Tag: Turin

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Sant Ambrogio, Turin – Sacra di San Michele

A Sacred Vertical Pilgrimage

Panorama before church at end of trail

For those wanting and willing to see the Sacra di San Michele and experience this great church and its views, one must hike the three or so kilometers and one kilometer ascent in order to really enjoy what the builders had accomplished here. Not only is it a feat of Middle-Ages engineering and stubbornness, its shear existence defies rationality, and so may I add hiking up to it. Well maybe not exactly, but you should be prepared. We saw many individuals when we were descending wearing the wrong type of shoes, etc. More on that later.

Sant’ Ambrogio – Getting There

A thirty three minute train ride from Turin’s train station Porta Nuova will get you to Sant’ Ambrogio and the beginning of your climb. Let me add, before we begin, that you may drive up to the church; but then you would be among the majority of people there and just mere tourists.

The train station – San Ambrogio

The train station is spartan and leaves you off on track one to enter this small town or hamlet directly. Returning you will have to find the stairwell to the right of the train station and walk under the tracks.

We arrived the day after Easter Sunday, or as the remembrance in Italy has it for Roman Catholics, Pasquetta [1]Also called, Lunedì dell’ Angelo, which is meant to remember the women of the sepulcher, including Mary Magdalene, who were comforted by an angel when they returned to Jesus’ tomb and found it … Continue reading The town was more or less empty, so our ideas about a quick climb up and back and an early lunch soon vanished.

On the way up, the rooftops of the town – Sant Ambrogio

The walk through the town was short and without incident, in fact, we were mostly accompanied by the individuals who left the train with us, residents of the town having already left for the long weekend or enjoying amenities inside and their extra day off.

Parco Naturale Orsiera – Sentiero Trail 502

Using the Sentiero Trail 502, or TOS 502, we quickly left the town and started our ascent up the most north-eastern mountain or hill of the Parco Naturale Orsiera. An almost one kilometer ascent for three kilometers with slopes ranging in steepness of three to twenty percent, and I would conjecture most were in the double digits.

This 3 km rises 1000 meters and takes about 1 and a half to 2 hours to hike – Trail Map

The trail was for the most part cobbled with round and larger stones, some which have a remarkable green color, are shiny and very slippery. Proper shoes are important, though it is possible to navigate the trail with tennis shoes or sneakers.

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Upon exiting the trail at a collection of houses, and an interim point in the hike, you will find a large commemorative stone.

Commemoration Wheel 2000 – Sentiero Trail 502

Then you will make a hairpin turn and look up, only to see that your hike up is STILL NOT OVER!

Still a long way up to go – Sentiero Trail 502

Checking the signs indicate approximately another kilometer to hike, which took us about twenty minutes.

Trail Sign, another .8 km to go – Sentiero Trail 502

After the last more modest climb you will walk onto a road, where all the other tourists are walking into from the parking lot. The attraction has a large sign explaining the layout of the church and its grounds.

Sign at entry to Sacra di San Michele

Sacra di San Michele

Once near the church of Sacra di San Michele, the magnificent views are apparent. With its perch high on a rocky crag, the church has a commanding view of the valley below.

Panorama before church at end of trail

Walking up to the church you will find a small building to the right that sells postcards, other tourist paraphernalia and entrance tickets. Once purchased, a turnstile to the left has a QR code reader that will let you enter, then you must start climbing stairs, an unwelcome sign after our long journey.

Tickets for Two – Sacra di San Michele – Sant Ambrogio

The remainder of our visit consisted of just enjoying the church and the beautiful views. My wife chose this day because the weather promised to be wonderful, we were not disappointed, it was sunny and in the low 60°s Fahrenheit, perfect for hiking.

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Leaving we took our last look up at the great church and descended along the more difficult trail, due to its increase in steepness, it promised to cut some time off our descent, which it did.

