Lunch, window shopping, and to the top of NH Santo Stefano

Tuesday, 25 September, 2018 30C

I’ve been wanting to go to the little cafe I enjoy. It’s called Cianci Piola and is in the prettiest square (in my opinion) in Torino. It feels like you’re in Paris but without the high prices and the attitude!

On the way over, I walked past some remains of the Roman wall.

At Cianci Piola, there’s always a choice of appetiser, first course, second course and dessert. I stayed with an appetiser and a pasta.

On the patio at Cianci Piola
On the patio at Cianci Piola
A traditional Piemontese appetiser - tomini (a soft cheese) al verde ( a sauce made with parsley and anchovy
A traditional Piemontese appetiser – tomini (a soft cheese) al verde ( a sauce made with parsley and anchovy (each round maybe 5cm)
The primo - tajarin with sausage and eggplant
The primo – a small bowl  of tajarin (the local pasta) with sausage and eggplant
Closer to the Duomo towards Piazza Castello
Leaving Cianci to go window shopping – the Duomo and the Campanile
Affordable fashion at OVS. This year it's all about see-through skirts
Affordable fashion at OVS. This Fall it’s all about see-through skirts

On the way back I finally climbed to the top of the NH Santo Stefano. I heard that it has the history of Torino on the walls as you climb. The pleasant surprise is that there aren’t stairs but little ledges along a spiraling ramp.

The gallery was made up of several posters, tracing the history of the city and saying where remnants of the past could still be found. I made note of several. What was interesting was that sometimes that old piece of history would be deliberately incorporated into something new – such as an old granite pillar that formed the cornerstone of a newer building. It’s like a treasure map.

The galleries along each floor of the NH Hotel
The galleries along each floor of the NH Hotel
The ledged ramp all the way up to each level. Very easy to manage
The ledged ramp all the way up to each level. Very easy to manage

On the fourth floor there’s a lift to take you up to the very top, where there’s a panoramic view.

To the right the Campanile and the Palazzo Reale, to the left the Porta Palatina
To the right the Campanile and the Palazzo Reale with its Roman wall, to the left the Porta Palatina
Lovely view towards the Market square, with the Alps in the background
Lovely view towards the Market square, with the Alps in the background
And almost home - a visit to see how Mr Fijodor's whale is coming along
And almost home – a visit to see how Mr Fijodor’s whale is coming along