Day 9: Busseto
The sun is shining this morning, so we have our breakfast at the outdoor
cafe on the main square....Today we are going to visit Modena, one of the
wealthiest cities in Italy--home of Ferrari cars, Luciano Pavarotti, and
balsamic vinegar. Diana drives today as we take the autostrada east past
Parma; the trip takes less than an hour. As we approach Modena, the
weather turns nasty--it is raining and the sky is very gray. We drive
downtown and find the big parking area closest to the historical center; we
even find a parking space without difficulty. But it is chilly and we are
not dressed for this eventuality.
We head for the main square, walking down very attractive porticoed streets.
The main square--the Piazza Grande--is very impressive...lined with handsome
16th century buildings and interesting statues. The Duomo is on this main
square but only its back--the front of the cathedral is on a completely
different street. We look at the Torre Ghirlandia--the third tallest bell
tower in Italy--which has a pronounced tilt to the right. The Duomo itself
is an unusual building--very distinctive, with a high altar and decorated
columns.
By the time we leave the cathedral, the sun has begun to shine and the town
takes on an even more attractive aspect. We walk down to the central food
market, just two blocks from the Piazza Grande. It is one of the nicest
markets we have seen in Italy. Stall after stall of beautiful produce,
meats, cheeses, dry goods, etc.--it seems to go on and on.
We head for the Piazza Mazzini, a small park-like square just to the east of
the Piazza Grande. This had been the center of the Jewish quarter and
dominating the square is the large imposing "sinagoga", built in the second
half of the 19th century. It seems very closed up, so we guess that they
don't have regular Saturday services, but it seems well kept up and in good
condition.
We then look for one of the famous food stores in Modena in a town well
regarded for its cooking. The Gastronomia Giusti is an old fashioned store
on one of the main streets and has a gorgeous array of prepared foods,
cheeses, and meats. We window shop for a while and then walk around other
parts of the town, taking some back streets through old neighborhoods with
small shops and restaurants.
It is now lunch time and we just happen to be around the corner from one of
the recommended restaurants in the Slow Food guide--the Trattoria Aldena.
It is a plain room located on the first floor (upstairs) of a building in
the market area. When we walk in, there are only a few tables occupied.
Within thirty minutes however, the place is packed and there are people
lined up for a table. There appear to be large number of locals and
regulars.
It has a very good-natured atmosphere. The menu is recited by the waiter
and we order a lasagne (the pasta sheets are very nice but it is a little
bland) and ravioli in the style of old Modena, which is excellent--it has a
light cream sauce with pieces of ham. As usual, the hand made pasta in
Emilia-Romagna is delicate and delicious. Following that, I have the
"bollito misto". A local favorite, it is a combination plate of various
boiled meats--chicken, beef, tongue and cotechino sausage--served with a
green relish (in fancier restaurants, it is served from a rolling cart and
carved at the table); it is a mixed success. Diana has the mixed roast meat
platter, which is similarly not totally successful--the roast pork is much
too dry, as is often the case. We also have some spinach (with much less
butter than the night before) and some roast potatoes. We drink some wine
with lunch (living dangerously) and skip dessert.
Since we are going to see Jose Carreras later, we come back to Busseto
early. I go to a cafe and work on the computer and Diana stays in the hotel
and reads. Later, we go shopping for postcards and try to figure out how to
handle dinner--since we have to be at the theater before 8 pm to get a good
spot on line for standing room. Since we had a full lunch, we skip dinner
and go right to the theater, where we try to figure out the best strategy
for being in the best place when the doors open. It turns out that there is
not too much of a crush.
The doors open around 8 pm and we head up the stairs to the top level.
There is a bench around the front with numbered seats; they are the reserved
seats. The standing places are anywhere behind that front row and there are
cushioned high bar stools for the standees to perch on in back of the
reserved seats. However, the sight lines in the small theater make it
impossible to see the center of the stage while seated on the stools, so
most people end up hovering over the persons seated in the front row in
order to get a direct view of Carreras. Others just sit on their stools,
forgo the view and listen to the music. We get two of the stools on the
side and have a pretty good view of where the singer will stand, if we stand
up. Any hopes of slipping into an empty reserved seat is dashed when the
remaining ticket holders arrive close to the start of the concert.