Going down is a bit more treacherous and only 2.5 km, but still takes about 1 and a half hours to hike – Trail Map

However, the first part of this trail is VERY steep and not for anyone ill-prepared or wearing the wrong hiking apparel, so caution! We were actually having second thoughts until we realized it was more difficult to go back up, then to press on and continue downward.

A view of the church descending – Sacra di San Michele

We arrived back in Sant’ Ambrogio almost five hours later, hungry and fairly tired from our experience. Once on the train, we relaxed and started to compare which part of our legs hurt more. However, we were both happy we were able to meet our sacred vertical pilgrimage with a great sense of accomplishment. It was our first big hike of the season, hopefully not our last and if anyone is thinking of doing this or a similar hike, keep the following in mind, we will next time.

    • Prepare for your hike, research the route and understand how technical it is
    • Bring a water bottle, the trail has two or three places to refill, this is especially important
    • Bring lunch or something to eat, there is nothing above except some vending by the ticket counter, but do not count on that
    • Wear the correct clothing (light and layered) and shoes, hiking shoes would be preferred but thick soled tennis shoes or sneakers will do
    • Pace yourself, unless you are young be mindful of your body and do not over-exert, you do not want to get into medical trouble on that trail, it will take some time for them to get to you
    • Go in good weather, unless it’s your intent as an experienced hikers not to
    • And last but not least.., enjoy yourself, there are amazing things to see and hear on the trail, the flowers and birds are in abundance.

References

References
↑1 Also called, Lunedì dell’ Angelo, which is meant to remember the women of the sepulcher, including Mary Magdalene, who were comforted by an angel when they returned to Jesus’ tomb and found it empty.
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Moncalieri, Italy – Turin’s Quaint Secret

Tucked along the eastern bank of the River Po and within the confines of the Metropolitan City of Turin sits Moncalieri. No more than a fifteen minute bike ride for me down the Corso Moncalieri from our apartment in Turin, it took us a twenty minute walk to the train station, followed by a twenty-five minute train ride, with a change in Lingotto. Of course, there are other options, but none that we could take conveniently from where we live in Turin.

Tickets for Two – Moncalieri – Turin

Moncalieri – The Town

A quick hop off the train and you may bump into the weekly market, if you travel there on the weekend. This is the traditional market that most places in Italy entertain at least once a week, so that locals can buy everything from household goods, cheap everyday things like sponges, to more exotica like gold coins and older things, some would like to call antiques.

Train station – Moncalieri, Turin

Once you have left the train station and navigated the small Borgo Navile, where the market is held, you will find the center of town by walking the via San Martino.

At the end of this short journey you will find the Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II[1]Named after the King of the same name, the castle of Moncalieri was his favorite summer retreat, the town’s main fountain and the Comune Building for Moncalieri. The significance of the Roman God Neptune is unclear, other than he was the Roman God of Fresh Water and the Sea, and that the fountain was most likely the main source of water before indoor plumbing for the town’s people.

Neptune Statue – Comune Building in Moncalieri Center – Turin

Castello Reale di Moncalieri

A must see when visiting here is the large and private Castle Real of Moncalieri. For a modest fee you can enter the castle, which experienced a fire in 2008[2]The fire destroyed several rooms on the upper floor and was contained, but most of the damaged was just contained and never renovated., and take the guided tour, which is only in Italian. Fear not, there are enough references in the story for most people to follow and our tour guide did speak english and filled us in while walking on the more important points.

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Restaurants

Osteria e Gastronomia

Tucked between the UniCredit Bank and an apartment building off the beginning of Piazza Vittorio Emanuele II is a very good restaurant, the Osteria e Gastronomia. It was already lunch time, so we grabbed a small two person table right in the alleyway and were immediately greated by our hosts. A quick view of the menu and we were ready for some delicious Piemontese food.

Osteria e Gastronomia – Moncalieri,Turin

I ordered the Agnolotti del plin tradizionali con sugo d’arrosto, a typical Piedmont dish of very tiny ravioli stuffed with meat in a meat sauce, very tasty! It doesn’t look like much, but is actually very filling. Along with some bread, a glass of Nebbiollo alla spina, and water, how can you go wrong for lunch?

