Turin Sunday

Over the road from my apartment is place called The Cotton Night Club. Its lights came on as I was turning mine off last night – I had to close the shutters carefully to keep the red lights out, but I heard nothing. Either custom is very slow or the double glazing works. There are some quite ordinary shops – and I suspect more will appear from behind the shutters tomorrow morning- and some less ordinary. I passed a lingerie shop with a difference ( lots of leather) and a cinema advertising films for over 18year olds. Each of the relevant posters had a large sticker thing attached saying ‘Film Hard’. Still, I donot feel uncomfortable and I think this apartment would be at least E150 more in an upmarket area. ( I did try but could not find any available)

The guy who made my morning coffee used long life milk – how dare he. I donot like long life milk, but I drank it. I walked through largely deserted streets stopping to look in windows of still closed shops to the Royal Palace. This was the main palace used by assorted Savoy kings and their entourages. You had to go on a tour – which actually just meant a large group of people with a minder at the front and a rear guard. No information was given . We were led around a set route. There was a small bit of information written on signs. I had bought an audio guide in English ( she gave me the over 65 price and I did not realise it until it was too late to be honest). Just as well – it was interesting, though after a while I gave up listening to some of the details.. Several other people had audio guides and the rear guard was constantly waiting for us because the front of the queue was moving faster than we were. A few Italians had audio guides. There were a couple of Italians near me. There was a little room off one larger room. I heard him say to her ‘I servici’ – as in toilet. I said, without thinking ‘ Forse il capelli, that’s not right the right word, but look at that’ as I pointed to one of those things you kneel on to pray at He thought for a bit and said si, si, una cappela . I had used the word for hair, but he realised what I was trying to say . Capppela is a chapel. Big difference. I went back to trying in Italian, said something, then he asked what we call the thing in English. Without thinking I said ‘prie dieu’ . He said , in Italian, but that is French, so I said, in Italian , that I did not know if it had an English name, I could not think of one. There were room after room of guilded guilt. Many of the rooms were ‘over the top’ for my taste but some interestingly so. Several of them had the ornamentation that was all over the wall repeated in the specially designed carpets and furnishing fabric and even the furniture had matching twiddly bits.

The church of San Lorenzo , next to the a\palazzo, is said, according to my book, to be one of the world’s great churches, but I have no idea why. The nave was quite nice and plain, in contrast to the ornate baroque chapels along the sides. The domed- centre is a bit complex with overlapping semi circles, but I did not think much of it. Next on my route was some remains of an old Roman wall and tower. Built in the 1st century.

I was going to have morning tea at a famous café but decided to have an early lunch instead at a nearby place in a lovely little piazza. It was very pleasant. It is far easier than it was when I was in Italy in 2007 to just have a pasta dish or just a salad for lunch at a nice restaurant. I have been watching and at least half of the people eating when I have been eating have had only had 1 course. This was not the case in 2007. With my gnochi I tried a roero arneis – a white that I have never heard of. It was nice – but then I say that of most dry whites. I watched people in the nearby café that I was going to have morning tea at and I watched the locals come out of mass at the church in the square. People of all ages. After I had eaten, I went into the church., the Santuario della Consolata. I walked in the door and thought , what an old place. It was oval, with the entrance on the long side and it seemed like a whole lot ( at least 6) of semi circular chapels sort of grafted onto each other. There was a main altar but it was not prominent. There was marble of every colour, statues all over the place, candles, but it felt good. I sat for a while trying to work out why. There were a few locals, a few visitors, no groups (like in the previous church). Nearby there is a tower from a Benedictine church that dates to the period between the Romans and Savoys.

I strolled across town to another ‘must do’ . According to Cristina, one of the owners, the best gelato is at Fiorio’s and the best type to eat is gianduia ( chocolate, hazelnut and cream). Fiorio’s is one of the old cafes – places to go if you want to be seen. The gelato was wonderful. I continued to the banks of the Po. There was an adventure race of some sort. I saw people jogging with a map – but no compass or control card – I saw cyclists and I also saw people with the same numberplate things on crossing the river on a harness attached to a cable. Looked like immense fun. I walked along the Po a little wishing I had my hat on and then home for a few hours.

Then it was aperativ time. I set off intending to find where the bus to the airport leaves from . I have an address but do not know how far along the street it is but after a while I thought – this is business / train station sort of area and noone ( it is Sunday evening) is around so I will do this another day. I walked to where all the people go for their passegiata and found a bar away from noise and sat down. I had a bellini – not from here but there are lovely peaches around at the moment. With it I got a plate of nibbles – 2 ½ slices of bread cut into 10 bits with nice toppings. Dinner. The drink was blended fresh peach with prosecco. I spent 1 hour sitting, only about half the time reading. What a pity, I will have to go again and have a vermouth based drink - keeping to the ‘try local’ theme.

My internet connection has been down today – the first time all trip I have had a problem. Not bad.