A Passeggiata Through Parma
Passeggiata is the term Italians use for strolling along the streets, taking in the sights. During our first week in Parma, Italy, we went on many walks, refreshing our memories from when we were here last summer (2015). We also began exploring some new areas we had not seen last year. The air was hot, but not too hot, which is expected during the middle of July. Fortunately, the humidity was low and tolerable.
Parma is located in the Emilia-Romagna region and is a city of about 180,000 people. It consists of a downtown historic area with lots of restaurants, shops, museums, Romanesque buildings, an historic 19th-century opera theater and, of course, churches and a frescoed cathedral and pink marble baptistery. There is a University with a medical center, plus quite a few parks and green space. And, then there are the residential areas surrounding the downtown area.
Here are some photos of a few places we strolled along, taken on several different days and evenings.
This first group of photos shows some of the parks, statues and buildings.
Food is always a theme here in Parma. This second group of photos shows the outdoor fruit and vegetable stands, restaurants, and eating panini and pizza. A highlight for us while taking a passeggiata is to have some gelato. One of our favorite gelaterias is called Emilia. However, we saw many others that we will have to try out.
The evening is a special time to go for a passeggiata. One street in particular, Via Farini, is filled with restaurants with outdoor seating. Family and friends gather to socialize, especially on Friday evenings. On this particular Friday evening, the weather was very pleasant and the atmosphere was buzzing with laughter and chit-chatting. As the evening grew darker, the lights from the buildings gave a soft glow, marking the end of the day.