Agnolotti del plin tradizionali con sugo d’arrosto

Patti ordered the Agnolotti con salsiccia di Bra e porri con crema di parmigiano e guanciale croccante, which are larger ravioli made with sausage from Bra and leeks, topped with Bacon. A little Parmesan and you have a great lunch.

Agnolotti con salsiccia di Bra e porri con crema di parmigiano e guanciale croccante

Well, we hope you enjoyed our adventure to Moncalieri, because we did and were actually surprised. Though it took longer to get there than we had originally hoped, it wasn’t all that bad and definitely worth the trip, if only for the food!

References

References
↑1 Named after the King of the same name, the castle of Moncalieri was his favorite summer retreat
↑2 The fire destroyed several rooms on the upper floor and was contained, but most of the damaged was just contained and never renovated.
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We Have Returned To Turin

Well we are finally back in Turin and enjoying the weather, food and getting our lives back together. Our first week consisted of maintenance, paying bills and getting some chores done, typical things that have to be done after being away so long. So for our first short entry, a small video clip on picking up a roasted chicken at our favorite place, Girarrosti Santa Rita, located across the river Po, next to the Chiesa Parrocchiale della Gran Madre di Dio. This is a great place for picking up a roasted chicken with potatoes, then bring it back to your apartment or hotel room and enjoy. Though the price has gone up to about 10€, from its former price of about 7€, we still think it’s a great buy, especially when you are starving and do not want to cook. Enjoy!

Restaurants

Trattoria D’Agata

One on our way to purchase plumbing supplies, to fix our bathroom drain which had gone bad in our absence, we were hungry for Pizza. Having already visited Pizzium on via Eusebio Bava, we decided to try Trattoria D’Agata across the street and were not disappointed. Patti had the Taleggio e Funghi pizza, with Taleggio a local cheese, tomatoes, Fiordilatte (cow’s milk mozzarella) and mushrooms; and I had the Napoli, with tomatoes, Fiordilatte, oregano and Acciughe (Anchoivies).

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Back in Turin

Making Our Way Back

Not to make light of the pandemic, but we have shaken off the disease for now and are finally back in Turin after nine long months of rest and relaxation in North Carolina.  Having gotten vaccinated some time ago, we booked a non-Covid flight and hoped for the best.

Leaving the States

Our flight was full and everyone thankfully wore masks.  It did however leave an hour late, because there are just some people in this world who either cannot read directions, or just live in the own alternative reality.  So, it took an hour out our lives so that the crew could find their bags and leave them behind.

So, some advice:  If you cannot, or simple do not want to follow directions, please DON’T TRAVEL!

The train from the airport to Milan was about half full and it appeared that things in Italy were getting back to normal.

Standing on the platform at the airport

However, when we reached Milano Centrale, we discovered that this big city still suffers from post-pandemic stress.  Just the shear lack of passengers and movement within the train station, was a bit disconcerting.

Where are all the trains and passengers?

But we finally made it back to Turin and found our apartment essentially how we left it.  With a little cleaning and adjustments here and there, if anything just to knock out the dust (caused by lack of use), everything was back in good working order.

A beautiful day from our kitchen

Turin Restaurants Are Alive And Well

Luckily we found the restaurants, Osterias, Piolas and bars in Turin all open and waiting for business.  We wasted no time in sampling what we had missed for the past nine months, finding the food just as appetizing and delicious as when we left.

Ristoranta Sciamadda

A restaurant on our list of places to visit, the Ristorante Sciamadda is a very busy place during lunchtime in Turin.

