Published on Nov, 2023
We reviewed our previous tour of Parma with Laura in February 2020. We enjoyed it so much that we decided to make it part of our itinerary when we returned to Italy in a group of five family members in October 2023.
We emailed back and forth extensively with Laura to finalize the best possible itinerary to please all of our traveling party. Laura was prompt. diligent, and thorough in her replies. Once we had finalized our itinerary for the day, I appealed to her for help in obtaining a driver to tour Bari, as my own efforts had been unsuccessful. Laura and her own driver came through, finding a driver who proved to be competent and friendly, enabling us to visit the two famous towns, Matera, and Alborobello, and the Castellano Caves in one busy day. Again, we communicated back and forth numerous times to finalize this, and we never could have done it without Laura’s help.
As to our tour with her in Parma, it was outstanding. Laura and her driver (we needed a van for our party of 5) picked us up at the train station, and we made it to a Parmesan cheese facility while it was still in operation on a Friday morning. It was fascinating for everyone, and we two enjoyed seeing a different and much larger facility than the one we’d visited with Laura in 2020.
Visiting the Parma ham facility was also very interesting, and the lunch afterwards was most pleasurable.
Laura had lined up a cooking class for us at the nearby Gastronomia Orlandini. We had decided on this with some trepidation, as two of the family members in our party were retired restaurateurs who know their way around the kitchen. We shouldn’t have worried. The vivacious instructor thoroughly entertained us and taught us all something about preparing a variety of pastas. It was yet another highlight of our day.
Having dealt with Laura on two separate occasions, and taking particular note of all of the additional assistance she cheerfully provided us gratis in facilitating a tour in Barim we can offer the very highest recommendation for her services as a guide.
As in 2020, Laura, the 3-5 year old Parmigiano Reggiano that we bought to stuff into our suitcases, cheese of a vintage we haven’t been able to find in the US, arrived home safely with us, and we will be savoring it for some time to come with pleasant memories of our day in Parma with you. Grazie Mille!
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