Parma - Il Piazza Duomo

The Lombard-Romanesque Duomo dominates the Piazza and the glorious Baptistry flanks it in wedding cake splendor. It seemed I was always there at the wrong time as both were closed when I showed up on the Saturday and Sunday. The interior frescoes of the Duomo and the stone carvings in the Baptistry are amongst the most important of their kind in Northern Italy. Again another reason to go back.


The young lady in the red jumper was fascinated by the stone lions guarding the Duomo entrance. She was worried that they were hungry and was, such is the logic of children, trying to feed one of them a stone.

Unfortunately the day was cloudy and no amount of PhotoShopying could get these photos any brighter without fading.

(photos taken) 27 ottobre - San Fiorenzo e 28 ottobre - SS Simone e Guida

The Mouths of Babes

We had dinner on Sunday night with old friends of Laurent's: Gülay, Julien and Elizabeth. He met Gülay and Julien when he was posted to Jordan. Over the years they have kept in contact from their various postings through the world. Laurent attended their wedding in Istanbul, visited them in London, they’ve visited him with their daughter Elizabeth in Beijing. They were returning from holiday in Tuscany and stopped off to say hello, meet me for the first time and show Elizabeth a bit of Rome.

At dinner Elizabeth – who is six years old – amused herself by drawing pictures of those present. When I thanked her for not showing my gray hair she stated the obvious: That’s because I don’t have a gray pencil!

22 agosto – Santa Maria Regina