Cultural assimilation is one of the great hallmarks of the clever traveller.
Take, for example, the evening we spent in the tiny but culturally mighty town of Cremona.
Cremona is the birthplace of the stringed instrument as perfected by Antonio Stradivari in the 17th century. The Latinized form of his name, Stradivarius, as well as the shortened Strad, refer to his violins, cellos, viol de gambas, and others.
Many luthiers, makers of stringed instruments, still call Cremona home and the town still produces fine violins.
We were fortunate to attend a concert in Cremona this week as it’s just a half-hour’s drive from where we’re staying in Casalmaggiore. Arriving about thirty minutes before the concert gave us a bit of time to wander and to get a bite to eat.
All these little towns have duomos or cathedrals and they’re really quite spectacular works of architecture. In Casalmaggiore there are at least four churches in addition to two duomos and they’re all within walking distance of one another.
And with piazzas everywhere you turn, the mind can’t help but turn to the stomach for help.
Hello, Stomach. Brain here. I see a bit of cobblestone with tables and chairs. What do you say?
Stomach: Mangiamo!
Some fresh bread, my delicate one?
This ristorante looked fairly inviting and as it was filled primarily with locals out for an evening stroll we thought we’d get a taste of the city.
A massive bowl of calamari fritti, some gnocchi Siciliana (with tomatoes and cheese), pizza quattro formaggio, insalata mista, ample bread and olive oil and some bruschetta.
My tall one has been sampling pizza quattro formaggio every other time we eat in a restaurant, in a search for the perfect combination and layout of formaggio. Sometimes the cheeses are in four triangular quadrants, sometimes they’re laid out in a perfect spiral evocative of a spotted flower and other times, it’s sprinkled on à la Kraft-style Four Cheese Family Pack.
Eet ees, ‘ow you say….
Mamma mia, eet ees soo goood!
Eet ees, ‘ow you say…
Italia, ti amo molto!
The Country Mice 