Architecture – Page 23 – slightly weird

7th September 20187th September 2018

Rainy days and Thursdays – why am I so tired?

Thursday, 6 September 2018

I am sleeping well. It’s a bloody miracle. Why, then, am I so tired all day? I’ve resolved to ignore it, go with the flow, and see where the day takes me.

We said we’d get to the Tabaccheria by 1, when all of Torino – well, Italy really – closes down for two or three hours, to top up our BIP cards – those are the monthly travel cards. It’s closer to 2 when we leave. And it’s raining.

My new raincoat is actually waterproof as promised but in 28 degree heat it’s also hot! We walked down the road, with overheated me taking photos but mostly in my imagination – too rainy! Past the Porta Palatina, past and through the Palazzo Reale and into the Piazza Castello to the tourist office.

Since July I’ve been trying to book a tour of the Guido Gobino chocolate factory but you need five people to do this. Emails have gone back and forth and I went from being ‘madam’ to ‘dear.’ I thought I might be able to hook up with others but so far I’ve had no luck. Then Cristina told us about the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2018 – it’s Torino’s food festival week starting the 20th September! Loads of food events around and during that time. And included is a Gobino tour. Finally!

But no, the tourist office tells us that there are no tours – until we explain that it’s part of the Gusto week. The light dawns! But no again! It’s fully booked. Disappointment doesn’t even describe it. Petulance is more like it. How could my now-buddy. Loredana, at Gobino not have mentioned this to me? We left.

Why do my legs hurt so much???

The rain hasn’t let up but we wander through the deserted porticoes and through the little streets checking out the shop windows. The system here seems to be throw a lot of stuff into the window, pretend this is artful, and stand back to admire. One butcher shop had a shop window full of a haphazard wooden buildings and some toys – I wasn’t quite sure what they were getting at but whatever… And the toy shop – they can arrange their windows however they like – those dolls are wonderful.

The porticoes are wet and deserted — The porticoes give shelter in the sun OR RAIN

Via Giuseppe Barbaroux. Little artisan and independent stores here

We stopped briefly in the market. The lazy mood hasn’t let up so tonight we’re trying readymade cotellette – one chicken, one veal.

At home and wrote to Loredana about the tour. I poured on the pleading – well, just a bit. What have I got to lose?

Aperitivo – homemade, followed by a bit of a failed cotelleta and salad. I LOVE the sesame grissini here

5th September 20187th September 2018

Rediscovering Torino and napping

Tuesday and Wednesday, 4 and 5 September, 2018

A good night’s sleep and the next day a slow morning. There’s something nice about going somewhere for longer than the usual week or two. There’s no need to rush to do anything. There’s plenty of time if you don’t get too lazy and this time I actually plan to be quite lazy and have some days of rest. Today seemed like a good day to do this. However, I do have to eat and eating is something that’s central to my life and travel. So…off to the market – briefly.

I now like the farmers’ market far more than the bigger market in the square. We mostly looked around to see what was being sold. Italians like to sell only what they produce themselves and this means everything is seasonal. At the beginning of September, the food looks a bit different than last year’s mid-September arrival. I bought a lettuce and some tomatoes.

The Farmers' Market at Porta Palazzo — The Farmers’ Market at Porta Palazzo

In the Mercato Orologio, we bought a pizzetta. Then we wandered a bit.

The big market at Porta Palazzo. I thought it would be fun to contrast this to last week’s photo of a pepper seller in Ridley Road

Wandering through the Galleria. It's been cleaned up and there are some outlets now — Wandering through the Galleria. It’s been cleaned up and there are some outlets now

We were amused AND horrified to see 'Burger Store' in the Piazza Reppublica — We were amused AND horrified to see ‘Burger Store’ in the Piazza Repubblica

We ordered an insalatina di polpo to go (osporto) and watched the pizza making skills in Rondini

Definitely time for a nap! It was just like the hot summer in London. Afternoon sleeps were normal and pleasant. We talked about going out for dinner but in the end we ran to the Carrefour, went to fill some bottles at the fountain and dined on package ravioli! A television night.

Continue reading “Rediscovering Torino and napping”

25th August 201826th August 2018

Pain! And Paddington

Saturday, 25 August, 2018

Wednesday we went to see my aunt in Leigh-on-Sea. She’d asked me to be sure to check with her first: ‘Would be pleased if you can confirm this with me some time beforehand. At my age, one is never sure one will still be around.’ I confirmed…and she was! Fish and chips lunch accomplished, flowers distributed, birthday cake deposited in the fridge – we were too full to eat it!

On the way home all was well until I got up from my seat and had to struggle to get off the train (such pain in my legs and almost impossible to bear weight), down a lot of stairs, along a long corridor, turned back at the next stairs, back halfway along the long corridor and up another flight of stairs, into the train, and a slow limp home. My hips seem to have seized up – never happened before. Hobbled my way through the rest of the evening, very painful. Ugh.

