It was a beautiful day for a day trip. In fact, we had tried to organize this trip Sunday but when we arrived at the train station we discovered that our train had been canceled because there was a strike that day. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because it was snowing and freezing cold. Despite the sun being out, the weather was still pretty cold when we finally made it to Parma, but was certainly preferable to snow and ice. When we arrived we walked around for a while, taking pictures and planning out what we wanted to do for the rest of the day. At the top of our list was finding a restaurant and eating a huge lunch of all foods indigenous to Parma. After perusing a few museums, we finally stumbled into a restaurant called Tonic. Don't let the name deceive you. We were at first hesitant because the name of the place would suggest that it would be anything but authentic. However, when we went in to check the place out, we were greeted by a warm and cozy atmosphere, and a menu that could be rivaled by none of the other restaurants we had passed on the way. So, we decided to try it. We honestly couldn't have made a better decision. Our waiter was immediately friendly and hospitable, offering us an assortment of appetizers consisting of Crudo di Parma (Prosciutto), Parmesan cheese, two types of polenta, and a bottle of the house wine. It was out of this world.
Following this were lunch portions of fettucini, tagliatelli, risotto, and the works. We ate until we were beyond full. But it was SO worth every bite. The service was outstanding and our waiter had treated us like family. We found out later that it was supposedly one of the most happening hang-out places at night (which would explain the name) and after conversing with the owners of the place for a few minutes, finally departed - only 2 hours later.
We proceeded to check out some of the city's most renowned sites including "Il Duomo" and "Il Battistero." But not before wandering into a store that sold authentic Proscuitto and Parmesan. And you bet I came home with a large chunk of Parmesan cheese that will probably last me for the rest of my time here. (Don't worry, the woman who sold it to us informed us that it wouldn't go bad for 3-4 months).
Il Battistero
Il Duomo
The Inside of Il Duomo
The Duomo was beautiful, especially the inside. However, it was quite interesting because, in order to turn the lights on that would illuminate the extraordinarily and intricately painted ceilings, you had to pay one euro - which would then only guarantee you a minute of light. But it was without a doubt worth every second. The rest of our time in Parma was spent wandering around and taking in the beauties of the city.
Compared to Bologna, Parma is cute and has a sprightly feel if you will. It was much cleaner, smaller, and less-populated. A lot of the architecture resembled certain parts of Bologna, but I was having a hard time trying to describe in my head what exactly it had that Bologna didn't, and what exactly Bologna had that Parma didn't. Bologna is bigger and dirtier, and it has a completely different feel. There are more students, and more graffiti. The lifestyle in Bologna is just ... different. When having this conversation with one of my friends I commented that it felt like nothing bad could ever happen in Parma. Not that Bologna isn't an extremely safe city, because it certainly is, but it is definitely still evident that it is in fact, a city. However, I would go back to Parma in a heart-beat. Everything was gorgeous, and everyone that we met was uncharacteristically generous.
Nonetheless, it was nice to get out and see another speck of the beautiful country of Italy. On the train ride home we all agreed that it had been a perfect "giro" and a perfect day.
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