If Bologna is New York, then Parma is...

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..."

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.

Pizza con pesto, mozzarella, parma ham

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...

Bologna: La citta granda rossa

The red city, the university city, the resistance city, the food city.  Bologna wears all of these masks, all at once, a force to be reckoned with, rather than a welcoming and readable personage.  

Like New York City, Bologna pushes one from all angles.  The grande and dominating archways, the stoic, industrial red brick buildings climbing towards the sky, the vivacity and energy that can only come from the largest university town in Italy, and the oldest university town in Europe.  The list keeps going.

In reality, it hardly a list, it is participating in the life of the city.  Walking down streets jammed with cars, people and festivals, then walking down the next street, completely quiet, cluttered with colorful political graffiti, and just as colorful but more threatening street characters.

Like Chicago, the history of Bologna lends itself to an image rough around the edges.  As the intellectual hub of Italy, questioning and rethinking have always been in the mindset of residents.  In this way it is like Berkeley and other college towns, constantly resisting and questioning authority.  During World War II, Bologna held the center of the resistance against fascism.  In the main square, _____, one walks by a wall of photos, those who died for the resistance.  Yet it is like Chicago as well.  It is an industrial city, proud of its working habits, much like the rest of Northern Italy, and much like the rest of Northern Italy, not afraid to complain about the lack of work and lack of economic contribution found in their southern neighbors.

Yet, like the south, long lunch break holds its ground, a staple of Italian daily life.  Food remains as important in the North as in the South.  Bologna's most famous dishes are ironically those most common on the American Italian dinner menu;  papparadelle alla bolognese, lasagna alla bolognese, tagliatelle al ragu, proscuitto, cortadella, parmigianna, totellinin alla brodo are a few.  We, however, did not experience much of these.  (Instead opting to take pictures all day of ridiculous family dog portaits, duh!?)

Never one for planning, our food escapades were a bit on the unlucky side.  I did not do my research thoroughly, but why not? I thought.  Why not just ask locals and see what we find.  The problem: Bologna is not as small as travel books have it appear.  It is truly Italian, but it is not cute grandmas on street corners and sundress biking in sunflower fields.  It is a big city, with the ease to get lost, and the realization that good food requires a reservation.  Nevertheless, pizza, gelato and appetizers.  It is always what you least expect that turns out the most rewarding. 

Verona: Lives up to Its Charm

   

 Initially, Verona was mostly a sleep stop.  Our eyes were set on seeing Sirmione, and catching half a day or so of Verona before or after.  Of course, it is always those short term places that end up being the most desired long term places on one's visit.

     I will admit, Romeo and Juliet was not an attraction to the city, but rather an adherence.  I assumed the town to be crawling with Romeo and Juliet souvenirs, gagdets, and syrupy photo shots.  Okay so there was some hot and heavy tourist grabbing going on (as you can tell form the pictures), but I was actually taken aback by Verona.  The beauty of the city itself pushed fictional spot of Shakespeare's play into the backstage.  There is a reason Shakespeare chose Verona as the site for his romantic tragedy.

      Verona's Roman history lends itself to a beautiful melange of architecture.  The walls surrounding the old city center, just across the bridge, remain a mix of Roman, medieval, and post medieval construction (though the majority is medieval).  Coincidentally we walked over the famous medieval bridge just at sunset.  The sun accentuated the heavy red brick and stoic imposing architecture as we crossed.  It was hard to imagine a better times visit.

Once across the medieval bridge and into the old city center, one immediately finds themselves walking down curved cobblestone streets, with buildings following the curved paths.  Every now and then, and ancient Roman archway or medieval structure jolts out of the Venetian colored and crafted buildings, providing a beautiful juxtaposition against the surrounding green hills.  Coming from Paris, where buildings all come in one shade or another of gray, no matter how much opulence, Verona is a refreshing surprise.

We continued meandering down cobblestone streets making our way to the Coloseum.  Like the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Colosseum comes out of nowhere, opening up onto a colorful plaza lined with cafes and colorful buildings.  That particular weekend, plaza shared its space with a regional food festival, with 30 stalls selling artisanal Italian products.  Yum.  Hungry for dinner, we couldn't help but sample some of the delicious foods, and take some salivating pictures as well.

The most surprising part, being in the north, was the affordable price of food.  Eating cheap in Northern Italy can be challenging.  Verona provided surprisinglly good food for decent prices.  Our dinner that night was as local as it gets.  We received a recommendation from our Air BnB host, explaining the place as the local place.  When we arrived, those working there looked at us as if we were from another planet, needing guidance as to where real Verona lay.  Through four year old Italian, we explained our need for dinner, after which we were shooed into a small table in the corner.  The only slightly English speaking waiter joined us immediately, quickly detailing the menu for the day.  We selected the pastas, entrees, and a glass of wine.  H returned, bruskly placing a carafe of water and a full bottle of wine. Looked like it was going to be an interesting night.  An hour later, and an almost empty bottle, we received our bill for two pastas, a bottle of wine and two entrees.  Nervous, we opened the paper: 30 euros! For two people.  The wine turned out to be 2 euros for the bottle.  Guess there really was no way to order anything smaller.

The rest of the night, and the rest of the following morning entailed further meandering down car-less quiet intimate streets.  Verona is a large city with a feel of a small town.  The only difference? Eye candy, things to do, and a lively night life.  As romantic as meandering the maze-ladden streets of Venice, yet as readable and logical as the classic American cities, Verona was a city hard to leave.  Wait, so how does the city manage this conundrum? Vistas, small city center, and numerous landmarks.