Correggio

---Correggio----

After driving some 150 km today, through the first 30 km in the rain and still in the mountains it was a nice change to drop into the plains of the Emilia Romagna region, now with some 1500 km under my belt it was great to see a straight road and my nerves are grateful !!!

 We pulled into this little town Correggio of 3000 people.... twice! thanks to Ms Gloria... At first glance it was without the usual old world touches that we are looking for in our travels, but once we turned Ms Gloria off as she had taken us up a one way street the wrong way and to a seedy part of town we left the town and drove on to the next and headed to the next village only to have no luck so we headed back this time to the CBD we came across a amazing old.... but Peter they are all old.... hotel on a wide wide main cobble stone street. I jag a nose in park right out the front, and that was where I was going to say for a couple of days. I get out of the car and venture in, what is on the out side doesn't truly paint a picture of the inside. The out side looked like so many  buildings in Italy with its old muted sandy coloured paint work and dark green shutters that could  do with a paint job. It was a early 1800's hotel  and was purposes built just as it was intended way back then. Sure their has been  upgrades but the internal lay out was original and laid out over 3 stories.

The grand stairs to the rooms were of white stone and ornate wrought iron in black and they just effectively  transported you as the treads were so wide and low.

I asked to view the rooms prior to committing as we are starting to get a bit in need of a little more comfort after our last couple of places we stayed and my eyes need a bit of a rest from the last place wonderland bed head.

The first couple of rooms were at the back of the hotel and were a typical tourist trap, you know once you have paid there just isn't any other room in the hotel  available with windows!!!! Sorry don't you have any rooms with views or at least a window??? I'm a bit closterphopic and would prefer a room with a window..... Sure I can show you some front rooms but sir they are dearer....

So how much dearer are we talking.... About 30€ sir, well lets lash out and have a look at a room with a window then. Whats the point of being in a cupboard in Italy when we have options. It was more than I hoped for, 2 large windows both onto the main square below where we had abandoned the car, so now we can watch the village life below. It was a huge 2 room suite it's amazing what difference 30€ makes. The room was with high polished timber floors high ceiling and was in a old-world with contemporary Italian style and had internet service, not that that is the be all and end all but help when you are researching the area. 

We turn on the I pad and to our surprise we have got a table at a restaurant that a friend Gail had sent as a email to say that it was just awarded No. 3 in the world and if we were in the area we may want to check it out.... It is near by in the main city of Modena and called  Osteria Francescana. We were hoping on the off chance to get a table but had not had a response to our email of several days ago. Even this morning we asked Bea one of the granddaughters at the farm to ring and see if we could get in but at that stage it was a nohooooo and they have about a 3 month waiting list.

But in the email Sandy had sent last week she said we were traveling through and from Australia and would dearly love a table and sent a link to our Retreat and it was that that got us in, as they had a last minute cancelation for tomorrow night and they wanted to give the table to us, as a local could come later... So cool and we are stoked. So it looks like my 8€ jacket will get it first official outing. But my white shirt that I bought with me is looking a bit beige from all the hand washing so it down to see if I can get a " new Italian white shirt " but as it is only 2pm the shops won't be open for another 1 or 2 hours yet.

We walked the town and checked out all the old building and the several spectacular CBD buildings. They were renovating the bell tower so all 4 bell we set on the main square and on the hour every hour and some times just because! the bells would go off, a real crowd stopper. 4 burley men with ear muffs on would play the most amazing sounds and it was a delight that we were there to watch. There was a stage set up in the main square with a 

local town concert due on later tonight, and it turned out that it was their towns Saints Day Festival so that was why the bells were also being rung so long and so often. Well that's  the nights entertainment sorted so let's find a shirt.

This shirt shop was for the locals, small locals, and the lady inside was not going to let me go till I bought something either. So with her determination and both our lack of communicate skills I did come out the other side and with a shirt and a laugh too boot. It was a beautiful old shop with all the shirts in boxes stacked high on shelves, she was short and had a big ladder that she used to get down many shirts. Now that's  a challenge as I would like to feel and even try it on to make sure it fits, no problem the boxes were opened and the wrapping was taken off and all the pins removed. She would hold it up to me and shake her head Nohoooo Nohoooo molto granda moltogranda. Thanks, I get the idea " not going to happen then " but wait if see goes further up the ladder and she keeps looking at me and putting the boxes back on the shelves saying Nohoooo piccolo piccolo..... So not making me feel to good about myself, but she was determined and after 1/2 an hour I walk out the door and we were both happy and a great experience and a beautiful  white Italian shirt.