Parma – the most prosperous city in Italy

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By KevinTheB
July 8 2002

Who wants ham, and who wants cheese? Two world famous gourmet foods, Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma have their production centred in this region. None of your Benetton hyped-up knitwear here, something we can really get our teeth into.

Mind you, Drunken Waspettes might not be so keen to do a shirt swap if their kit doesn’t have a designer label on the front! Parmalat, a world-wide brand name responsible for that disgusting UHT milk, also originated here in 1961.

Plans are afoot to introduce a different culture into this most refined city. Drunken Wasps in force will descend upon the city over the weekend of 11th – 13th October 2002, along with a fair sprinkling of representatives of Bath. At the last count, the ‘official’ Drunken Wasps Group numbered 24, with at least another 10 known to be travelling independently of the main independent group. Funny, isn’t it, how the group, composed of free spirits wary of being organised, are now so organised it is untrue! Flights booked, rooms arranged, all within 24 hours of the confirmation of the kick off time. Contact has been made with the city’s Department of Tourism, and they have already started to initiate investigations into the biggest rugby bars in the city.

Overmach Parma’s website seems to have been taken over by a search engine, so there is little way to see much of the opposition through their official site, but this I am sure will be rectified as they get back from their summer breaks in Tuscany. The address of the ground is ‘il Stadio 7 Fratelli Cervi’ in the Viale Piacenza, which is the road that runs along the northern edge of the Parco Ducale, their equivalent of Hyde Park. I make this ‘the Seven Red Deer Brothers’ – perhaps it loses something in translation, or maybe they’ve modelled it on Richmond Deer Park – who knows! Anyway, soccer is banished to the South Eastern suburbs, as it should be.

The DWs fly by and large into Aeroporto di Parma Giuseppe Verdi on the Friday evening from Luton, an adventure in itself! The airport is but an 8 Euro cab ride away from the centre of town, and the proposed base just 800m from the Stadio. We should be able to find it by kick off time, which is published on the official website to be 7pm on Saturday evening. A further kilometre from the stadium lies the centre of the city which, by London standards, is not a long distance. It feels much the same as some of the strolls we had in Treviso.

A good mix of new blood is included in the tour party. In much the same way that Nigel last year felt the HEC a good way to introduce new faces into the playing squad, potential DWs have been invited to tour with us to see if they have what it takes. It gives you some insight into the future planning of the DWs that KevinTheB is bringing three new recruits, the Vahey brothers four, and, most frighteningly, Muppet one. Last trip’s tour virgins, Porno and DrunkenDeutscherVasp, return for more punishment. A bonus for the team is that Porno, born of an Italian mother, is fluent in Italian, and can wave his hands with the best of them. Take it from me, his italian is much, much better than his french!

Accommodation requests have been thick and fast, with many requests to share a room with Nettie. To many people’s distress, she again chose Cilla as a companion. It is trusted that the hotel bar will not run out of beverages, as did the Mercure in Montmartre – another reason why I hate Paris, they have no sense of urgency.

On the rugby front, last year’s Italian Adventure was a big slap in the face. Some of our players seemed to feel that running out in the Wasps strip was going to guarantee a victory. A certain Irish mercenary by the name of Mason put paid to that idea, and it will be interesting to see if Overmach come out with the usual Italian game plan – frustrate, get penalties, and build a cushion. This early in the season, there is no knowledge of what side Warren will put out on the pitch – will he be desperate for a win, will we be looking to protect first place in the Premiership, will it be an opportunity for the six players coming back through injury to get a run out – many different scenarios present.

Whatever the picture, the Drunken Wasps will be there giving it their all, so we’ll see you in the main piazza around 11pm on the 12th. You’ll easily find us – we’ll be the ones singing the Lemon Feeling song!