Having resided in Turin now for six months we are getting more and more time to explore. Sometimes it’s a monument we haven’t seen before or a shop that looks unfamiliar. Most of which, in the past months or so, have taken quite a walk to get there and back. So we decided one day this week to have lunch and a coffee and see what we could turn up, right on or very near our own street, via Giovanni Giolitti.
Lunch
A nine or ten block walk from our apartment, past the Piazza San Carlo, is a small fresh pasta place called Brün. Actually located on via Vittorio Alfieri, which is technically one and the same with via Giovanni Giolitti since they are in fact one and the same street.
Brün – via Vittorio Alfieri – Pasta Fresca
Brün resides in a very clean-looking building just past the Piazza San Carlo. It’s entrance sports a business shingle at street view that is quite easy to see as you are walking.
Brün – Modern Interior
Inside the owners went with a more modern and efficient layout and design than you would probably see elsewhere in Turin. Their main claim to fame here is their pasta, which is made fresh daily and comes in three price tiers and about eight styles, from the customary Italian Tagliatelle and Spaghetti, all the way to the more expensive and delicious ravioli – Agnolotti.
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We both decided on the Tagliatelle, but served two different ways and both were absolutely delicious. The pasta was served on plates of recycled paper and the utensils were also of recycled plastics. Each plate costs less than six Euros. Add two glasses of wine and both can eat a delicious lunch for under fifteen Euros easily!
Dessert
After paying for lunch we walked out of Brün only to take a short walk up via XX Settembre and around the corner to visit La Romana, located on via Santa Teresa.
La Romana – via Santa Teresa
From the outside it looks expensive, which normally in Turin still means delicious but pricey. However after looking what they had to offer we thought the pricing was more or less inline with what we would expect.
La Romana – The Coffee and Gelati Bar
The inside is a very modern decor with employees that also speak English, so you will have no problem ordering your Gelato and other desserts (there are many). We opted for the Gelato.
Hazelnut
YYYUUmmm – Dark Chocolate and Coconut
The store has much more to offer and appears to do all of their baking on site. In fact, while you are eating your gelato you can see the Baker make desserts behind a glass. The centerpiece of the store is a large glass enclosure with all of the day’s high-caloric offerings. All look very appetizing and we are definitely going back, not only for the Gelato which we think is as good as or slightly better that Fiorio and Grom, but to purchase and bring home a cake or tort.
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Coffee
After dessert it was time to cap it off with an early afternoon coffee. What better place to go than down the street and around the corner to the Piazza San Carlo and Caffè Torino.
Caffè Torino – Early 20th Century Decor
Caffè Torino is one of Turin‘s hallmark coffee bars where one can enjoy a Campari or Aperol Spritz, coffee, tea or any number of tall drinks. They also serve some light fare in the event you are hungry.
Patti’s Caffé Macchiato
Patti had the establishment’s caffè Macchiato and I had a caffè (espresso) with a shot of Sambuca. The Sambuca sweetens the espresso a bit making it a caffè corretto. Each coffee came with the customary Torinese shot of sparkling water to cleanse your mouth once finished.
Make no mistake, Caffè Torino is modestly expensive when compared to other places where you can indulge in coffee around Turin (the home of coffee in Italy). We spent more on two cups of coffee and a Sambuca then we did on our pasta lunch with wine! You are however paying for the atmosphere. Therefore, if you choose your drinks wisely (or not), you can manage a very nice experience without an enormous bite coming out of your wallet.
All in all, we had a great lunch right on our own street and just a short walk away. Bear in mind all of this did take us close to three hours, or an hour lunch-break, if you are on Italian time!
If one were to take Trenitalia from Turin Porta Nuova west to its logical end, one would find Susa, a quiet little alpine town built by the Gauls sometime before the Roman Empire. Excited? You should be, we were and were not disappointed.
Susa Station
We entered the town via the train station, an hour’s ride from our main train station in Turin. As we traveled down the Susa Valley, somewhere starting around Avigliana, we slowly became surrounded by hills, then mountains.
Train route down the Susa Valley
Upon reaching Susa, we were encircled by Graian Alps. , especially Rocciamelone which sits just due north of the town.
