Day #271 - Lucca & Parma, Italy

Walls of Lucca

Lucca - central square & market

Lucca - outdoor skating ring

Parma - central square

Parma - central square

Friday, December 10th

I'm nearing the end of my time in Italy. Tomorrow will be my last day in Italia on this trip. It's been interesting to visit some of the smaller towns along the way. There is alot of character in these smaller communities. I just wish that I could talk with people more. As in other countries, the smaller towns tend to equate to fewer English-speakers. Therefore, I'm relagated to visual stimulation for the most part.

This morning I got out of Revenna mid-morning. I had a chance to walk back through the town during the daylight. Really a neat place. The central square is only a 10 minute walk from the train station. A huge Christmas tree stands in the central square - typical. Alot of these little cities are very similar. I'm sitting here thinking about the US. I guess I think about these places like the city of Kirkwood in St. Louis or even Chanhassen in Minnesota where I used to live. The feel to me is very similar. Overall, I just really enjoy this time of year. I like the chill in the air. I like the stillness of the snow when it's falling. I like drinking a warm cup of coffee with the steam rising. Peaceful. Relaxing. This year, especially, I can appreciate these things probably more than I ever have in my entire life.

My first place I visited today was Lucca. This town is west of Florence - near Pisa. If you happened to look at a map and followed my travels the past few days, you may be wondering: "What's this guy doing?". I'm basically doing a big swinging loop through central Italy. I may not have actually walked around in all the cities, but I'm pretty sure I've probably seen almost the entire central portion of Italy in one way or another.

I took the 9:35am train to Lucca - arriving early afternoon. I wanted to find an internet spot while I was in town, as I had not booked a hotel for the night. This lady said: "Maybe you'll find one when you go into the city". I was thinking to myself: "Am I not in the city right now?". I walked a little further and then saw the fortified Renaissance walls of Lucca. It was like walking into the Old City in Jerusalem. I followed these people up the steps and through the columns into the city.

Then I noticed there was alot of runners passing me. I remembered reading how there is a running path that circles the city. Neat to see so many people out on a Friday afternoon. The weather was perfect - so easy to understand. A couple interesting things I'll remember: (1) They had an outdoor iceskating ring in the middle of the town square. It was Rockefeller Center (or maybe a little smaller). (2) Each of the 4 sides of the town were lined with a different tree species. (3) They had an outdoor market that filled one of the town squares.

After leaving Lucca, I made my way to the city of Parma - that's where I am right now. Parma - the home of parmigiano cheese. That, in itself, is reason enough to visit. It also claims the Parma ham and a couple of pasta dishes ("tortelli d'erbetta" and "anolini in broth").

I got here after dark and walked down to the Piazza del Duomo. The city is separated by a small river. I haven't seen this much in this area. The central plaza was great. It has the 12th century cathedral, the outdoor restaurants, and the great architectural buildings enclosing the square.

I walked back to the hotel and grabbed a slice of pizza to eat on the way. Have you seen the episode of "Everybody Loves Raymond" - the one when they're in Italy? I remember him eating the pizza slices. I'll remember this fondly when thinking about my time here. You just point to your slice, they throw it in the oven, and hand it to you with a napkin or on a small paper plate.

Tomorrow - onward to the town where Romeo & Juliet came from. Goodnight from the center of Italy.