Parma Play-by-Plate

Ciao Zio Tony Fans! Maybe some of you picked up my "ZTweets" during lasts weekend's excursion to Parma. That was my first experiment in real-time travel blogging; but, unfortunately (or maybe thankfully depending on your SMS bell tone) it seems that I still have a bit to learn about Italian mobile phone plans. That is, none of my tweets made it out past mid-day on Saturday, cutting the story off just as I was riding back to Parma. Well, if you're curious how the rest of the weekend went, I've recovered the unsent tweets from my phone to make a complete transcript, plus a few pics I took along the way.

So, "There I was ..." (in snipets of 140 characters or less)

Feb 20, 9:30pm "Plotting a Zio Tony pedal, piedi, & Parma weekend. May ye Slow Food faithful turn to pages 486, 488, and 455."

Feb 21, 6:50am ...

Feb 21, 7:40am "On train 2 Parma, low morning sun blushing over barren February fields."

Feb 21, 10:30am "Sono qua! Parma seems nice, large pedestrian center, more on that later- now dropping gear @ hotel, ready 2 ride!"

Feb 21, 12:08pm "Caffe stop, not so scenic yet but Appenines foothills becken, pedaling to Fragno 4 black truffles & SlowFood lunch."

Feb 21, 1:27pm "Sono arrivato alla 'Locanda Mariella' after short 5km climb. Rooster crowed @ my arrival, not much else except hills & sunshine."


Feb 21, 1:48pm "I've been rec'md a Barbera d' Alba to accompany my courses w black truffles of Fragnolo."

Feb 21, 1:56pm "Antipasto: 'polentina con fonduta di formaggi con tartufo nero', polenta seems 2 me the perfect medium 4 truffles, esp w a light fondue!"

Feb 21, 2:06pm "This wkend is carnival; so the lil girl across is costumed as princess. Festooned in bike spandex, I appear as court bafoon."

Feb 21, 2:13pm "Primo: 'cappelletti in brodo', savory stuffed pasta (looking like small hats, "cappelle") swiming in broth."

Feb 21, 2:38pm "Secondo: 'petto di ? w tartufo nero', off menu special of a stuffd game bird breast w black truffles(I shld of gotten the veal cheek)"

Feb 21, 2:53pm "Whew! No 'dolce' until 2nite & a couple more hours in the saddle; so, caffe for the road will do, way back starts w finishing that climb."

Feb 21, 6:02pm Cleaned up & strolling. I’m liking Parma’s “centro”, character of Bologna & Florence; but cleaner than B & less annoying than F.

Feb 21, 6:52pm "Great Find! Din’s not till 9; so, grabbed mortadella&gorganzola panino @ hopping local 'Pepen Panini' (Borgo S Ambrogio)"

Feb 21, 8:50pm "Eyeing the menu in comfy vib of Antica Cereria, after lunch 2day I think this will be relatively light"


Feb 21, 9:06pm "Antipasto: 'Tutto di unpo', a lil bit of everything from their veggie apps, roasted peppers to potato torte"

Feb 21, 9:08pm "Here's a fun juicy red 4 u, 'Monte delle Rosso', although DOC(Parma) it appears 2b just a yummy table red(no varietals listed)"


Feb 21, 9:24pm "Primo: 'Tagliatelle al Culatello' I would describe culatello as a kind of prosciutto, but being in Parma, they’d probably evict me"

Feb 21, 9:44pm "Dolce: choc mousse 'semifreddo', it like cuz gelato’s sooo good, they modestly created semifreddo just to compare w icecream"

Feb 21, 9:57pm "Digestivo: Ahhh yes ... Giovanni Poli. Honestly, the only thing I pity in most of u is not knowing how good grappa can get"

Feb 21, 10:47pm "Buonanotte ZioTony peeps! Hope u had fun. 2morrow’s big day too: morning run, lunch @ del Tribunale & did I mention the chocolate fair?"

Feb 22, 07:41am ...

Feb 22, 09:5oam "Buongiorno! My run’s out of the way; so, now breakfast, then more strolling around Parma until lunch"

Feb 22, 12:26pm "Wow, visits to archeological museums always weigh heavy on my mortality ..."




Feb 22, 12:28pm "..massive tablets&marbles on which ancients toiled unseverable anchors thrown into a fathomless sea - um, this mortal needs a caffe"


Feb 22, 1:50pm "Trattoria del Tribunale is a hidden spot where Parmese go to find the best of 'come una volta'"

( www.trattoriadeltribunale.it )

Feb 22, 2:05pm "Antipasto: 'Misto di salume'. 'Spalla cotta' in the mix, cooked cousin to prosciutto 'crudo', NOT your hny baked ham, a must try when in Parma."

22-Feb, 2:22pm "Primo: 'Anolini in Brodo', 2day’s selection to compare w yesterday’s 'hats' @ Mariella’s. Tibunale wins hands down!"

22-Feb, 2:42pm "Secondo: Passed up veal cheek again for waiter’s rec’md veal 'ripieno'(stuffed) – right choice this time, worth waiting longer 4 the cheeks"

22-Feb, 3:01pm "Dolce: 'Sorbetto di limone', if you need a translation, goto babblefish.com"

22-Feb, 3:10pm "Digestivo: 'Amaro Nocino', a truly palatable herbal “bitter” w essence of walnut ('noci'): 'Dont just ask 4 an amaro, ask 4 Nocino'"

22-Feb, 5:27pm "Clik-a-d-klic, on rails from Parma back to Milano, this time the sun is low & red on the other horizon"