More Parma and Milan

Well, Parma and E-R seem to be impenetrable for non-Italians. And we think they like it that way. Probably tired of so many tourists at the end of a long summer, and don't need two more. We tried hard to find our agritourismo but couldn't. We tried to find charm
in the small towns, but only found corporate food packaging plants. We walked into amazing butcher shops and cheese stores, with no language to connect us. We stayed one night at a business hotel outside town and had a wonderful meal of melon and prosciutto with chunks of great Parmesan cheese, followed by a steak on arugula with balsamic reduction and shaved Parmesan. One of the best meals of the trip. But with no way to connect with the heart of the city, we finally gave up and left for Milan.

Milan is another story.