Overlooking the Park of Augusto, with Rocciamelone towering overhead
We had arrived around eleven o’clock in the morning, ready for some serious tourist trekking of the town and a peak at the food festival they were having this weekend.
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The food festival, just after opening
and before the massive food fight (tongue in cheek)
Gauls and Romans
The town, like many very old towns in Italy, enjoys a rich history dating back before and including the Roman Empire. When the Roman Empire ascended into existence after the Roman Republic, Susa became a voluntary part of it in the 1st century BC.
Ceasar Augustus Arch, Susa, 8 BC
The arch was positioned along the Via Cozia (today known as Via delle Gallie), the road that led to Gaul. Its age and architecture are impressive, it is also amazing that it has stood in such good shape for over two thousand years!
Roman Aqueduct Terme Graziane and Gates
The aqueduct above is impressive itself and was built to feed water to baths somewhere, however it actually disguises a dirty little Gaul secret. The wall that connects to it on the left masks a set of holes carved into the rocks that were supposedly used to collect blood from Gaul sacrifices. Nice right? Those Gauls knew how to party.
Patti on the grounds of the Civic Museum for Roman History
Susa Around Town
If you are not so inclined to delve deeply into the Roman history of the area, it is easy enough just to enjoy the town itself.
The Dora Riparia makes its trek through Susa carrying its aquamarine glacial waters. It eventually is joined by other tributaries, especially the Cenischia, before it reaches Turin and joins the river Po.
Susa Torre, Comune di Susa
The Torre in Susa, a building obviously repurposed over the years.
Piazza della Torre, Susa
Pizzeria Ristorante Italia
Finally after a few hours enjoying the absolutely gorgeous weather and amazing scenery it was time for something to eat. We decided the street food we saw was not going to slake our thirst nor satiate us, so we ventured away from the center of town, which we also found much too noisy (they do allow cars to flow through it). From the Piazza Trento we walked down the via Francesco Rolando and found an obvious favorite, Pizzeria Ristorante Italia.
Inside Pizzeria Ristorante Italia
The restaurant was actually quite busy; the photograph above being taken before the mass of locals entered in small groups to eat their lunch. Many of which ordered the blue plate and much to our chagrin got served before ourselves. Oh well, it wasn’t like we were in a hurry, being retired is so nice…
Patti’s Bruschetta
and Papadelle Al Ragú
Susa A Great One Day Adventure
We had a marvelous time in Susa and want to come back in the Fall and perhaps Winter to enjoy the change of season and their Christmas market respectively. So we encourage you, if you are ever in the vicinity of Turin, do not dismiss Susa as a possible day trip. Check their calendar first, just in case they have something special going on. Even if they don’t, a one day trip just for the history will be worth it. Until then, here are some extra photographs of Susa for your enjoyment.
A short trip by train just outside and to the west of Turin lies Avigliana, a medieval town some would call a small city. However, regardless of its size, it is charming nonetheless.
Turin Porta Nouva to Avigliana via TrenitaliaAvigliana Train Station
We arrived on a picture perfect day with only a few clouds hovering over the mountains to the North and West and no threat of rain whatsoever in sight.
Abbey Sacra di San Michele
As soon as we left the train station we could see the Abbey Sacra di San Michele perched on the Monte Pirchiriano to the West. From Avigliana this is also an easy sight to visit if you are traveling by car. However, even if you are traveling by train and on foot it is also possible if you have the time. It lies some ten kilometers from town and has history that dates back to the tenth century. Our trip centered more on the historic part of town and visiting the lakes, which promised to be magnificent.
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Our ascent to the town was along a more or less direct route from the train station. Instead of following the signs near the train station, we walked via San Giuseppe to via Porta Ferrata. Once you reach the fork in the road take the right branch which will bring you to the Church of Santa Croce and an uncommon overlook of the Susa Valley. Coming back down and continuing a bit further we came across the Porta Ferrata, an old medieval gate that dates back to the 13th century.
Panoramic view from the overlook at the Church of Santa Croce
We had now spent a little over an hour walking through the narrow streets and alleys, exploring those little areas that afforded us access. From the spine of the hill on which the town sits, one can get some great photographs of the mountains, including historic landmarks.
