It has been a really long day with lots of walking, getting very wet, and waiting at train stations, and I am seriously tired. But I'm so much happier now that I'm here in Parma.
David is also doing well - his ankle is getting better all the time, and he's settled in a nice hotel in central Amsterdam. He'll stay in the same hotel until he flies home on Friday. He's had a good time walking around the city and finding delicious things to eat (including our favorite donut stand on the main square, which I'm looking forward to visiting in a few weeks!); tomorrow morning he'll return the car to Dusseldorf.
I'll post details of my adventures in Pavia and Parma tomorrow; for now I'll just show you where I'm staying for the next three nights.
One of the best things about my hotel is the location! Shown above are Parma's cathedral and baptistery, which are amazing (too bad about the scaffolding on the belltower). See the salmon-colored building peeking in on the far right? That's my hotel!
My room in the "Palazzo Dalla Rosa Prati" feels like a palace compared to the closet in Pavia and it's very nice by any standard. It's much bigger than I expected and has interesting decor with lots of antiques.
View from my door. I'm on the 3rd floor; the elevator is modern but creaks and wiggles a little alarmingly.
Bed - I think it might be a king! It has been calling to me since I got here.
Bathroom and entrance door on the left; kitchenette and TV on the right.
Kitchenette - I made dinner here tonight.
Bathroom. I was hoping for a bathtub, but the shower looks great and I could always soak my feet in the bidet!
This evening a guy from the hotel brought me this!
I'm here for three nights, and more rain is forecasted for tomorrow (but it might be sunny on Thursday!), so I intend to take it easy. I'll probably just explore the city a little more, take more photos of the cathedral and baptistery, and catch up on work and trip planning. Good night!