Parma

Yesterdays train trip,(15 minuets away) was wonderful. Well worth getting out of town.
Parma is large and loaded with history. It is a major stop on the pilgrimage, but not part of our route, so making the extra leg of our adventure was important.
It took us 4 tries to find the stamp for our pilgrim passports. Located at the "Baptisery", we got there just in time for them to close in a half hour. We thought that it wouldn't be enough time to see it all, so we planned to return after lunch.
The Cathedral across the plaza was the simplest we have seen on the outside and the most elaborate we have seen this trip,inside. 

 Lunch of local food and beer, Barbara had a glass of local wine.
Parma, as I'm sure you can figure is the home of what we know as Parmasan cheese. I learned this trip the the cheese is known as Reggiano from Parma. " Reggiano" I had always thought that "Reggiano" was a grade, but Parmigiano means from Parma.
We were back on the train an heading back to Fidenza by 4:30. Back to the room to regroup an get ready for the evening stroll, or what's known as Passeggiata.
Two more notes: The freight trains run all day long, about 3 an hour, on the same tracks as the commuter rail. They pass through the station while you're waiting at about 100 mph. The dust goes everywhere and the winced can cause you to loose your ballance.
We dropped my little computer off at a repair shop to see if the fellow can help it get on line. We will go back at 10:00 am this morning