There is a full orchestra and they play the first piece without Carreras.
The acoustics are very good. Carreras makes his entrance to an enthusiastic
welcome. Even in the top tier, we are very close to the stage and can see
the singer very well. The first half of the program is Verdi and with each
piece, the audience's enthusiasm grows and grows. It seems to be a
knowledgeable audience and they give Carreras a very warm reception.
There is a girl of about ten years old next to us with her parents...she is
conducting vigorously along with the music. We have some conversation with
her father about the theater and music in the Parma area.....he tells us
that his business is selling goods to museum shops (one of his big customers
is in San Francisco). His contact in the US has told him that he can sell
anything that he gets, as long as it says "Made in Italy".
The second half of the concert is Spanish songs by De Falla. I actually
like them more than the first half, but the audience, while respectful,
can't seem to work up much enthusiasm for the music. But during the "third
half" of the concert--the encores (we think that they are all Verdi)--the
audience really gets into it. Each number is received with tumultuous
applause and cries of "bravo". Each time Carreras leaves the stage, the
clapping intensifies until he and the conductor reappear. There are five
encores. Finally the house lights come up and the orchestra leaves the
stage.
It has been a lot of fun to be there--I don't know if we will become opera
fans--but it is terrific to be part of the audience in such a setting and to
have been able to hear some Verdi while we are staying in Busseto. And it
is a rare chance to hear Carreras sing in such an intimate setting.
We stop for a gelato before returning to the hotel...tomorrow we pack and
move on to Lerici.
We have really enjoyed our time in Busseto....it is an extremely pleasant
town to stay in, with good restaurants and other diversions and has been a
good jumping off point for excursions in the area. The six nights we have
spent here have gone by very quickly.
Jim and Diana
cafe on the main square....Today we are going to visit Modena, one of the
wealthiest cities in Italy--home of Ferrari cars, Luciano Pavarotti, and
balsamic vinegar. Diana drives today as we take the autostrada east past
Parma; the trip takes less than an hour. As we approach Modena, the
weather turns nasty--it is raining and the sky is very gray. We drive
downtown and find the big parking area closest to the historical center; we
even find a parking space without difficulty. But it is chilly and we are
not dressed for this eventuality.
We head for the main square, walking down very attractive porticoed streets.
The main square--the Piazza Grande--is very impressive...lined with handsome
16th century buildings and interesting statues. The Duomo is on this main
square but only its back--the front of the cathedral is on a completely
different street. We look at the Torre Ghirlandia--the third tallest bell
tower in Italy--which has a pronounced tilt to the right. The Duomo itself
is an unusual building--very distinctive, with a high altar and decorated
columns.
By the time we leave the cathedral, the sun has begun to shine and the town
takes on an even more attractive aspect. We walk down to the central food
market, just two blocks from the Piazza Grande. It is one of the nicest
markets we have seen in Italy. Stall after stall of beautiful produce,
meats, cheeses, dry goods, etc.--it seems to go on and on.
We head for the Piazza Mazzini, a small park-like square just to the east of
the Piazza Grande. This had been the center of the Jewish quarter and
dominating the square is the large imposing "sinagoga", built in the second
half of the 19th century. It seems very closed up, so we guess that they
don't have regular Saturday services, but it seems well kept up and in good
condition.
We then look for one of the famous food stores in Modena in a town well
regarded for its cooking. The Gastronomia Giusti is an old fashioned store
on one of the main streets and has a gorgeous array of prepared foods,
cheeses, and meats. We window shop for a while and then walk around other
parts of the town, taking some back streets through old neighborhoods with
small shops and restaurants.
