A strange feeling waking up today and knowing this was it. There was nothing on the must-do list other than packing and last-minute chocolate purchases.
And today the view of the Alps was spectacular – clearer than I’ve ever seen
View from balcony on the last full day
After packing for what seemed like an eternity, off to the market to get that chocolate. Also on the list some marrons glaces, and some lemon pasta. Done and dusted.
We picked up some octopus salad and pizza to eat today and then some fritto misto as a last minute whim. We were already dreaming of a curry in London!
Wood oven at RondiniMargarita Pizza at RondiniFritto misto
Today we decided to go to Cit Turin, the area that Liat lives in. On the way I suggested Krish pop his head into la Santuaria della Consolata I told him my photos hadn’t done it justice and I wanted him to spend one minute looking in to see it for himself.
To my surprise, he did. And to my bigger surprise, the one minute turned into more than half an hour. Not surprisingly, he discovered and was fascinated by something that I hadn’t spent much time looking at. I almost hesitate to post the photos because in a way I feel they are intimate and sacred. But I am posting a few that I found sad or interesting.
These are little portraits maybe ten centimetres across and each depicts someone’s death. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t look away until finally I needed to take a break from what I found so poignant and private.
I thought I might buy a few things but this didn’t happen. I considered some lovely baskets and then, because they weren’t from Italy but Senegal, I decided against it. I had also thought about buying an old Barbie doll but IÂ have more stuff than I need so that didn’t go into my bag either. At this part of the trip I was being mindful of what might fit in the suitcase.
Gran Balon
Then we went to the Concertino dal Baloncino. It takes place on the Via Mercanti, a lovely little lane in the centre of Turin. There are some beautiful old shops along here and I was amused by one that sold only Tiramisu.
Today we decided that we’d go Moncalieri. We’d seen a TV show where they were making tripe in the town square, and Liat had said she’d heard it was pretty. Saturday is a good day to travel to these little places since they will be a bit more lively than during the week during work hours.
To get to Moncalieri, we decided to do the whole journey by bus. We’d go to Piazza Madama Cristina in San Salvario and change to the longer bus ride up to Moncalieri.
At the piazza, we realised that we hadn’t yet checked this market out on a Saturday. one side has clothing and other merchandise and the other side has food. We headed for the food! And along the way we saw some curious sights.
Can you imagine this anywhere else?Sign in San Salvario
It’s a quite lovely market. Much more compact than Porta Palazzo but I think the food looked a bit more fresh…or maybe it’s just the lack of confusion when there are so many less stalls.
Market at Madama CristinaYellow lettuceTwo kinds of artichokes
Today Krish was going on a tour to Thales Aerospace and I stayed behind. It was a lovely clear morning.
I stopped by the pasta shop to buy some ravioli. I feel like my Italian has halted and I need more practice! However, at least I can buy what I want and make myself understood. It’s vocabulary and fluency that I need to build.
I’ve decided to stop by the lovely little toy shop in the Quadrilatero and also visit the Santuaria della Consalata, since I had loved it on my very brief visit earlier.
The toy shop was chaotic as expected from the window and I had a lovely (English) chat with the owner about ‘Made in China.’ Bottom line, the items made in China are about a quarter of the price of those made in Italy, Germany or Czech. That’s a huge difference.
I went in to the Consolata and again was struck by how beautiful it was. There are several domed areas and each is different. Little chapels, a prayer area with confessionals, altars, an organ, balconies… This is a real treasure and, although I prefer plain, humble churches, this one has really caught my imagination. I wander around as quietly as I can among the people praying, and I light a candle to my mum and dad and whisper a silent thank you to them.
I head over to the little square at IV Marzo and treat myself to an ice cream. I choose lemon and sage (can’t taste the sage), and Crema d’uova. It’s delicious. I took a photo to show how very small the cups of gelato are. I haven’t ever wished they were bigger. It’s just enough for me.
Yes, I ate it all!
Up on the large dome at the Duomo that houses the shroud, I see they are hard at work, the orange construction vests contrasting with the grey of the dome and the scaffolding.
And then through the Porta Palatina, noticing the building near to the entrance. I’ve not looked at it as closely before and it’s apparently one of the oldest in the city.
