Torino

After a full day of travel from Scanno, we arrived in Torino close to midnight. Exiting the train station the city felt alive and invigorating. But we were pooped out! Our cab ride to Hotel Alpi was straight from a scene in the movie Night on Earth. The cab driver, from all outward appearances at the curb, was a sweet lady in her early 60s. But put her behind the wheel of a car and she was hellfire. Whipping through lanes of traffic, smoking a cigarette all the while mumbling and cursing in both Italian and French. Coming from the sleepy town of Scanno, we were yanked back into the pace of a large city.

Arriving at the hotel we saw a street of nightclubs overflowing with people. We thought about joining them but once we were enveloped in the comfort of our hotel room, we decided that 1:00 am may not be the best time to plunge into this new city. Plus, the room was large and well air conditioned. Combine that with English language TV and a well-stocked mini-bar and we were staying put for the evening.

Torino (also known as Turin) is a bustling city in the Piedmont region, not far from France. People switch easily between both of these languages and the food and wine of the region reflect the melding of the two countries. Since Pat spent some time living in France he was excited to put his French language skills to work. And seeing how neither one of us had gotten further than a few basic questions and lots of superlatives in Italian, I was excited too.

One of the greatest things about this city is the porticos – covered arcades that allow you to stroll through the city in the shade.

And all of the Baroque architecture felt new compared to the ancient sites we’d seen for the past week. The Po River flows through the city and there are plenty of walkable bridges and the waterfront is lined with bars and restaurants. And there was quite a bit of activity on the water with rowing teams and people in kayaks.

Walking around on our first day we found the Palazzo Reale (the Royal Palace). The palace is undergoing massive restoration and can currently only be viewed if you go on a guided tour. We had just missed the last tour of the day but we returned the next day to take a peek. Since the tour was given in Italian, we both rented the audio guide and joined the group. For the next hour Pat and I strolled through this fantastic and ornate royal crib seeing quite a collection of art and architecture. It was awe-inspiring to see the precision in so many architectural items that were carved by hand. But these people definitely didn’t have rooms or furniture designed for relaxation.

Pat always likes to get a view of the city from above and we had a great opportunity to do that in Torino. We paid a visit to the Mole Antonelliana – it’s the monument symbol of the city. At one time the Mole was the tallest building in Europe. It’s now a museum of cinema, but they have installed an elevator that takes riders to the top. Like the Empire State Building there’s an observation deck that gives a panoramic view of the city.

One of our most memorable meals of the trip was at a restaurant in Torino called Porto di Savona. The waitress was great in guiding us through the regional specialties. From the antipasto misto freddo Piedmontese that included selections of pâté, seasoned raw beef and a selection of cheeses to the pasta dishes (gnocchi in gorgonzola sauce and house-made ravioli filled with beef and served with a lamb sauce) to our entrees (grilled steak and a Milanese dish) we felt like we made great regional menu choices.

Our second dinner in Torino will be remembered not so much for the food as it will for the zanzare attack. Zanzare may sound like some obscure regional terrorist group, but that’s actually the Italian word for mosquitoes. The most prevalent variety in Italy is the Asian Tiger Mosquito – an evil variety of bug that infests large parts of Italy every summer. While we were having a wonderful meal, the mosquitoes were literally eating me alive. When the waitress suggested dessert, Pat tried to bow out saying we needed to leave because I was getting lots of bug bites. Her response, “those aren’t bugs, they’re zanzare.” As if these little monsters belonged in a class of their own. She brought a bottle of the house mosquito repellent to our table (along with two cups of espresso) but I was already past the point of no return.

I woke up the next morning in misery, counting at least 30 bites on my legs, ankles and feet. The itching (and new bites) would follow me to the next city and I must have purchased every type of bug repellent I could find along with a huge supply of antihistamines one pharmacist prescribed. In addition to menu Italian, I had become fluent in pharmaceutical Italian!

When we were planning our trip, we knew we needed to find a city conducive to a long term stay. It had to be a city close to other places of interest (for day trips and weekend travel). Torino was a city we considered because it’s proximity to so many other countries. After a few short days, we agreed it’s a city worth spending several weeks in during our future travels. I’ll just have to pack lots of bug spray!