The Beginning.....

All three of us leave for Italy on Tuesday August 28th arriving in Milan on the 29th. Our classes at the Universita per Stranieri di Siena don't start until Monday October 1 meaning that we have one month to get settled in. The plan is to spend a few days in Parma at the Hotel Torino.

I read a lot of good reviews of Hotel Torino and it is ideally located. To top it off, they do not have a problem of Ollie being there! Parma is located on the way to Siena from Milan (slightly closer to Milan) and we thought it would be a perfect resting point.

Parma is in the region of Emilia Romagna and is probably best known for the production of Parmigiano Reggiano and Parma ham. If we have time, we plan on trying to tour a Parmigiano Reggiano cheese factory through the Consorzio del Formaggio, which offers free tours.

The above two pictures are from the Hotel Torino Web site. The first picture is of the Verdi Bridge and the Palazzo della Pilotta, the Farnese family's former palazzo, which now houses the Academy of Fine Arts, the Palatine Library, the National Gallery, the Farnese Theatre, the Archaeological Museum, and the School of Parma (Painting).

The second picture is of Garibaldi Square (our hotel is 500 meters from here), which is the center of Parma.

After a few days in Parma, the plan is to head to Siena!