This restaurant specializes in typical Ligurian Seafood fare and at very reasonable prices.  They have a good wine list and sell wines by the glass or bottle that will match nicely with anything you pick from the menu.  Appertifs are something different though.  If you ask for a Sambuca, you will most likely be politely rebuffed and suggested to try one of the Ligurian Appertifs.  I chose the Pernambucco which was chilled and very refreshing.  Infused, I can only say that it tastes like a mixture of oranges and lemons and is quite refreshing.  So do not be dismayed, though I would not put it in my caffé!

Piola Sabauda Osteria

Kind of a play on words, since Osteria and Piola actually mean the same thing.  Piola derived from the local Piedmonte dialect and Osteria a general term used in Italy to define an establishment that has homestyle cooking.  This term apparently tacked onto the end of some restaurants to attract non-native Italians and tourists familiar with that term only.

Agnolotti Al Ragu Bianco with Parmesan Cheese
Plin al Sugo D’Arrosto – Another Agnolotti
Piola Sabauda

For lunch, Patti had the Plin al Sugo D’Arosto and I had the Agnolotti al Ragu Bianco.  Both were very good, well seasoned and served with a mixed salad provide a sufficient lunch for anyone.  We are going to have to stop this, or we are going to put on too much weight..!

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Pranzo Italian Style

In Italian the word for lunch is pranzo, and with no surprise, it has its etymological roots in Latin. If you walk the streets of many small towns and cities in Italy around noontime, most restaurants will have a Pranzo Menu, outlining their lunch deal for the day. It appears customary that most Italians take lunch out, giving them yet another reason to socialize and catch up on the news and opinions of the day. It is considered to be the most important meal of the day. So, on any given day most restaurants here will be a-buzz with eating and talk, as the local population descend to get their midday meal and earful.

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A Beautiful Spring Day In Piazza San Carlo – Torino – Virally Quiet Day

Pranzo a Torino

Since things have started to open up again, we thought a short blog on some of the restaurants we have visited, just walking the streets of Turin, was in order. They are arranged in order of price, service and quality of food, from best to better.

Ristoranti

Gastronomia Ferrero

This is actually a Ristogastronomia, or what we would call a Deli-Eatery. It is a  fusion of a Delicatessen and restaurant, which also serves food for take out. Gastronomia Ferrero is located on Via Antonio Bertola, Turin and is an easy walk from the city center. To eat in, you just choose from the many fine things they have on display for a hot meal, or choose something from the deli if you are looking for something like a sandwich or panini. They have many pre-cooked foods to choose and the menu appears to change often, so going back does not necessarily mean you will get bored with the same old selection.

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All plates are made of paper and totally recyclable. Though, if you order something more demanding like we did, they will bring out silverware so you can manage meat or other entries that stronger tools. The food is very good and the pricing a bit more on the moderate side, but well worth the visit. And yes, if you eat in, you select your food and they serve you, along with what ever beverage you had in mind.

Our meal of rabbit and a side with wine, water, coffee and an apértif, ran a bit on the high side and came to 42€. Highly recommended nonetheless.

Pizzeria La Fila

La Fila pizzeria is located just down the road from the previous restaurant at Via Principe Amedeo, 3/A, Turin; and yes, make no mistake, it is the same street. Like some southern states in the US, streets often change their names across intersections, so the traveler should be aware!

LaFila
La Fila Ristorante

This restaurant serves traditional pizzeria fare, including pizza and other hot pasta and spaghetti dishes. It has a good wine list and there are salads and desserts one can choose to round out your meal. Though I didn’t feel like taking a photograph of my Lasagna, since I was starving, so I only took one of my salad and my wife’s Spaghetti alla Vongole.

Our meals of salad and pasta with wine, water, coffee and an apértif, was more moderatly priced and came to about 31€ and change. Very good food and service at a good price; a recommended stop if looking for open air, piazza eating.

Da Peppino

This restaurant is right on the border of the old historic district and offers a fixed price lunch at very reasonable prices. So, if you are working on a very fixed budget, this could be one of your stops, while out shopping or traveling the city center or historic district. As you will see, we ate a lot of food, along with wine upgrade (a glass is included in the lunch menu), dessert, coffee and an apértif, and it all came to just 24€! Two can eat here easily for less than 20€.

