We have been spending quite a lot of time in Piacenza, a city in Emilia-Romagna. The local football team is called ‘Piace’ which means pleasing, as in ‘mi piace’ – ‘I like’. In Roman times it was called Placentia. Piacenza, a garrison town, not that dissimilar to Colchester, cannot be counted as a tourist destination but it is on the Via Francigena – the pilgrimage route to Rome so there are more English visitors these days.  The food is pretty good too. We have eaten Mexican, traditional and modern Italian recently. The latter being particularly interesting and different: www.food-artedamangiare.it. The restaurants were all pretty close to the Rosso Tiziano art gallery (an old church) where painter Charlie Johnson (Patrician Press cover artist) and sculptor Ilaria Locati had their show. The private view was held on Saturday 13th May and Patrician Press also held a poetry event in the same gallery on Saturday 27th May with Ilaria, whose book – Il Tempo del Disgelo, we were launching, together with readings by Patrician Press poets Sara Elena Rossetti and Arturo Croci. Music was by guitarist Matteo Ugazio.

Here are some pics: