Stupid heat. But we did go out. No goal and with our transport passes.
Waiting for a bus near Porta Nuova Station
The first time I came to Torino, I didn’t get to San Salvario. I usually avoid areas around big train stations. They’re typically rough. The second time, I went with Adrianna and I really liked it. Last year I felt turned off by it somewhat. This year I felt like I didn’t care if I ever returned to the area. It’s supposed to be lively but it’s been dead. The dereliction is the dusty, neglected type. It has a general air of apathy.
Shuttered store in San SalvarioThe usual collection of bikesThis park, like much of San Salvario, is vaguely ParisianA little paste up work
So we left and headed towards the distant dome of The Mole. And then eventually we were there. We both said the same – we’ve photographed it so often, there are probably no more photos to take. Somehow, though, I doubt it.
The Mole AntonellianaNews stand on Via PoThe sleepy tram homeMr Fijordor’s whale is progressing nicely!Outside the Chinese store near us some fish planned their escape. Sadly I didn’t capture the commotion or the mad flipping about
I say I’m happy to stay home but it would be nice to go out too, so that’s becoming a big issue for me right now. The heat continues and it’s humid, with no end in sight. Earlier forecasts had shown this coming week to be in the mid twenties but instead 29 is more the figure. Nothing I can do about the weather but I’m gathering ideas for hot weather and shut-in ideas.
Ideas? Here’s what I’ve done so far.
First hot weather idea. I made a doll! She’s called Ciao so farSecond idea – eat leftovers! Agnoletti and burataThird idea – watch really cheesy (and un-PC) Italian television
There’s also watching Amazon Prime and Netflix. I am following the new Better Call Saul series. I finished watching series 3 of Poldark and very ready for series 4 – that might have to wait till London since BBC probably won’t play for me here – we shall see. I’m also working my way through the quirky Halt and Catch Fire series 2. Very annoyed that I can’t see This is Us series 2 without purchasing a TV subscription – that is not going to happen!
We also spent time watching a rather spectacular lightning storm, which started in the clouds over the Alps and eventually reached us with some high winds and drenching rain. It sadly did nothing to abate the heat more than just for that evening.
Friday I planned to get out but again the heat stopped me. But I thought maybe we could go out later, for dinner. We were out of food. I booked a place that sells plates of local meats and cheeses but eventually Krish opted out and so we thought about what to do instead.
Krish suggested walking around Borgo Dora and see where we could eat, with a fallback for pizza nearby. Done!
I made a deal to look at restaurants and pick one for each week and actually go! Also I still plan to go alone when I can – for lunch.
First we did a big loop around the Galleria Umberto. Nothing to interest His Fussiness there. Then we headed into Borgo Dora ro see what we could see.
From Via Milano looking across Piazza della Repubblica to Borgo DoraBorgo Dora was quiet at first and then it got livelierBut we ended up with local pizza anyway. It was as hot as the pizza oven in here so we took it homeOur pizzas – 4 Staggione an a gorgonzola and pear
A diversion. Pizza in Italy. So I always imagined I would come to Italy and think, well, this is what a pizza is supposed to taste like! But that has never happened. A good pizza anywhere is as good as a pizza in Italy. Yes! Disappointed? However, it’s hard to find a bad pizza in Italy. This pizza, from a local place called Saraceno, has a chewy and salty crust. It’s not bad.
Last year when we came here, we arrived on the night the neighbourhood was having a street party. Everyone was sitting at a long table on the street eating together. This year it’s happening again but seems to be somewhere else. I will investigate. Krish has suggested we could go and I’d make my pesto potato salad. We had some fun talking about how a curry might not go over so well. I wonder how the potato salad would be received?
Getting hotter! Just happy to stay home really. What’s the hurry? But we did know that we were running out of food so a short market visit was in the cards. Talking of running, Krish went for his first run since arriving. I don’t like him running in the heat and, in typical Krish fashion, he didn’t get out of the door until close to noon but get out he did. He came back having run ten minutes less than expected but pronounced it a ‘good run.’
While he was out I booked my cooking day – Market to Table. That will be on 5th October from morning till mid afternoon.
A quick lunch before the market, using up what we had in the fridge.
Hummus with veggies, cheese, a hard boiled egg and some fruit
What a hot walk! I almost regretted going out but once up the hill, a cool break in the Orologio Market. We did a couple of circuits, then braved it across the street to the other covered market – does it have a name? Some agnolotti al plin (Piemontese tradition!), two pork chops, a very small roast chicken… not many stalls were open and we were done.