From via Dell’Orologio the Torre dell’Orologio and cupola of the Parrochia SS. Giovanni e Pietro
From the via dell’Orologio we quickly descended the historic center of town to make our way to the lakes. (It is best before you leave to download any maps as well as familiarize yourself with your overall route. We found cellular service in the town a bit spotty, so if you are addicted to travel-by-phone only, you may run into difficulties and feel lost at times.) However, if you are lucky enough to find the main road, via Garibaldi that leads to Corso Laghi, you are all set; the maar lakes are South on that road.
Lago Grande di Avigliana
After about a fifteen or twenty-minute walk we came across the first lake, Lago Grande, meaning “large lake”. The term maar comes from the fact that both of these lakes are essentially volcanic craters. The volcanoes are of course extinct, but since the lava domes they once had have collapsed, the depressions have filled with water making these amazing lakes. The green tint comes from a mixture of mountain glacier runoff and algae. However they got there, on a beautiful sunny day they are just amazing to see and enjoy.
Residents must enjoy the peace the lakes and mountains offer them since it appears that no motorboats are allowed on the them, only sailboats and others that require human power. We also witnessed several people swimming the width of the large lake which must be close to one kilometer. There is also a diving school on the East bank of the large lake where you can take diving lessons. Though we were within a short walk to the smaller lake we decided not to go, We had both walked over three miles and were starting to get a bit tired.
Patti enjoying the weather and a rest from all of our walking
The stroll back into town took another twenty or so minutes and we were now both hungry and looking for something to eat. We had thought about eating somewhere along the lake, but none of the restaurant menus there appealed to us. So we headed for the main piazza in town, piazza Conte Rosso.
Chiesa de San Giovanni
Retracing our route back to the piazza and up the long street stairs of via Garibaldi we see the Church of San Giovanni from under the Porta San Giovanni. The church stands there almost confused that it is no longer held up on the one side by a building that most likely once stood there. It most likely had been torn down centuries ago, but the scars from its lost companion are still obvious in the relentless sun. The facade, which one must say is somewhat unique, dates back to the 14th and 15th centuries and seems to borrow from several styles.
Piazza Conte Rosso
Piazza Conte Rosso is a working piazza, with cars co-mingling with pedestrians. From here one can see the ruins of the old castle on the hill, Castello di Avigliana. There are also several caffés and bars here, as well as the restaurant, San Michele.
Ristorante San Michele
The food at Ristorante San Michele is very good and moderately expensive. There are daily specials and several dishes that are unique to the Piedmont. They also serve bio wine which is environmentally friendly, from the Piedmont, quite unique and is very, very good!
If you are in the area of the Piedmont or Turin and have a few hours or a day extra, then Avigliana might be a very relaxing choice for you. There is definitely enough to see and do, you can rent boats on the lakes and swim, and there is more than enough to eat and drink.
Our plans for visiting Cinque Terre were for spending most of our time in Monterosso, which we felt was the more livable town, and visit the other four. First, Vernazza by hiking to it from Monterosso, then taking the train and by-passing the subject towns to have lunch in Riomaggiore. Subsequently, taking the train indirectly back to Monterosso by way of the other two smaller towns quickly in the afternoon. This means that even with an approximately two-hour hike in the morning to Vernazza, you too can visit all the towns this way too!
Manarola
The Train Station Sign – Manarola
Exiting The Train Station Tunnel
Manarola being a smaller town has few things to do, but its a colorful little town and is busy with activity.
The Main StreetBusy With Tourists
Manarola will also remind you that it’s still a working fishing port, or that’s what they want you to believe at least. As you head toward the old port you will increasingly come across boats that have been dragged up from the shore and stored along the street sides.
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Of course there is always the sea to visit and a short walk down to the seaside is a must.
Taking In The Seaside Is A Must, Here Swimmers Can Dive From The RocksThere Were Plenty People Swimming Even Though There Was Technically No Beach
If you have to eat in Manarola we can definitely suggest the old Cinque Terre Gelateria, they have gelato, unlike some others we have come across (and there is bad tourist gelato around), that is just amazing.
Cinque Terre Gelateria – A Big Thumbs UP!
