From our accommodation in Modena we take day trips via train to Bologna and Parma over two consecutive days. The two cities are very different in feel and presentation, with Parma being our favourite mainly due to it being refreshed over the past months in preparation for their Festival Verdi which celebrates the region’s food, wines, music and culture throughout September and October.

That’s not to say that Bologna is not a nice place, plus it has its own festival going on, it’s just a little different in vibe.

Bologna is our first day trip and it’s piazza area is in a state of transformation with scaffolding being set up for the festival’s shows. The main church, San Petronio Basilica seems to be somewhat unfinished and a quick check of the local signs tells me it was started in 1538 but never completed.

Piazza Maggiore, which contains the basilica, also plays host to a number of statues, fountains and buildings with their own interesting facades and monuments. What we find most interesting though is the library where the ceiling soars several stories and is an intricate design while the glass floor is suspended over some old building ruins. Unfortunately my attempts to get a good shot of the ceiling did not t quite turn out.

The city area also has many kilometres of painted fresco walkways acting as footpaths throughout the CBD. The quality is amazing and has you looking up at many points along the way.

Bologna also houses its own version of a leaning tower named Torre Garisenda and has quite a lean on it. Apparently in the Middle Ages, Bologna was home to about 180 towers that were built by wealthy families to show their status. Most of these have been torn down and their materials used to create other buildings but these two towers remain side by side and leaning towards each other.

Our next day trip to Parma was very different. The city has a level of softness about it where most of the other stops we have made to date have paved surfaces and hard finishes. Walking into the main square from the train station reveals water features and large expanses of grass. This is not what we have come to expect so is a breath of fresh air.

Also a breath of fresh air comes when we stop for coffee. We have struggled to find places that make a flat white (double shot with just milk and a small amount of froth) as most places want to serve cappuccino or latte that have way too much froth. We happen upon a place named Botanic which is in a sunken plaza area just near the river and find that one of the owners came to Australia for a two year working holiday and misses speaking English. She treats us to not only a flat white, but a pastry filed with custard that is a local delicacy. She spends the next half hour talking to us and reliving her adventures in Australia. Great morning for us and I think anyone visiting the area will enjoy the coffee and food so look up Botanic if you are in the heart of Parma. It’s only three weeks old but will quickly build a great reputation based on what we experienced.

We enjoy a relaxing walk through the Ducale Gardens just on the opposite side of the river from the CBD. The gardens are home to tree lined avenues as well as a large pond and a number of ruins.

With our hunger building we take another wander through the CBD before deciding on a easy toasted sandwich for lunch. It seems everything is upsized in the town as the sandwiches are 18×18 cm and a fair slog to get through.

After a great day out we head back by train to Modena for our last evening here. We take in a few G&Ts and Aperol Spritz before dinner and then enjoy some tapas at a local restaurant. A last stroll of the local streets in the area delivers a few areas we haven’t seen before and ends a great time in Modena.

Tomorrow we are off to Cortina and the Dolomites for a change of scenery.