Half-closed market and one lonely shelf stacker
Porta Palazzo has a whole other feeling when it’s closed. I like the skeletons of the stalls and carts, not so much the piles of empty boxes and rotting fruit.
Hard to imagine this will be empty and gleaming later tonight
Krish had brought out three or four bottles to fill from the toret. Toret means little bull – and each fountain has the bull head as a spout, over 700 torets throughout the city. You can even get an app to show you the nearest one. The water is purified from the River Po and these days the water company has taken over their care. At any rate, every day we fill our bottles and drink it. And I keep joking about whether there’s something growing in our bellies as a result!
Down by the farmers market is one of our closest Torets. First, we let a couple of birds have their fill and then it was our turn.
At the Toret
Krish went to meetup for English speakers in Turin. I stayed home and started a new doll, the first in a long time. A hot, humid evening. I meant to make a To Do list and start checking things off but I didn’t get very far.
It’s just too hot, but today Krish persuaded me to come out for a walk. We walked along the river for quite a while and checked out the engineering that’s been done on the Dora to divert the water and create a weir.
Coming along the road, looking south (Campanile in the background) to start our walk, which is northwards to the Fiume Dora
Along the river, there’s some older and newer development. Then there’s this large, not yet tagged, Roa piece.
Art by RoaThis artist does the same piece over and over in slightly different ways. I can’t find out who s/he is. This is new since last year. Torino Affonda means Torino is sinking – not sure if it’s done by the artist or afterwardsA fairly modern community, which overlooks the Dora
We headed back to Via Regina Margherita, which is the main street that runs a very long and straight way parallel to the river and directly to the south of the flat. The tram ride along it is quite wonderful, lined as it is with trees on both sides, for miles.
We headed into Vanchiglia for a little while. Most things were closed but we checked out some supermarkets for vegetables. Seems it’s the wrong time of year. Everywhere had plenty of zucchini and that’s about it.
By now I was too hot and didn’t care about taking photos. It was also hazy so everything around us seemed shadowy. And we had the closest view yet of The Mole Antonelliana. Another, cooler, day for that! Back home before I melted!
Dim sum tonight. I miss my pans and my bamboo steamers!
It’s Sunday and the church bells were taking turns to let us know about it. I’m pretty sure they ring them by hand. Either that or they’ve recorded some pretty shoddy stuff! No lovely pealing melodies, like in the movies, but out of tune clanging, normal, sometimes very slowly, and sometimes speeded up like someone is in a hurry. It’s amusing…I think. Not sure how I’d feel if I was here permanently.
Liat rows on Sunday but she called me when she was done and asked to meet for brunch. I thought this might be interesting. Italians don’t really eat breakfast – their version is an espresso, maybe a milky coffee drink instead, and a sweet pastry or six. Liat suggested somewhere in San Salvario – 15 or 20 mins by bus and I thought, why not – it will be an adventure, my first trip by tram so far.
I walked over to the Borgo Dora tram stop and waited for my tram. It arrived quite quickly and was jam-packed. As usual, there’s no offering of seats in here. Even the young men who were seated weren’t giving up to their spots to those less able. It’s a bit puzzling every time. Besides, it’s a dilemma. Do I feel good that they don’t feel I need a seat or do I feel annoyed for the same reason? Liat met me at the tram stop near the restaurant.
We ate at a place called Slurp, recommended by Liat’s friend. They immediately asked me if I was American and we sat at the back where there was air and light. It’s a bit dark in there but the menu looked OK. I completely puzzled the server by asking if I could have sausages with my pancakes. Then she was even more puzzled when, delivering four sausages and six very small pancakes, I asked if there was something to put on the pancakes. She said something about not thinking I wanted syrup (or jam or nutella) with them if I was having sausages. I suddenly felt like an ugly American and asking for something just too bizarre in an Italian’s eyes. But she took away my pancakes and came back with them, now with some syrup on top.
I figured I could eat two of the sausages and donated two pancakes to Liat. Verdict: sausages were as advertised, pancakes were very sweet even without the syrup – oh well. Oh, and a cappuccino was only €1.50 – nice surprise – and not as strong as they like it in London. Liat ordered two fried eggs, bacon and toast. The eggs came in two separate little frying pans, each topped with some bacon – cute.
Haphazard at SlurpMy brunch to the left, part of Liat’s to the right
