Italy 120 - Torrichiara /Bianca was a lucky girl/erotic rooms and maybe a speeding ticket

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It didn’t take us long to escape the bustle of Parma and head out to see Castello Torrichiara. A castle that Glenn had wanted to visit for a long time . Each visit had thwarted him. So this time we were making the effort to tick it off the list. We are losing a little faith in Silly Sat Nag but surely she could find a blooming big castle on top of a hill. As we drove we discussed microwaves. I have one in Suzy. It is a British thing. We like them and loved them in our motorhomes but they are only a use when on site with electricity hook up. Without the electricity they might as well be a storage cupboard. Ours looks almost brand new. You can count on one hand how many times I have used it. A cup of hot milk boiled in it now and again. The odd jacket potato. I think we can do without it in a newer motorhome.

Silly did find the castle in Langhirano but with a bit of help from the local roadsigns. The castle was blooming big on its hilltop and couldnt really be missed but miss it she did .

Suzy is now parked up on the castle car park. A lovely spot but with a long uphill walk to the borgo and the castle. The castle built by Pier Maria II Rossi Count of San Secondo for his mistress Bianca Pellegrini. What a lovely and expensive gift for your lover. I wonder if she worried that he might throw her out if he fell out of love with her and another found favour.

After the long hike up the hill we entered the borgo and the ticket office . 7 euros entry fee – no reduction although over 65’s could gain free entry on the first Sunday of the month.

Inside was a medieval borgo with tavarns and bars each empty. No life at all within the wall. We entered the castle through the stables into the inner courtyard – the Courtyard of Honour. Climbing up into a series of towers we entered the main castle. Four rectangular towers defined the castles shape. The first was the Torre di San Nicomede with more modern painted ceilings, then onto the Lily Tower – the Torre del Giglio. The piece de resistance was the Golden Chamber with its erotically painted walls and ceilings. Painted spefically for Bianca. I wonder what his wife must have thought with this castle staring her in the face every day and worse still hearing what it was like inside from courtiers who visited.From this amazing room we moved on to the Torre dei Leone – the Lion Tower and into the Jugglers Hall . From here we were directed out onto the loggiato – from here we could see the countryside spreading out in front of us. Bianca was a very lucky lady living in such luxury. A kept woman she had everything including the best view of the land you could wish for. How happy she was I will never know.

The problem now for us was where to spend the night. The little hamlet around the castle had a restaurant and the car park seemed not a bad place to sleep. I checked for signs saying that you could not camp or sleep there and found nothing. What I did find was a sign stating the thieves worked the area. I wondered if they did or was the sign put up to deter folks like us pitching up for nothing. We checked the camperstop and found a sosta out in the sticks in a salumi factory. It boasted a restaurant so we headed there only to be flashed I think for speeding. We were too busy talking, too busy not taking notice that we were in a 50km area . Too late I looked down and saw that we were exceeding the limit by at least 8km a hour. Now where we flashed or not? We don’t know. I couldn’t see it flashing at us and Glenn did not notice so we will have to wait and see if we get punished when we get home. We did not like the sosta so moved to the next .

That one was even worse – a scruffy little place so the only thing to do next was head off for Camping Bologna – an old friend where we have stayed many times before .Not ACSI it cost 29 euros to stay but it has every facility you could wish for . We ended the evening with a meal at the restaurant on site. We chose the dish of the day Ravioli parcels filled with some kind of fungi. Washed down with a decent bottle of wine.

At the end of the day my calendar gave up its words of wisdom “ Just live that life, it does not matter if it is a life of hell , or the life of a hungry ghost, the life of an animal . It is OK – Just live that life.

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