This morning we woke to what promised to be a clearer day. The Alps and hill at Superga seemed sharper and we talked about how we could get up to the Basilica finally. There are a couple of bus routes that take you to the Sassi Superga Tranvia, described as a narrow gauge railway that climbs the side of the hill.
So after a hearty breakfast of leftover matzo ball soup, off we go, me with my foot newly strapped and looking a bit grey today.
Clear Hill at SupergaClear alps from Carlo NoeMatzo ball soup for breakfast!
We take the number 3 tram and then get off to explore a bit. The view from the bridge over the Po is beautiful
View along the PoClose up from the Po
As we get to Sassi, the promise is holding up. The Alps look clear! We had no idea at this point how the view would improve. Continue reading “Superga and the Alps!”
Today I decided to try to go out. My bus pass will be working so I’m confident that I can abort the outing at any time.
The rain has been a bit annoying but there is a silver lining. The view from the window today was almost crystal clear. The hills and the Alps look fantastic.
The Alps are so clear
We walk for quite a while in the end. Krish is looking for a hardware store that he saw on our last walk to the Pietro Micca museum area. First we go to the Bialetti store but, although we see some nice things, everything is made in China so that’s a no-go for Krish. Then we don’t find the other hardware store, but it’s good to be out.
There are some interesting things along the way as we explore.
Lion of Venice?Work reliefVintage Coke ad
As we walk along on the way home we think about getting some pasta somewhere. And then we saw a restaurant with a queue outside. People are waiting to get into a restaurant space. We can see inside that every table has an interesting basket of bread, ready to go. We bounce it back and forth and then decide that if the locals are so keen to go in, we will too!
Yes, another disappointment. The bread is OK. A server comes to explain the menu but it’s very difficult to understand so she sends over another server to talk to us in English. He’s not a lot easier to understand but we sort of do know what to get and what to do. We each order a pasta and we get one fish main. We get some sparkling water and refuse any wine.
First they bring a little starter. It’s a very small bowl of polenta with one sprig of broccoli, soft enough to cut with a fork. Not bad. The pasta, though, is very al dente. It has a creamy tomato sauce with a few pieces of eggplant and fish. It’s chewy and there’s far too much of it. Neither of us eat more than a half. The fish comes with some sweet potato, more eggplant, and a few pieces of pineapple. It’s not bad. We decide to leave without eating the dessert and Krish goes to pay the bill. I go to the bathroom and meet Krish outside.
Lunch at E Cucina
He’s flustered. The bill was thirty euros and he hovers between laughter and dismay. Although we haven’t eaten everything on the fixed menus, we’ve been charged full price for this. Oh no! The only thing to do is carry on and try to let it go.
But there is a nice touch to the day. The Alps are now even clearer and the view is stunning even from the centre of town.
Today I had meant to meet Liat to see the Sabauda (Savoy family) museum. I already knew that I was unlikely to meet her but I was happy to try. Overnight, though, there had been heavy rain and thunder and this continued throughout the morning. I’d slept fairly well despite my foot but everything I felt and read said that I needed to rest and continue to ice and elevate for at least a day. I bowed to it.
Liat came by with the bandage and ended up staying for a couple of hours. It was a nice way to spend a painful and very wet day.
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”
The days are winding down. I’ve decided against Milan since there is still a list of things to do in Torino. I confess that one reason is I have no one to go with. I’m not usually shy about big cities no matter how gritty but for some reason, the combination of gritty city and navigating in Italian have scared me away from this plan. Hopefully there’ll be no regrets.
I read that the Pietro Micca museum is free every day and I have a bit of time to spare today so off we set. We also visit a shop where everything is made by prisoners (some nice stuff!) and a gallery of photographs showing how Torino has grown since 1995 – answer = a lot!
We walk along Via Cernaia and see it with different eyes than in our first week. The shops are quite fancy here. We pop into a store that sells British groceries – just a few – and are astounded by the price tag of 12 Euros on a box of 120 PG Tips. And here’s a jar of Patak’s Balti Paste – at 8 Euros I might have considered it earlier in the trip. Serves me right for forgetting to bring a bit for this journey. Oh well, soon enough… There’s some cool chocolate gifts in here too but we walk out emptyhanded.
The big road closest to the Pietro Micca (via Vinzaglio) is very wide and very long. I can’t see the end of it. On the sidewalk I see a reminder of Italy’s past – I wonder how many others there are. Had I seen this earlier in my adventure I’d have gone looking for them. But perhaps it’s best that I didn’t. My mood turns sombre.