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Da Peppino is located on Via dei Mercanti 7, Turin and does not appear to have an issue attracting people to lunch, so you may want to be prompt. If you are more of the planning type, they do accept reservations.

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We really enjoyed this restaurant, though the pigeons at times were a bit annoying. The service was very good and the food was simple, but very tasty. And one cannot complain about the price, enjoy!

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City Life with a Virus – Spring in Turin

Sorry that it has been a while since our last update, but life has been rather restrictive and boring for the past couple of months, in fact since March and we think, rightly so. Though we could have continued to write entries about mundane, everyday things, we chose not to; since we wanted to keep our site more about our travels, than about extraneous matters. With the exception of writing about our former brief, quixotic brush traveling through the primordial pandemic soup, we offer the following brief update on the virus and life trying to return to normal in Northern Italy.

Still Remains – Turin

When we left last November to return to the States, Turin was still a bustling, energetic city, full of promise and as they say, “La Dolce Vita“. While we were gone, the Pest, as one can say, struck. It has ravaged this poor country, leaving noone unaffected. Like in the States, you probably know someone who has been touched by this trajedy. I know we have.

Though we knew, before we left, there was a serious outbreak, we pushed ahead, while taking the proper precautions, ever eager to return to our apartment and hopeful that it was not as bad as everyone was saying. However, upon our return, we were welcomed by a silent city, a quiet Turin, where only still remained.

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Via Plana – From Our Apartment Windows

Not only were there few people on the streets, there were no cars, no conveyances of any kind. We left a city and returned to a morgue, an apocalyptic version of what we had left. Even though the church bells still rang, it was not a call to the faithful, but just one of keeping time, or worse yet, for the dead. All the churches had been closed. The streets that border our apartment building, which once bursted with activity, were now silent.

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Excellent Website Showing Latest Details On The Virus

We quickly learned not to venture out unless absolutely necessary. We monitored Italian websites for information from the government, as well as the latest numbers from the hospitals, which I may add were in a day-to-day struggle to maintain care. It remained this way for more than two months, as the virus took its toll among the denizens of northern Italy. We were inside so much, my wife and I remarked that we couldn’t believe there were leaves on the trees already, when we finally ventured out for a time.

Virus Precautions

Through quarantine measures and effective government, the numbers slowly started to get better in late March. And not until recently, the numbers of new cases have improved enough that Italy started taking actions to re-open its economy. But the government knew that this had to be done like opening a bottle of fine Barolo, slowly and with purpose, not like Prosecco with wild abandon. In any case, they also knew it was important to honor the victims, as well as those who worked on the front lines, the doctors, the nurses and all of the hospitals with an aerial salute, or flyover. They lost a lot of their own keeping everyone safe as possible and most alive.

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The Frecce Tricolori – 313th Acrobatic Training Group of the Italian Airforce

Turin, along with the rest of Italy, has adopted a very rigorous staged redeployment of its re-awakening. I must admit, the procedures, at all levels of government, appear to have been well thought out and targeted for each particular region, and in some instances municipalities. Each particular type of business has been given clear requirements for re-opening and accepting clientele. Far be it for me to say that some of these requirements are over the top or not needed, but we are dealing with a virus that has devastated parts of this country. So, we wear the masks that have been provided to us when and where we are told, perhaps more for our safety than others.

Spring in Turin

On a lighter note, the Spring here has been, I would think, more normal or average. It had its rainy period followed by periods of bright blue sky and cool, crisp air. It has remained so up until now. Unlike last year, which was rather warm early on, this year appears to be tracking closer to normal weather patterns. Even today, the early morning brings temperatures in the high 50’s to low 60’s, with the later day and evening climbing to around 75, with low humidity. Not bad for a comfortable late Spring. It is also amazing how great the air is here has been without all the traffic. And don’t think the Italians haven’t noticed either, in fact, there are rumors of new regulations brewing to stem the nasty air that is so prevalent in the Po River valley. One can only hope. Teslas for everyone!!!