Corniglia
After jumping on the train again we found ourselves in the last of the five towns, Corniglia.
Corniglia Train Station
This town has the dubious distinction of having four hundred plus steps to reach it from the train station. While my wife Patti and daughter Ericka decided it was a bit too hot to attempt to summit our last town, I took on the challenge.
A long walk awaits you prior to your climb
In the baking heat, and it was reaching low to mid 90’s each day here, before you even reach the stairs you are, shall we say, uncomfortable.
The stairs switchback and forthThe view is amazingIf you climb too far, this will remind you its the start of a trail too!
The stairs are well-kept and there is some shade along the way where you can rest. Since I am no longer in my twenties, I availed myself of the shade twice (before I blew a blood vessel or suffered a stroke). Fortunately when you reach the top the town has strategically placed a fountain where one can top off their bottle of water (thank you!). If you continue you will quickly realize by the signs that you have gone the wrong way and you will meet the customary trail signs to the next town. Turning around you should notice the town and your mistake.
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Getting to the center requires a little navigation, but you will eventually pop out close to the town center and where the bus stop is. Even climbing the steps and taking several short breaks I was still able to beat my wife and daughter to the town center, but I admit that was on a busy touristy day!
Town CenterNext to the bus stopThe Cappella dei Flagellati Corniglia
Climbing the stairs to the right of this church yields an uncomprimising view of the water.
The Mediterranean Sea
…and that just about sums up our visit to Cinque Terre. Though a lot of traveling is involved, walking, hiking, climbing and sittings on buses and trains it is more a less worth it. However, one can also make the argument that it is a bit of a manufactured tourist trap and part of an industry to help the locals out and/or inconvenience them, some times its difficult to tell. We leave that thought for the reader to consider before visiting.
In order to enter the park for hiking between the towns, you have to purchase tickets. These will give you trail access and can be purchased at the National Park Service counter at the train station.
Tickets for two, plus one
These same tickets give you complete shuttle bus and train service between the five towns as well. Even if you don’t hike, this is probably your best travel option at 16€ per person.
We took the train from Vernazza to Riomaggiore and in order to get to the town center, you must walk through a tunnel.
Via Colombo
The main street looks similar to the other towns, perhaps with a bit more vertical pitch.
The climb up to the castle is a bit long and on a hot day can be somewhat oppressive.
You cannot miss it, there is a big clock on it!
There are benches and an overlook to the right, once you reach the top.
If you are looking for narrow stairways or alleys, there are plenty of those to explore. After our long hike and short train ride, we actually ate lunch here as well and can recommend Veciu Muin.
Our visit to the Cinque Terre starts with Monterosso, our home base for this adventure in food, wine, hiking and sightseeing.
We arrived here via the Inter-city train from Turin, our home town. A leisurely ride of about two hours, which to us is much better than driving and stress-free. Our hotel is the 3 star Hotel Margherita, which provides spartan, clean and adequate accomodations in the heart of town, with breakfast included, for more than a fair price (it’s also air-conditioned).
The seaside is amazing and provides both free public beach and paid accomodations and access for those willing to pay more; including cafe delivery to your chair. Even though a tourist destination itself, it’s big enough to more than handle the influx of tourists, one of the main reasons we chose it.
The town of course is very colorful and will remind some of the brightly painted styles of Bermuda and the Caribbean. The town also grows flowers everywhere!
You are free to wander about as you like, there are few impediments. However, if you venture too far, as in the other towns of Cinque Terre, you will run out of real estate quickly or face a stair climb that leads you nowhere.
Be ready to climb stairs, everywhere
It is all worth it though for the great views and fabulous Italian cuisine, especially the seafood. As one can imagine being next to the sea, octopus and shrimp, as well as daily fish is on every menu. There are of course the regional favorites and pasta is always on the menu. For wine, there are many local favorites, including one from Cinque Terre itself, which was served at the bar of our hotel for 5€ a glass and is very good. One can always find other great wines, including Amarones. So wine with dinner is always no problem.
Cinque Terre – Monterosso
The above is the town from the start of the Nature Preserve hiking trail to Vernazza. More on hiking and the other towns in this pentagonous coastal favorite later…
After reading several reviews and actually knowing someone in the states that has the last name Rivoli, my wife and I decided on a road trip today to that namesake.
