Cremona

21/9 CREMONA

A mossie chased Kel into Jeff’s arms at ~ 0600 where she snoozed off, delightfully delaying our morning10BX in the mangey playground, watched attentively and quizzically  by a mule and a miniature horse.  We grooved through our morning routine, pulled in the washing, did some internet business and drove out at midday for Cremona, the world centre of violin making and home of the Stratevari brand.  Apparently 3 great friends set up here in the 1700s, using the best maple wood from the Balkans and the place has since remained a centre of excellence with a renowned university for the learning of the time consuming craft.

We sourced a rest stop a few kms from the town centre in the Red Cross parking bay and walked into town, coming across Luca Salvadori’s workshop.  We rang the bell and he invited us into his small dimly lit room where he was sculpting the back board of one of his violins.  He chatted generously, telling us that it takes him 2 months to make a violin that sells for €26,000 and that the craft is so particular and all consuming that usually one makes but never plays the violin as there isn’t enough time to do both!

Beautiful, always curved, cobbled lane ways signed the workshops of many other violin makers but we got way laid in the churches.  The first contrasted against so many others we’ve seen in Europe.  Often we’ve seen one religion or religious aristocrat destroy the other’s church & build on it’s foundations (sometimes leaving a crypt).  Here 3 churches were preserved perfectly inside one another, even including their outside cloisters & entries, oldest to newest, like Babushka dolls.  Then the incredible Cathedral Cremona hang us up for a while with fresco & sculptures more ornate than we’ve seen anywhere to date that cover every mm of wall & floor.

Unexpectedly, we were then seduced by very stylish shop fronts show casing violin shaped chocolates, beautiful nougats, aromatic cheeses, glorious rich coffee and shoe and frock shops to rival Milan.  In fact, Jen bought the most elegant green & leather snug fit stretchy number from a store called IKO for only €73!  We find ourselves comparing it to Salzburg whose shops retrospectively were so busy & fussy, resembling Chinese $2 shops in contrast to the classy simplicity & balance of these.

Enchanted, we stopped to drink the last bits of the afternoon in over a divine coffee & soupy fondue like hot chocolate.