I am not a planner. Our dialogue concerning where to stay and what to see in Italy went something like this: "Bologna, mmm, bolognese sauce... Parma... Parma ham and parmesian cheese? Oh and Modena, real balsamic vinegar. Isn't Bra where the Slow Food Movement started? And Barolo is also a fantastic wine town as well..."
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| You make think outrageous, but for medium ages real Parmigiana, this is a steal of a price. |
In all sincerity, these are great reasons for visiting. Apart from a rich history and diverse landscape, food is a big draw for Italy. Little did we think, however, that food would involve planning.
We arrived in Parma, thinking it to be touristy, and thus easy to find cheese and ham factory tours. Wrong. Surprisingly, Parma retains much of the sleepy slow moving charm of many Italian cities. We expected to be knocked off our feet like in Bologna. The downside? Not so easy to find factory tours. The brightside of a small town with no customer service for tourists? Just as good food as in Bologna, with far cheaper prices, and far fewer people.
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| Pizza con pesto, mozzarella, parma ham |
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| The Center |
For those desiring good food, minimal tourists, and a hub to visit other areas, go to Parma. At least for a day. The hotels are not necessarily cheaper, but the location is ideal for visiting cheese and ham farms in the countryside. So whatever happened to those tours? To be found out in the following post...
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