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The Dora Riparia – University of Turin in the background

The Dora Riparia is flowing vigorously as usual, due to the seasonal Alpine runoff. It’s noted for its grey waters, probably due to the grey rocks and limestone that it dissolves as the water makes its way down to Turin. Viewed up close one would swear it’s liquid concrete, but no, it’s just muddy grey water.

In contrast, as can be seen by the waters of the River Po above, it too has been flowing forcefully for some time. Partly due to a lot of snow and rain that the mountain areas received during the March and April timeframes. Though not running above flood stage, it was getting close to it.

Conclusion

So we hope to be traveling soon, we have actually booked places for mid June and hope to be venturing around locally in the coming weeks. So, be patient and please stay tuned, we look forward to some new adventures soon!

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Coronavirus And Our Return To Turin

After a lengthy and very nice holiday vacation in the States, we have finally returned to Turin. It was not without its drama however, no thanks to the Corona virus.

Into the Unknown

Having made our plans to return months ago, we continually monitored the situation unfolding with the virus hoping to mitigate any surprises. Never under-estimate the best laid plans of mice and men. The day before we were to leave, it finally really hit us with an email  from Delta informing us that our flight had been cancelled. We had three choices, rebook for an immediate opening to get us to Milan, delay our trip and rebook for sometime in May, or get a refund. We thought about our options for a while, a short while.

Herman_Epidemic

On the one hand, we could try, at least before its too late. If we get stuck somewhere we could hopefully make other plans to get to our destination. We already had a trip to Naples booked and coming up soon, we wanted to keep those plans, if at all possible. We also had to take into account our growing boredom sitting around Cary, while paying for an apartment in Turin.

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Tickets For Two – New York to Milan

On the other, there was the virus and all the complications entailed with it. We even considered it might be safer in the U.S., especially if there were a severe breakout and one of us were to get sick. Keeping all this in mind, we threw caution to the wind, bought a stock of travel wipes, rebooked through JFK and Paris to Milan, and headed into the unknown.

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Charles de Gaulle Airport

We were rebooked through AirFrance from JFK to Paris. Though the flight was packed, it was totally without incident, with the exception of the flight attendant ramming a cart into my knee halfway through the night. The only unfortunate thing was, the flight was the midnight red-eye which totally screws with my circadian rhythm. The good news was I never hear one cough or sneeze while I was awake, perhaps the really sick ones stayed home!?

Onto Milan

Going to Milan was totally different. This was the first indication, that the attention to the virus was having real affects, people are scared and are really staying home! The plane from Paris Charles de Gaulle to Milan was more or less empty.

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AirFrance from Paris to Milan – Empty!

Luckily once we arrived in Milan most train services were still operating. The schools are of course closed for a few weeks and there is some reduction in long haul routes, but for the most parts you can still book and travel to most places.

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The Alps are still extraordinary

Milan Hotels and Streets Vacant

We arrived in Milan around 7 P.M. From the main train station, we had a quick walk over to the Just Hotel, our accomodations for the night, only to find that it was closed! They did however, have a sign informing us that the Glam Hotel across the street had taken all of their reservations. It was while we were reading this sign, that two unknowns tried to pickpocket us. However, since we were wearing long coats and had burglar-proof stuff on, they had a big problem. So, they sprayed our pants with a dark brown colored paint and said we had gotten something on ourselves, probably from a bird.  Herman_PurseSnatchingThey shot it in such a way so you could not clean it without taking off your coat, which is what they want you to do. Don’t fall for this one! It is, or course, only meant to distract you. There are of course no birds out at that hour, especially in a city. They were just trying to distract us. Well to make a short story even shorter, we quickly realized what was going on and quickly wandered our way across the street, avoiding all contact with them. They would of course not enter the hotel, confirming the ruse.

