(And yes, it's still surreal to be living in a place where places like Turin are a day trip, a quick train ride, away.)
Living downtown now it's so much more convenient to get to one of our main train stations. Of course for this trip we needed to change trains at Principe and in true Italian style our first train was 25 minutes late. Had we known this we'd have just taken the bus to Principe (which was only 10 minutes away). But no, we had to start our day adventurously so there we were, running full tilt through Principe to barely catch our next train with 2 minutes to spare.
2 hours later....
After a relaxing regional train ride, meaning multiple stops along the way, we arrived in Turin. Thankfully we'd napped along the way so we were ready for a day of walking and leisure.
Turin train station
After exiting the train station we headed straight out and down through the center of the city (or I should say what I'm assuming to be the centre of the city) to view some of the main squares and head to Via Po to grab some lunch.
Piazza Carlo Alberto
Piazza San Carlo
Piazza Castello
Lunch for me was an interesting dish of tomatoes and grilled, yet soggy, eggplant senza mozzarella. There wasn't much other than seafood on the menu, and let's just say that after being adventurous in my lunch choice this round, I don't think it'll happen too much more in the future. Yikes!
After lunch we nabbed a little icy treat to sugar us up and keep us on our way. Turin is known for it's chocolate, treats (ie donuts) and hot chocolate beverages.
As our afternoon progressed we meandered down Via Po into Piazza Vittoria Veneto and on towards the Po River. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining, no rush in our step and a light breeze off the river. The river itself is beautiful from a distance, but the still water on one side of the bridge left much to be desired in terms of cleanliness. We took pleasure in watching a little bird dip down and miraculously appear metres from its entry point - all the while amazed that it was still alive amid those murky waters.
Piazza Vittoria Veneto
Po River
Lovin' Saturday fun day :)
On the way back to Piazza Castello, we perused a few market stalls that were set up along the piazza that were selling wares the varied from cheese, meats and wine to candy and donuts. Then B and S found their donut shop (S had been to Turin before and found a scrumptious bakery) so we stopped for yet another treat. What can we say? When in Turin.....
The donut was bigger than my face! And super scrumptious.
Reminded me of sugar yeast donuts back home. :p
A little chocolate treat along the way.
Palace Royal Torino (the House of Savoy)
Next we walked along the pedestrian street, Via Garibaldi, and did a little window shopping while taking in the atmosphere of Turin's shopping district. Along this street we found many stores of the non-chain variety, along with a few regulars as well. It's always nice to be able to meander down a street without having to worry about dodging scooters and dog poop.
Although our time in Turin was short, I definitely got a little taste of the city. Chocolate, culture, cleanliness, couture - a city with much to see and do, and we just hit the tip of the iceberg. I'm not sure if it's because the city is in the northern part of the country, or because it's so close to France but it definitely has a different feel to it than other Italian cities I've been to. Considering the close proximity with which I live to Turin, I can definitely say another day trip in the future is warranted to see more of the city, and perhaps some of the sites from when the Olympics were held here.
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