This morning when I looked out of the window I was shocked to see how foggy it was. I hoped this meant we were in for a warm day.
Foggy morning
Since Esmeralda was visiting for the weekend, top of my mind was shopping for food. My plan was to consider going from the station to a café (perhaps Cianci Piola), spend Saturday looking around the markets and a bit in the centre, then out for dinner and a bit of evening walking, then Sunday to invite Liat for lunch and go to the Mole. I’d see how it all works out.
Krish wanted to go back to Lingotto and Eataly so off we went. The metro gets you there pretty quickly and once off the train you’re at the side of the Lingotto shopping mall, where the hotel is. We found a funicular to go up to the shopping mall but didn’t stay very long. We were looking for the Hotel since we’d heard that the lobby was very interesting.
Not a lot of words today but plenty of photos, I think. After some busy stuff in the morning, I thought I could manage to get out – my sore throat soothed a little with some good old British cough sweets – as long as I took it easy and could get back quickly.
Krish had discovered that an area north of it, Barriera di Milano, had a lot of street art. We knew, for instance, that the artist Millo had some large commissioned works on various walls and were determined to find as many as we could. We even have a map of where they are but thought today we might just stumble across a few and indeed we did!
First of all though, we went into the Balon district while it was empty – market day changes the whole look and your ability to really explore. There are some nice pieces of art here. We also discovered where the Baloon is anchored and takes off. Sadly, I blinked and missed it being lowered with its occupants.
Today was the day I was going on my first tour – of the Costadoro Coffee Factory. I walked through the Piazza Reale grounds and arrived at the tourist info with half an hour to spare.
Through the Porte Palatine
When no bus materialised at 9:20 I went into the office only to find out the bus was waiting somewhere else than described. What started out as a leisurely morning was now a bit of a rush!
Piazza Castello in the morning
At the bus I was introduced to my translator. Strapped in and off we go! The translator had no idea where the factory was – saying she didn’t know all the neighbourhoods of Torino (‘You know how it is when you live somewhere.’ Um, no!) However, the unknown neighbourhood was more or less my own but about a mile further east.
On the evening I arrived, we went to a birthday party for one of the teachers Esmeralda works with. They were sitting at a very long table together with several bottles of prosecco at hand. It was aperitivo hour and at some time a food buffet would appear – one extra euro when you buy the prosecco. But I’m hungry and when I hear one teacher say she’s leaving to get some ‘proper food’ I ask if I can tag along. The teacher, her sister and the sister’s boyfriend and I hurry across the food to a restaurant inside a market but it’s closed for 45 more minutes and we’re all hungry.
As a rule, restaurants are open for lunch from 12-2 or 3 (I’ve seen a couple that open just for one hour at lunch) and then don’t reopen until 730 for dinner, much later than I’m used to. But some are open earlier for tourists or don’t close at all so we find one that will let us in. I order a gnochetti with clams and rapini. It’s not bad – the rapini is cooked far too long, as usual. But it fills a hole. I talk to the teacher who has arrived six weeks earlier from her last job in Dubai. She says her long apartment is 600 Euros a month and that she’s just getting used to the pace of life here – not rushing, just like the Italians. I’m mostly struck by how different her life and her sister’s lives are. They’re from Liverpool and their idea of going out is to cafes and restaurants. After a while, I’m happy to get back to the noisy pub.
My gnochetti wasn’t a large portion so Esmeralda brings me a plate or two of green beans and chick peas, some eggplant and potato. It’s decent, cheap food to serve along with drinks and I’m glad that I had some clams earlier.
We get along well in the flat. There’s plenty of breathing space but no internet! So glad my phone has plenty of data. I enjoy the independent and girly feel in that flat. I think I miss it. It’s been a long time. Wistful.
The next day we go for brunch and I shock myself by having a burger. It’s been ages since I had meat! It’s not bad at all. Then we wander around the various markets – stalls are selling vintage clothes, housewares, clothing of all sorts, antiques, old stuff. I buy three old scarves for a euro. They’ll do for fabric for my next doll when I get around to it.
Later that night we went for dinner. The menus look pretty similar everywhere. I choose a predictable tagliatelle with ragu (or bolognese, as everyone else calls it) and can’t finish it. We are both stuffed to discomfort so collapse at the flat.
Today was an interesting day! In the morning I went to the market – we were out of food! I bought a nice cauliflower and then realised I’d been overcharged by a euro. I also got stewing beef – that was a real challenge to ask for but it’s done. At the back of the farmers market was cheese stall and I had an interesting conversation with the seller in French. At the market some people do speak French and a lot of the Arabic speakers will do that to make sure you get what you want. It’s fun. Oh, and Liat recommended that I try a Nebbiolo (red wine) from the region so I will open that when I can.
When I got home, I planned to start the stew. Was thinking about red wine and thyme and garlic in there… but once there Krish suggested we go see the original language version of Blade Runner 2049 showing in only one small cinema in central Torino. I’ve been looking forward to it so – yes!
The cinema is in a part of Torino we haven’t spent a lot of time in so we can look around that a bit. The cinema is on a short pedestrianised street lined with cafes and little shops as well as a gated garden. And the cinema itself is easily missed, it’s so small. Not only small but also gated. With a padlock – less than half an hour before the show start time! Hmm. We walk up and down for a few minutes and when we get back we notice a half dozen people sitting around, most likely also waiting for that padlock to come off. At least this wasn’t a scam, then. Just a few steps from the cinema is a Turkish café. Neither of us is fond of Turkish food but this promises hummus and baba ghanoush and the like, and we’ve been desperate for some nice fresh flavours. However, it will be closed when the film ends. Ah well…
