Parma is a delightful small city: home to excellent food (including Prosciutto di Parma and Parmigiano Reggiano), lovely buildings covering nearly 2000 years of history, and flat, walkable streets. It’s very compact and is a nice getaway with very little

My first 2005 trip through Bologna was quite brief -- I climbed to the top of their famous Torre degli Asinelli, was pelted with hail, took cover in San Petronio church, inhaled a delicious bowl of pesto pasta, and ran