Firenze, una bella città d'arte - 28 aprile, 2014

A perk of having visitors from home is the encouragement they provide to visit the treasures that are located only a few hours from us. My friend Jamie was here this past week so we planned a two day visit to Florence (Firenze in Italian), one of the great art cities of the world.  It is known as the birthplace of the Renaissance since in the middle ages, wealthy Florentine noble families served as patrons to artists, musicians and architects. We visited two museums, the Gallerie dell'Accademia and the Bargello, and especially enjoyed the sculptures created by Michelangelo and Donatello. There is such a concentration of masterpieces in the museums and churches that it it is a place that needs to be visited several times and preferably next time with our own art historian (Todd...let us know when you can book your trip).

One art medium in which I have become especially interested since visiting Istanbul and Venice is that of mosaic, the creation of images with small pieces of glass and stone. In Florence, we were able to visit the Museum of Precious Stones which has some pieces of incredibly intricate design as well as samples of many of the types of granite and marble that have been used in this art form. In the relatively small museum, we were also able to see the tools and techniques that artists used to create pieces that have survived for a thousand years.

Later in the day, we walked through the city and up the hill to the Piazzale Michelangelo which overlooks the city and the River Arno. A large but quiet group of people were gathering on the steps to wait for the sunset which was still a couple of hours away. It was a calm and attractive place to enjoy a drink, good conversation and a panoramic view. There is something very reassuring to be in a city crowded with people who are only there to enjoy beauty and history.

The Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore) from Giotto's Campanile

The river Arno

The art of mosaic (a table top)

Close-up of a much larger piece

Samples of precious stones used in mosaics

Ponte Vecchio

Replica of Michelangelo's David in the Piazzale Michealangelo 

Not that Parma - 12 aprile, 2014

There is another city named Parma and this one is also known for food. But instead of pierogies and kielbasa (Parma, Ohio), this is the land of prosciutto and parmigiano-reggiano cheese. It is a city located in the beautiful countryside of the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy with a history that dates back to the pre-Roman days of the Etruscans.

I was invited to join three friends on a road trip motivated by a Groupon offer at a thermal spa. We stayed two nights at the Hotel Delle Rose at the Termi di Monticelli, about 20 kilometers outside of Parma so we were able to enjoy the pools filled with naturally heated waters. We took a bus into the historic city center of Parma and spent the day walking around the city soaking up the architecture and the beautiful spring day.

Our little traveling group represented Ohio, Finland, Northern Ireland and Hong Kong but the others have lived in Italy for much longer and are helping me learn more about the culture of food here. We ate at Romeo's Trattorio for lunch and I enjoyed a dish of tortelli d'erbetto which is a Parma specialty. Of course, we also ordered a plate of antipasto to sample the prosciutto and salami. 

Monticelli, where our hotel was located, is a smaller town surrounded by farms. We walked several kilometers down a country road to find a place to buy some of the famous Parma ham. We had been directed to a salumificio artigianale (producer of artisan cured meats) where we found Enrico Mazzoni who helped us sample and buy some meat to take home. We saw a glimpse of a gentler time and for a few hours, time seemed to stand still.

Romeo's Trattoria

Looking up - Church of Santa Maria Delle Steccata

Teatro Regio (Royal Theater)

Duomo entrance

Parco Ducale

Enrico Mazzoni

Termi di Monticelli