Another trip to Italy (Part5): Parma

Day by day, Rich, my Spanish flatmate wakes up later. On Friday, he woke up at 8:30 and today is Sunday. Now, it is 10 a.m. and he is sleeping more than 10 hours. On the contrary, I am still suffering from a jet-lag and I woke up at 7 a.m. It is too early for Sunday but I could not sleep.

At 10 a.m., there is no sign of Rich getting out of his bed. So, I decided to go for a walk. I passed the Piazza Grande and walked across Via Emilia. By chance, I bumped into Aleksandra.
"Hi, Yasu, what are you doing? (Italian)" she said.
"I am taking a walk and you?"
"I'm waiting Jonna. We are going to Parma? You want to come?" I remember now that they said they were going to Parma and this spot where we are standing is in front of Jonna's appartment. I hesitate for a while, thinking about what would be the best response. Because if I join, we are three of us: two young European girls and me... Rich will be still in bed, sleeping. It won't be nice to wake him up on the way.
"Yes." I responded.

So, here we are on the way to Parma. It is hotter today. At least I feel so without "i portici" to escape from the sunshine. Unlike Bologna and Modena, Parma is not built under arcades. However, there are something worth to see.




When we reached the city centre, I suggested to drop by a tourist information office. In Italy, shops and offices are closed between 13:30-16:30 (or 14:00-17:00). It is better to ask for some suggestions of restaurants or trattoria. It is wise to ask locals where to eat well and reasonably.

So, for lunch we ordered Lambrusco for drink.



I ordered "Tortelloni de zucca", fresh hand-made pasta filled with paste of pumpkin, Parmesan cheese is sprinkled over the top. It has some taste of sweetness. Tortelloni is one of local specialities. According to Elena, our school teacher there are some strict rules in Italian pasta: A certain pasta should go with certain sauces and certain fillings: In case of Tortelloni, fillings should be pumpkin, spinach or ricotta cheese. "Spaghetti Bolognese" does not exist in a true italian cooking and she said this combination of spaghetti and this sauce (ragu in Italian) was made by foreigners. If there is "Spaghetti Bolognese" in menu, that restaurant targets tourists and may not serve traditional or authentic Italian cuisine. So, pay attention, guys!
Well, think about dishes in your own country. "Spaghetti Bolognese" is like "Californian roll" in Sushi. Some Americans would say "I love Sushi. I always order salmon and Californian roll". Then we, Japanese think "What is that." without showing our true feeling to American people. If you are Spanish, what do you think a restaurant in Barcelona, Madrid or any place tourist goes which has a "Paella" in the top of menu? You are most likely to get a Paella with seafood from frozen package. So, you know "Spaghetti Bolognese" is something that you should avoid.


Then, "Panna cotta" an Italian pudding.