars, so biking is the way to get around. Also, the majority of city busses are
electric, which keeps the air free of exhaust fumes. Maybe that is a contributing factor to their
beauty and ability not to sweat… I don’t
know. Can you imagine American closing
off downtown Chicago or New York City to cars?
And to use electric busses and trains rather than the throat strangling
exhausts that they use now? How would we
survive?!! Think about that…
I did enjoy my brief stay here, especially the A/C I my hotel
room in this 95+ degree weather, and the staff I interacted with at the hotel
were very nice and welcoming. Although the stop is not a huge hit with me, I am very appreciative of what I got to see and
do.
Next stop – Bologna.
Ciao ~
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