Entering Rivoli
From Turin‘s Porta Nuova (Turin‘s main train station) we traveled using Trenitalia‘s service to Susa (not to be confused with Porta Susa in Turin), getting off at Alpignano. Then after going under the railroad tracks using the tunnel, since we were disembarked on track 2, we took the GTT 1432 bus from Piazza Tulio Robotti for eight to ten minutes to Rivoli at Fermata 13264 on via Don Murialdo.
The narrow streets of Rivoli
Once you step off the bus and find your bearings you begin to realize that you need to ascend a hill, your ultimate destination being the old Savoia Castel and new Museum of Contemporary Art. Passing many shops and colorful buildings, some needing ownerships, others busy with activity, you slowing ascend the via Fratelli Piol, or main street.
The city itself is actually very well-kept, like other Piedmontese, they obviously have some pride in keeping their community clean. I admit it must be a struggle for them as well as other communities, from what we’ve seen, but this seems not to deter them. The Europeans as a whole still seem to feel they have a right to just pollute and it will not affect them (I will write another article, specific to Turin, on this later), even though they vote and their government seems to do otherwise.
Chiese Santa Croce
After some walking, browsing and curious on looking into shop windows, one will arrive at a fork in the road and clearly see the Church of Santa Croce. A cinnamon and stout marvel of Christianity. With a mural of Christ with his cross above the large wooden doors, but no longer owned by the Catholic Church, but rather the Res Publica – Galleria d’Arte Democratica for art exhibitions and shows.
The Old Grande Ristorante del Castello
Upon reaching the top of the hill you arrive at the old castle, or the Castello di Rivoli. Built by the Savoia and houses the Museum of Contemporary Art it is well worth the travel and the climb.
It commands an amazing view of the surrounding area as well as Turin and other parts of Rivoli itself.
A view of Turin afar, as viewed on a smoggy day from the Castle
When one faces the East North East one also enjoys an amazing view of the Alps too!
A semi-clear view of the Alps, yes they are close here
I will admit the day was somewhat warm and humid.
Another view with Chiesa Collegiata di Santa Maria della Stella
However, compared to North Carolina standards, at fifty percent humidity, it was not totally intolerable. We would therefore call this a warm day, though uncomfortable. Some other sites on our descent included the following.
It was time to eat, being both hungry and a bit dehydrated from the climb, we searched for a place that served both simple but filling fare. We found the Caffé Roxy where we were able to order what we call in the States, flat breads with salami, drinks (both wine and water) as well as dessert, caffe and aperitif, all for 24€. Not a bad deal and the service was excellent as well!
Caffé Roxy on the way up to the castle
After a full stomach and enough shopping we had had our fill of Rivoli and it was time to leave. This is where we caution everyone about the deplorable state of some of the fermatas or bus stops in Italy, you just cannot read some of them or they are CLEARLY WRONG. Pay attention to the numbers that are marked on them. The information that your internet application has is probably correct. Also, do NOT have an expectation of bus color or that you will see a bus number when it approaches, ALWAYS ASK THE DRIVER, especially when you are in an out-of-the-way place. It will make your life so much easier, though a bit uncomfortable (since you will have to use your limited Italian.)
Tickets for Two
After crossing Corso Francia multiple times between Fermata 2794 and 2823and feeling like fools, we finally caught the bus we wanted for Alpignano, albeit on the wrong side of that street.
We finally arrived at the station with plenty of time to spare, stamped our tickets, and waited for our train, which of course was five minutes late – but, it did arrive! Buona giornata!
Occasionally, you come across a restaurant, caffe or bar which just hits all the buttons correctly. For us this occurred last evening at Caffe Vini Emilio Ranzini.
I don’t want to call this place a hole in the wall, but that is the first impression a foreigner, an American, will have. All in all it might measure twenty by thirty feet inside, sixty or seventy square feet maximum, including the bar. But, the food is unmatched by other restaurants much larger in size. So, either there is a huge kitchen somewhere we could not see, or the chef is a magician.
