Sunday, 28 October, 2018
Today is the first ‘last.’ This is the last Sunday I will be in Turin. I don’t like countdowns. I struggle with mindfulness but I think, despite all my anxiety, I tend to be more of an ‘in the moment’ person on the whole. I’ll think about that some more.
There are no cohesive themes here. I’ll drop in some photos and see what comes to mind.
When I was free on Friday, I took myself to Cianci Piola. I know it’s not fancy but so far all of the places I’ve been, no matter how much or how little I spend, this spot hasn’t really let me down. I’ve vowed to come back at least twice before we leave. I’m looking forward to my Hackney meals and discovering new places, as well as tasting things that aren’t Italian and predictable. However, I will miss this restaurant.
Following is the daily menu mini blackboard they bring to your table, then my meal. Anchovies with green sauce, Tripe and beans, and Apple Mousse with amaretti and cream. I sat inside today because, beleive it or not, it’s quieter. It’s going to rain all week and I hope I can still sit aside, that they have an awning.
I’ll miss this square too. It’s the nicest in Torino. It’s peaceful but there are always people here. Especially at Cianci Piola. There’s also some history, and a great ice cream shop, as well as a view of the Duomo, which is still also on my list for these rainy days. Will I fit it all in? We’ll see.
I went looking for the Lavazza original places. It took a while, since the numbering is a bit obscure. Via San Tomasso is in the very centre of town near Piazza Castello and just south of Via Garibaldi. I found number 5, the original shop but it was an apartment building with four shops at the ground floor. No plaque anywhere so quite difficult to figure out where it might have been. Number 10 (the second shop when Luigi needed to expand) was easier. I knew that it was near the junction of Via Barbaroux so I looked around there. Surprise, there was no plaque but there was a notice in the window. I will go there and have a drink…for fun.
I’ll miss these streets. These old towns comfort me and I’m not fond of wide avenues. When I’m back in London I’ll find my City alleys and I’ll be myself again.
I went to the Museo del Risparmio on my way to a photo exhibit I’m interested in. It’s the Museum of Saving. That’s an odd concept. There were a lot of interactive exhibits and I sat for about an hour watching short videos about how today’s economy was shaped. I actually learned something. Somewhere in there was a viewing room where I saw a Three Stooges type video about forging money – I missed the point somewhere. Too Italian? At the end was a big room that had two videogames – in the first you chose a person and followed their lives to help them spend wisely. In the second you had capital to invest in properties and grow your financial empire – I was terrible at it and lost everything. In the very last room there was an exhibit of piggy banks. I enjoyed that. I must have spent about two hours in the museum. It wasn’t exciting but enough to stir some curiosity about the origins of money and all that followed.
What will I do in London? There are more museums to visit. Perhaps I should give some old ones another go. It’s been ages since I’ve visited the National Gallery. I’ll go back to the British Library and discover a few of the smaller ones I’ve had on my list for a while – like the Comedy Museum. I’ll miss the Geffrye Christmas rooms this year but hope for some events on the front lawn during the Christmas season.
The captions tell the rest of it.
