I walked through the market today to pick up some food. I ended up with my arms full of bags. It was crazy. Today I got ‘eggs from happy chickens’ and was a bit shocked to pay three euros for six of them. Tired, I handed it over and left. So encumbered by bags as I was, one got broken before I reached home!
The farmers marketMarket seller
I decided to treat myself to a coffee and squeezed into a tiny coffee bar that had one table. People came in while I was there and there was barely room for me, my packages and them too.
A cappuccino and a pistachio cream croissant
When I got home, I had a message from someone I knew online saying they wanted to meet for a coffee. So after a rest I set off again through the market and down the street to Via Garibaldi. I met Giovanna and her boyfriend, Marco, and had a cup of hot chocolate. We talked about her long years in London and my thoughts on Torino. Too bad we met so late in my trip since she would have been a great resource for me. Continue reading “The market and Calamity”
Today is All Saints Day. The market and many stores are closed. And today we have no more days on our BIP card so the first order of the day is to get it filled up again. Then we plan to go see the rest of the Millo pieces in Barriera di Milano.
When we go out, we can’t find a tobacconist that’s open so we readjust our plans. We’ll stay local and visit a church we’ve seen from the tram.
It’s just a short walk away to the west of us. Along the way there are a few Chinese restaurants that we take note of. I’m feeling a bit ‘off’ today and a bowl of noodle soup sounds perfect. We even find a Chinese bakery. No 2 for a dollar bun here, though – Two euros a piece.
This area of Regina Marguerita is scruffy. People beg along here, they sell goods from shopping carts and carrier bags, and we’ve seen small gangs and individuals selling drugs. Not pretty but all part of city life.
Also to the west is Rondò della Forca (Gallows Corner). It’s a very large intersection with five roads meeting at the roundabout. Between 1835 to 1853 public hangings took place here. It’s also said to the birthplace of the square loaf – “Pancarrè” is a type of sliced bread, whose name is synonymous with “Square Bread”. Born in Turin, its origin is really special. Back in the old times, when an executioner went into a bakery to buy bread he was usually met with the resistance of the baker that was not happy to serve those who dealt in such a trade and, as a sign of contempt, would hand him the loaf upside down. Later on, this practice was banned by an ordinance, however, it was soon overtaken by bakers, who started to produce a new type of square bread, equal on each side, in order to continue undetected with their little “benevolent” custom as an inside joke (from “Alla scoperta del cibo” by Fabrizio Diolaiuti, Sperling & Kupfer). That’s some history!
The church we’re looking for is called Maria Ausiliatrice – it’s a beauty!
Maria AusiliatriceMaria Ausiliatrice domeFountain for Three
Now the clocks have changed, I’m waking up at 5am. Nothing new there but hopefully I’ll get used to it. I have another time change to grapple with when we get back to London so we’ll see!
Today we decided to go to see some more Millo and then pick up some groceries. We have a map that shows where all the Millos are so we pick off four to the west of us and set off to the bus.
They are all in the Barriera di Milano, a mostly deprived area to the north west of us. The map shows them really clearly and in the end the four we’ve chosen are all within very close distance of each other. Excellent! I’m feeling lazy.
Milano is interesting. There are several ethnic communities. We find a market with many Africans selling. I buy some bits of lace and some white thread as it closes. I also find a Latin American store and come close to buying tamales but they are frozen and I don’t feel like carrying the large frozen package around.
I feel somewhat uncomfortable photographing neighbourhoods that are busy with people. Sometimes the camera is unwelcome, sometimes someone will get hostile and often I feel awkward and ugly photographing something that’s obviously downtrodden. Like a rich, disinterested voyeur/anthropologist.
Barriera di Milano marketBarriera di Milano neighbourhood
Woke up to a busy morning and then it was nothing but relaxing. Liat was coming over at 1pm and the clocks had changed overnight. No photos of brunch but it was a rye bagueta with smoked salmon, a salad of rocket, beet, goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts and Krish made some quinoa salad. I wasn’t sure how it would go but things worked out well.
We sat and chatted until it got dark – about this and that – about Toronto – about London – about Italian food – about restaurants. Talk so often goes to food when you’re eating. We ate chocolates and panetonne.
And despite good intentions, we had a snoozy evening and went to bed at the new early.
Today I meant to go to Bra but woke up feeling tired and lazy. So I went with that and stayed in Torino.
A quick visit to the market for some lunch items in the morning. I’ve discovered a bread stand in the market that sells a rye baguette, although the Italian version of rye is quite light in flavour. I think one of the sellers must know me by now but not sure – today she winked at me when asking if I wanted my baguette cut in half, so maybe.
I love to see ‘characters in the market. This man sat with various cold meats (salume) and a pile of breadsticks, along with a bottle of wine. It wasn’t clear if he was selling or sharing!