To be honest, there is an outdoor patio in the back where they are able to seat perhaps another forty or so guests. We were fortunate this evening to get our own table inside next to the door and near the bar, to watch all the comings and goings (people watching is an acceptable hobby in Italy.)
A Piola Menu
As can be seen by the rather large display above, the menu is displayed on the wall. This is typical for a Piola, a Torinese-style restaurant that has daily offers of food at reasonable prices (or in Italian, a termine piemontese dal significato di osteria, bar).
Tagliere of Salumi and Formaggi, along with other great stuff to eat
For our dinner we selected the Salami and Cheese plate for two. To accompany this, we also ordered the vinegar roasted zucchini squash, roasted peppers and Polpette di Carni (or hot meatballs).
The meat tasted as one would expect, a nice selection of salami and prosciutto. The cheese selection was very good, especially the blue cheese which reminded us of a Stilton and the other whiter cheese above which reminded us of a sharp white cheddar.
Nizza, San Luigi, 2015 – DOCG
The meatballs and zucchini were to die for. It was actually difficult to tell what kind of meat, were in the meatballs (and frankly we were afraid to ask since horsemeat is an acceptable meat in Italy.) But, the spices and the particular way in which they were cooked (it looked like deep-frying but not sure it was), was very tasty. The squash on the other hand was served cold, but the vinegar gave it such a pop in your mouth, you wanted to order more.
The Wine
This specific place also sports a rather nice wine list. Since we were looking for something red to pair with the meatballs, salami and cheese, we went with a nice Barbera. The Nizza from San Luigi, 2015 was an excellent choice. Dry and aromatic with fruity overtones of cherry, it combined very nicely with our meal. A wine which is sure on my short list of choices when I visit my local wine store in the future!
Erick relaxing prior to eating
Patti enjoying the wine
In Conclusion
Though it was our evening out to celebrate our 37th anniversary, we had expected to spend a bit more. So, when the bill came and it came to a total of 37€, we were delightfully surprised. Not only because we thought it so inexpensive, but that we got such good food and atmosphere at such an affordable and reasonable price.
The bar at Caffe Vivi Emilio Ranzini
We are sure the menu changes often, weekly at least, perhaps even daily. Our plans are to go back for lunch. One word of caution. They do have Summer hours (9:30-2:30, 5:30-8:30) starting in June, which are reduced from the hours posted on Google. However, we would recommend this place for either lunch or dinner and it’s just two blocks off of via Garibaldi!
Since Turin is a city, there are no shortage of grocery stores. We’ve been here for several months now and have discovered stores that satisfy all of our needs and wants. When we first moved here, we just frequented the regular grocery stores, as we had too many other important issues to handle. But, now that we have more time, we have set out to discover all the ‘Mom & Pop’ shops.
Our nearest large grocery store is Lidl – a 10 minute walk. It is a German grocery chain, however, here it has mostly Italian products. (We had a Lidl in North Raleigh that had both American and German products). Here, as in the States, it carries mostly off-brand products with only a few brand-name ones. We found their produce to be very good, as most are grown locally or within other regions of Italy. Here in Italy, unlike the States, vegetables are seasonal. Certain produce are not year-round, with the exception of imported red peppers from Spain. Prices are quite low, even on brand-name items. We usually buy our paper products, olive oil (our favorite is Molini brand), milk, butter, and eggs at Lidl. We have also purchased chicken and sausage and found it to be very good.
Animal products, in general, are all raised in Italy. No matter if you shop in a grocery store or at the Farmer’s Market, everything is weighed, including iceberg lettuce and celery. Items are typically not sold as ‘a head’. You also have to wear plastic gloves to handle the produce. You weigh the produce, and place the price tag label on it, not the cashier. Though there are still exceptions where the cashier weighs it.