Thursday I decided to just relax, do some stretches, apply heat, and not venture anywhere. Stretching was a shock. One leg moved more than a foot away from my body, the more painful side only a few inches! However, this plan seemed to work since by evening I was walking fairly well again. And my day on the couch meant I did a lot of organising for going away. Yay!

Friday I’d arranged to meet a friend from Wyandotte, Michigan (near Detroit). She’s part of an email group I joined about twenty years ago. The group was an offshoot of a Coronation Street newsgroup back before the internet looked so pretty. We’ve all met over the years and now Kate was in the UK doing her annual Doc Martin fan trip in the Somerset area. I’d booked afternoon tea at The Hilton Paddington so she could easily bring her cases in on her way to Heathrow to go home.

And I was good to go! Walking easily too, but took some pills just in case. I’d read online about a great new transport app called City Mapper so installed it and explored. The app shows every single transport method in the area to get wherever you’re going. This includes public transport, Uber, bike stations…and I noticed a little green icon I’d never seen before. Looking further it was a new ride sharing system under the TFL network, Smart Ride. One of their stops was just across at the Little Local. To get to Paddington, I’d be sharing with up to seven more people, it would take an hour and my first fare would be a discounted £4 (usually £9). To compare this – if I were paying full fare on public transport, it would cost £4.90, and by mini cab £26. Deal!

I could track my ride, which arrived on time, a Mercedes Benz minivan and I was and remained the only passenger all the way. Comfortable, quiet, competent – yes! I love it. Duly shared with friends and maybe I’ll get some referral money.

I do not like Paddington station. It’s my least favourite. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s the layout but it has a lot to do with how unsavoury I think this part of town is. If I were just arriving for the first time to London from Heathrow, I’d be more than a bit disheartened at my first view of this city. Continue reading “Pain! And Paddington”

21st August 20182nd September 2018

Liat’s visit

Tuesday, 21 August, 2018

Liat came to stay for about ten days. We looked about a bit other than our visit to the Tate Modern.

Not so many years since I could see the Gherkin on this skyline

What looks like a sponsored ad disguised as Street Art, Hanbury Street

16th August 201825th August 2018

Art at the Tate Modern

Thursday, 16 August, 2018

Liat has a friend at the Tate Modern and she can get us free entry to exhibits. Now, I’ve been inside the museum many times but mainly because the Turbine Hall is spectacular. (Hate that it’s now divided up by a newer middle bridge section. The view was so stellar before that.)

The Turbine Hall in numbers:
Height from ground level: 26m (85ft).
Size of area where works of art can be shown: 3,300 m2 (35,520 sq ft).
Length: 155m (500 ft), width: 23 m (75 ft), height: 35 m (115 ft).
Roof light consists of 524 glass panes.
Total area of basements under Turbine Hall, boiler house and sub-station: approx 1.1 hectares (2.75 acres), with an average depth: 8.5 m (28 ft).

I’ve never been into an exhibit and there are two at the moment.

One is Picasso 1932: Love, Fame, Tragedy (just that year!). The other is Shape of Light, an exhibit of 100 Years of Photography & Abstract Act (it mostly shows how artists have worked with light – and subsequently shadow.

I don’t really like Picasso. So many millions disagree with me, therefore I must be missing the point. But taste is taste. Mine doesn’t lean to Picasso. I won’t say much more but I’ll caption some photos from the exhibit for you to ponder.

Ok Picasso, whatever! — OK Picasso, whatever!

What they say every man has on his mind? Well, at least Picasso... — What they say every man has on his mind? Well, at least Picasso…

Um... sex while desexualising...anyway, sex — Um… sex while desexualising…anyway, sex

And my one liked piece in the whole show. Notice the lack of sex?

Oddly, I quite like this. Reminds me of Robin's cartoons as a child — Oddly, I quite like this. Reminds me of Robin’s cartoons as a child

Messaged Robin immediately to tell him to get started on his own Picasso career!

Oh, we women love lounging around admiring each naked other

Inspired by crucifixion, he said. OK then — Inspired by Matthias Grunewald’s Crucifixion, he said. OK then

A few words on the next two pieces. The program reads, ‘Picasso turned to a new and darker subject matter: the threat of drowning, and the possibility of rescue.’ This happened after his lover got a viral infection after swimming in contaminated water. ‘This is suggested by some of the works on paper in which fatal accident is transformed into sexual violence.’ What? This might lend a clue: ‘Some biographers have argued that, since the childhood death of his younger sister…Picasso felt doomed to cause women to suffer.’ Do I need to say more? Maybe. Maybe not. Not now, anyway. Sorry, Picasso, you’re not for me.

Continue reading “Art at the Tate Modern”