Po River Adventure

Parma, Italy

May 3 was very different from the rainy day before when we took the walking tour of Parma. The weather was sunny and warm for our excursion to the Po River area, and to visit the home area of Giuseppe Verdi. We picked up Stephano, our local guide, who drove around with us. He told us about Verdi's life, where he was born, and where he came back to live for the majority of his life. Verdi came back to the area and purchased lots of property. We drove by several of these places, including his home where he lived for at least 50 years. It had beautiful flowers in the front. There was also a mill which was in very bad shape.

There was a small river/creek beside the road, which was the bounty between the Province of Parma and the next Provence. That was the boundary between where they could make Parmesan cheese and a cheese they had to call something else.

The Po River is the biggest in Italy, and the 4th largest in Europe. It is 450 miles long and goes all the way from the western border with France to the east where it flows into the Adriatic Sea near Ravena, south of Venice. It is responsible for the vast wide plain that makes this area so rich for agriculture. It cannot be used for large boat navigation because it is not very deep, and the sediments shift around. Sometimes it floods and in 2000 there were over 40,000 people who had to leave their homes. They have a major problem with an Asian Catfish which has taken over the waters. This fish is very ugly and can grow to be 9 feet long.

This area is famous for raising pigs and cows. We stopped for a walk to see the black pigs that are unique specialty. One of the byproducts of these animals is Bio Gas from all the methane. We visited a very old Salumificio where they produce the traditional Culatello Parma ham. This very old castle has a Michelin star restaurant, but more important, it has a cellar where they age the Culatello ham. This is made from the best part of the rump of the pigs. It is smaller than a regular ham and put into a pig's bladder before being wrapped in a string bag and hung to cure. There were special pieces for the king of Monico and for Prince Charles. Each ham weighs about 4 kg, and costs about 400 Euros.

Next we boarded Stephano's pontoon boat for a leisure ride up the Po River to an island where we had a special picnic lunch, provided by the restaurant. It consisted of Parma ham, sausage, bread, lettuce and a desert pudding. It was delicious. Somehow a conversation started between Paul and the gal serving us, only to find out she was from Romania and spoke Russia. They carried on quite a conversation. We walked over to a fishermen's shack where there were a number of guys just hanging around. One of them makes fish traps from fine twine, and he showed us several models and explained how they work. This is just a hobby for him, but he was very proud of his producers.

After the leisure drift/ride back down the river to the landing site we boarded the bus for the ride back to Parma. What fortune to have this be a beautiful day.

For the evening, although dinner was on our own, Ben never disappoints, and he had a suggestion for a good place close to the hotel. Not only was it close, but the food was good and we were able to get individual checks. The only bad thing was that we couldn't get in until 8:00. So goes evening life in Italy. During dinner a very noisy thunderstorm passed by, but was finished by the time we were done and ready to walk back to the hotel.

Back in the room we had to get everything ready to depart Parma for Lucca in the morning.

That's it for now,
​Grace and Paul

Giuseppe Verdi's home

Asian Catfish have taken over the Po River.

Black pigs are a specialty in the area

Zibello, where Culatello Parma ham is made and cured

Po River

Culatello Parma ham hanging to cure

Hand made fish traps