There is a HUGE grocery chain store called IperCoopthat we had discovered while staying in the AirBnb. Now that we have moved to our long-term apartment, it is quite a distance away. We now have to walk and take a tram to get there, which takes approx. 50 minutes roundtrip. We do go once in a while, as we find their prices to be competitive. When I say HUGE, it is big, even by US standards. It is like a Super Walmart or Super Target. It has a pharmacy, electronics, and gardening section, besides the usual bakery and butcher. Their produce is great – Farmer’s Market fresh. I wish it were closer, as it would be our go-to grocery store. I am going to digress here a little bit – the IperCoop reminds me a lot of when I was growing up and I would go shopping with my Mom to Shop-Rite in Hudson. Hudson had a large Italian-American population, so we were able to buy items in-store, that we were never able to find once we moved to North Carolina. Of course, in Italy, we see these very same items that aren’t in your average American grocery store. Yes, we’ve eaten them all!
Calf’s Tongue and Pig’s Feet in IperCoop – With a Glimpse of Tripe to the Right 🙂
There are also numerous mini-markets throughout the city, equipped with meat, produce, etc. – just on a smaller scale than a regular grocery store. We don’t purposely go to them, but when we are out and happen to see one, we stop in to see if there is anything we may need or what they are offering.
Our all-time favorite is the outdoor Farmer’s Market. Our closest one is about a 15 minute walk in the San Salvario area of Turin on Via Madama Cristina. It is open every day, except Sunday. (Stores are closed on Sunday, except for Lidl). There are many Farmer’s Markets throughout the city. This happens to be our closest one and it is big enough to have everything we need. Besides produce vendors, there are cheese, meat, bakery, fish and flower vendors. Everything is grown locally in the countryside outside of Turin. The vendors bring their produce of the day and it is all so fresh! My favorite so far are Piccadilly Tomatoes. They have the most intense fresh-from-the-garden taste! It is more of an effort to shop at the Farmer’s Market, due to having to speak (a bit in) Italian! Remember, no pounds here! Everything is in kilograms, (2.2 pounds= 1 kilogram). You are not allowed to touch the items. You have to tell the vendor which one you want, or how much. If you touch produce, you will get yelled at. Ask me how I know 🙂
Farmer’s Market on Via Madama CristinaPiccadilly Tomatoes – YUM!!Squash with Flower Blossoms, Onions, Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Pasta, Celery and Radishes
Squash flower blossoms are one of my favorites. Again, my Mom used to make them. Of course these are seasonal, as the squash are picked very early. The squash are so tender and the blossoms are delicious. Erick had them for the first time and enjoyed them too. We also purchased fresh Agnolotti pasta – a Piemontese specialty. They can be stuffed with a variety of fillings, including horsemeat, beef, rabbit, pork or veal with spinach. I didn’t ask the vendor what filling was in the ones I purchased; maybe I should have, but it was delicious anyway!
Patti shopping for fresh Agnolotti – The lady to my right told me that I needed to pick a number. Hey, I’m only trying to look right now! LOL I guess she thought I might cut in front of her. Erick joked about how we all must be related, due to how short we all are. Wise guy!Fried Squash Flower Blossoms – SOOO delicious!Just a common bunch of broccoli and garlic
After we leave the Farmer’s Market, we usually head to the bakery nearby. Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly baked bread? We go to Panificio Ficini Valter on Via Claudio Luigi Berthollet. Everything is weighed in Italy and I mean EVERYTHING. You don’t pay for one loaf of bread – instead it is weighed. I don’t have pictures of bread. I guess it gets eaten up too quickly. For a large ciabatta, you will only pay about €1.20 (approx $1.34). Even in Lidl, they bake bread and it is super cheap and delicious. For a baguette, you will get charged €.39 (approx $.44). Bread shops here also make slices of pizza and panini. It is all so delicious. Another bakery we go to, which is a 10 minute walk from home is Perino Vesco on Via Cavour. They are all amazing!
Next stop is the butcher. Erick and I are not huge meat-eaters, however the meat is so lean and fresh here, that we always want to buy something. Chicken breasts are truly a deep yellow color. All the beef is so lean and tender. Of course, they will cut everything to order. We go to the one closest to the Farmer’s Market – it doesn’t have a name. It literally just says “Macelleria” on the outside sign. Right now, I can’t even think what street it is on. There are butcher shops closer to our apartment, so I’m sure we will visit some others soon. They are all so crowded (including the bread shops) that it is difficult to take photos and I don’t want to get yelled at 🙂
Beef Flank Stuffed with Seasoned Ground Beef – It was delicious! Meat is the most expensive item here. But, 5.35 euros is still a deal!