It is now lunch time and we just happen to be around the corner from one of
the recommended restaurants in the Slow Food guide--the Trattoria Aldena.
It is a plain room located on the first floor (upstairs) of a building in
the market area. When we walk in, there are only a few tables occupied.
Within thirty minutes however, the place is packed and there are people
lined up for a table. There appear to be large number of locals and
regulars.
It has a very good-natured atmosphere. The menu is recited by the waiter
and we order a lasagne (the pasta sheets are very nice but it is a little
bland) and ravioli in the style of old Modena, which is excellent--it has a
light cream sauce with pieces of ham. As usual, the hand made pasta in
Emilia-Romagna is delicate and delicious. Following that, I have the
"bollito misto". A local favorite, it is a combination plate of various
boiled meats--chicken, beef, tongue and cotechino sausage--served with a
green relish (in fancier restaurants, it is served from a rolling cart and
carved at the table); it is a mixed success. Diana has the mixed roast meat
platter, which is similarly not totally successful--the roast pork is much
too dry, as is often the case. We also have some spinach (with much less
butter than the night before) and some roast potatoes. We drink some wine
with lunch (living dangerously) and skip dessert.
Since we are going to see Jose Carreras later, we come back to Busseto
early. I go to a cafe and work on the computer and Diana stays in the hotel
and reads. Later, we go shopping for postcards and try to figure out how to
handle dinner--since we have to be at the theater before 8 pm to get a good
spot on line for standing room. Since we had a full lunch, we skip dinner
and go right to the theater, where we try to figure out the best strategy
for being in the best place when the doors open. It turns out that there is
not too much of a crush.
The doors open around 8 pm and we head up the stairs to the top level.
There is a bench around the front with numbered seats; they are the reserved
seats. The standing places are anywhere behind that front row and there are
cushioned high bar stools for the standees to perch on in back of the
reserved seats. However, the sight lines in the small theater make it
impossible to see the center of the stage while seated on the stools, so
most people end up hovering over the persons seated in the front row in
order to get a direct view of Carreras. Others just sit on their stools,
forgo the view and listen to the music. We get two of the stools on the
side and have a pretty good view of where the singer will stand, if we stand
up. Any hopes of slipping into an empty reserved seat is dashed when the
remaining ticket holders arrive close to the start of the concert.
There is a full orchestra and they play the first piece without Carreras.
The acoustics are very good. Carreras makes his entrance to an enthusiastic
welcome. Even in the top tier, we are very close to the stage and can see
the singer very well. The first half of the program is Verdi and with each
piece, the audience's enthusiasm grows and grows. It seems to be a
knowledgeable audience and they give Carreras a very warm reception.
There is a girl of about ten years old next to us with her parents...she is
conducting vigorously along with the music. We have some conversation with
her father about the theater and music in the Parma area.....he tells us
that his business is selling goods to museum shops (one of his big customers
is in San Francisco). His contact in the US has told him that he can sell
anything that he gets, as long as it says "Made in Italy".
The second half of the concert is Spanish songs by De Falla. I actually
like them more than the first half, but the audience, while respectful,
can't seem to work up much enthusiasm for the music. But during the "third
half" of the concert--the encores (we think that they are all Verdi)--the
audience really gets into it. Each number is received with tumultuous
applause and cries of "bravo". Each time Carreras leaves the stage, the
clapping intensifies until he and the conductor reappear. There are five
encores. Finally the house lights come up and the orchestra leaves the
stage.
It has been a lot of fun to be there--I don't know if we will become opera
fans--but it is terrific to be part of the audience in such a setting and to
have been able to hear some Verdi while we are staying in Busseto. And it
is a rare chance to hear Carreras sing in such an intimate setting.
We stop for a gelato before returning to the hotel...tomorrow we pack and
move on to Lerici.
We have really enjoyed our time in Busseto....it is an extremely pleasant
town to stay in, with good restaurants and other diversions and has been a
good jumping off point for excursions in the area. The six nights we have
spent here have gone by very quickly.
Jim and Diana
