We left Ravenna at a decent hour... breakfast didn't start until 8:30! And it didn't take us long to get to Parma at all! In Parma we made our way to the Piazza del Duomo... there weren't many tourists here either, which was wonderful!
The octagonal Battistero (Baptistery) is made from Veronese Pink marble.
Many of teh frescoes in the "Duomo" or cathedral were by Correggio a contemporary of Michelangelo.
The ceiling in the cupola has been recently restored, and features Correggio's Assumption of the Virgin.
Much of the "architecture" is trompe l'oeil.
This looks newer than Correggio, but still thought it was interesting... the nude figures on the arch braces are painted cut-outs.
The bishop who commissioned the Cupola fresco described it as a"messof frogs' legs."
One of the side chapels, look solder than the Correggio, although I didn't have any info on it!
Luna was excited to get outside and be LOUD!
After the Duomo, we wandered around the old town and looked for a place to have lunch...
We had Parma ham and melon... of course! Remember the first time I had this, when I was about 15 in Massachusetts... loved it! Too bad it's always so expensive!
After lunch we headed towards the coast. The road over the Ligurian Appennine Mountains was spectacular, and FUN to drive! But eventually we got to the road that took us over the final ridge of mountains to the Mediterranean. This is it... it was about 8 feet wide. Now I must tell you that both of my guide books mentioned that Vernazza was "inaccessible" by car, and recommended parking your car in La Spezia, and then taking the train from there. But Google maps said we could do it... so we did! But I can totally see why most people take the train. In all my travels, and mountain adventures, including back roads in Montana and Ecuador, I don't think I have ever been on such a narrow road that went up and down a mountain for such a long period of time... much of it without guard rails!
Right after we crested the top we began to get views like this...
That's the ocean in the distance...
Looking back up to where we started...
About halfway down we found the long-term parking... Bas returned the car to here after we unloaded.
And from there we got our first glimpses of Vernazza!
And as soon as we got there we checked out the tiny little beach! Being August, it was full! But hey, when it looks like this, who cares?
Main square off the harbor...
The hills are terraced with grape vines.
The town basically sits around the harbor, and clings to the hills along side it.
The buildings are built straight on to the surrounding cliffs.
Our room was in one of the buildings about 3 allies back, and about 18 staircases high!
We let Luna blow off some steam before dinner.
Love this picture... umbrellas above the terrace where we had dinner...
Parmesan cheese with dinner... couldn't ask for more!
The sun started to set, and the light was beautiful!
View of the town from our room before bed!
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