Now to talk about foods that we are used to buying in the US – I cook a lot of Italian-American food, but there comes a time we want something different. We were in Conad (another grocery store that we really like) one day when Erick spotted some fixins to make Tacos! That is one thing I like about living in a city in Italy – better access to other ethnic foods that you wouldn’t ordinarily find in smaller towns. Lidl from time to time will do an “American” week or “Mexican” week, but since we’ve been here, have not seen it. Well, we didn’t have to wait for “American” week! Conad has taco soft shells, and salsa ALL the time! No brand-name items but they tasted just as good. There was no taco seasoning, but we substituted chili seasoning instead – it worked!
Taco fixin’ – all was pretty inexpensive. Imported from Sweden!
Another food item that is difficult to find here are pierogies. They are a great alternative to potatoes, rice and noodles. Thankfully for Google, I found a grocery store called Mix Markt. This time a 20 minute walk took us to this (Eastern)European/Middle Eastern/Russian market. It had items of course that we had never seen before nor could identify! 🙂 We found potato pierogies from Austria – Bingo! The highlight of this grocery store were these cans of fish or should I say cans of crap! 🙂
Cans of Crap in Tomato Sauce or Spicy Hot! For 10 Euro Cents More You Can Get Filet of Crap! Take Your Pick!
We believe this is Carp (misspelled) in a can – goldfish? Who knows? Imported from Portugal. Either way, Crap or Carp, no thank you!
Venture far from Sachsenhausen or Süd-Frankfurt, or a short stop on your way to Hanau (for whatever reason that may be), you will find the small city of Offenbach. One can say it’s one of those towns or cities that most resembles the new Germany, pluralistic, cosmopolitan and apparently an up-and-coming place. Our daughter lives here and has re-acclimated herself to the bigger city life, than she was used to when she lived in Kassel.
Marktplatz
Though we have no photographs, mostly due to a certain ambivalence on my part, one can say this is where the action is. It has many modern stores, a main pedestrian zone for shopping and several trendy, economical and interesting places to eat. There is a U-Bahn stop here, which can be easily reached from Frankfurt’sHauptbahnhof or main train station.
Other Areas
Around Offenbach’sMarktplatz, are many different areas for business and residential with the train station for the city slicing right through it. Though we use the Offenbacher Hauptbahnhof regularly, we have never considered looking for a place to eat near it. We were surprised to find a culinary gem not too far away!
ShauMAHL Restaurant
On a chilly, rainy evening with reservations for the Frankfurter Botschaft, we started our restaurant adventure on the Offenbacher Hauptbahnhof platform waiting for a DB train that would never arrive (perhaps another DB störung, they are famous for them as one of our previous blog articles describes; more on this in a later blog entry.)
ShauMAHL front entrance
Dismayed, we quickly canceled our current reservation and began a search for something comparable in the immediate area. We found ShauMAHL.
Patti and Erick, with view of the bar
One would say a rather expensive restaurant. However, as the saying goes (and we are technically on vacation, even though retired ?), “in for a penny, in for a pound!”
Tristan and Ericka before enjoying their meal
They offer a fixed-priced menu which provides a very round selection, from fish, fowl to meat.
Ericka’s veal confit dish
I selected the rabbit dish with green sauce which was excellent. Rabbit, rabbit meatballs, barley, ummmm, good.
Erick’s Kannichen (rabbit) dish
For drink, I selected a nice regionally (Württemberg) produced red, Graf von Neipperg, merlot, 2015 (€79), very nice (I think I used the word ‘okay’ while trying it, much to the dismay of the waitress.) It has all the qualities of being a really good wine. But lest I go into wine snobbery, my bar (bar as in a high-jump bar, a bar to get over) is a 1986 or 1989 Chateau Lynch Bages, need I say more?
Expresso and flaming Sambucca
For dessert we chose whatever we were more inclined to eat, Erick the Apfelstrüdel, Patti and Ericka the ice cream and Tristan a coffee. Erick and Ericka still ordered an expresso with Sambuca straight-up.
For a rainy evening, an expensive (€410), though extraordinary find for a dismissed place like Offenbach.