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Nico Quick Bite – Good Pizza – But Tonigh, Empty!

After a quick clean up we headed out across the street for a quick bite to eat. Milan is empty. When I say empty, I mean empty. There are very few people around and definitely NO TOURISTS.

Milano Centrale – Back To Turin

Our biggest surprise was the next morning at Milano Centrale, the always bustling train station with hordes of tourist, vacationers and commuters, as a heart pumps its blood to all its organs, totally anemic.

The trains still run, but there are frankly few on board, including ourselves. We left on the 10:30 A.M. Italo (originating from Naples) from Milan to Turin and we were the only ones in our carrage. Naturally, with all that’s going on, that can be a good thing.

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Italo 9908 to Turin – Just as fast but a bit lighter

We finally arrived in Turin around 11:30 to finds things, more or less, the same. Though the were plenty of children around due to school being suspended, people were still going about their work. It is good to be back.

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Autumn in Turin

As an adjunct to writing about places we have visited, I thought it a good time to provide some quick thoughts on my daily experiences living here. Just random thoughts that come to mind wandering around or just opening the window in the morning. A minor part of anyone’s stay, and often overlooked, are especially the smells that one encounters, both good and bad.

Chocolate Festival

Yesterday we visited Turin’s Yearly Autumn Chocolate Festival. This event takes up an entire piazza and a fair length of via Roma. There is not only chocolate here, but other edible treats from all over Italy and nearby European Countries (e.g. Austria). Though the sites are amazing, the myriad stacks of chocolate bars, bark and balls, the smells are to die for.

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From white, dark and milk chocolate, to marzipan and other delicacies; one quickly starts running short of change and hands to carry all of the boxes and bags. After someone experiences this, and then throws in the smells of cooked chestnuts and coffee on the street, a strong association is built between these, the beautiful Autumn weather, and Turin.

The Po River

This Autumn the Po river is still swollen from a lot a rain the surrounding area received during October. This is a good thing too since this week the city was also hosting the Silver Skiff Regatta, or boat race. There are several boating clubs along the Po and you can often see the clubs practicing and exercising during the week.

The river itself is very nice and has parks lining it on both of Turin’s southern banks, so you can take a nice long walk in the leaves while hardly noticing any buildings at all. Here you get that leafy smell that everyone associates with Autumn.

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An abundance of weeds

The other thing one notices in Turin, and for the most part Italy as a whole, they do NOT use herbicides on vegetation. In some cases vegetation is actually left to grow unimpeded, leading to the thought, where did the U.S. go wrong? Why do we poison everything? What is so bad about weeds or bugs for that matter? In the photograph above an American would think, “Get out the RoundUp”, an Italian, “What can I eat?”

From An Apartment Window

From our apartment you can gauge the pulse of the city just by smelling the air. As for any typical city the quality of the air is dominated by the lack or abundance of traffic. But there are also other factors as well.

In the early morning, prior to rush hour, the clean mountain air has rushed down during the night and early morning hours to provide a respite of fresh air. If you open your shutters and windows early enough, you get to experience this pleasure. Otherwise, you are met in the morning with the pungent, often times, noxious smell of diesel and the morning rush hour. The street our windows open to, is an active bypass for those trying to hop through the piazza to the North and avoid the ZTL (zone of limited traffic), a short stretch of street that is directly in the front of our building. This last for a few hours and then one gets a treat for what ever lingers in this corridor of buildings.

Later, after the evening rush hour, you are witness to one of the few puzzling things about Turin, the smell of burning wood. As though hundreds or fireplaces have been lit at once, it wafts in around six or seven o’clock. This is not specifically for heat, but rather for the hundreds of brick ovens that have to be fired up burning oak and other woods, to cook evening pizza and focaccia. It is one of the oddities living here and one of my true favorites. Having been brought up with a fireplace my whole life, it is a booster shot for my soul.

Such are the remarkable things that anyone can enjoy when living or even visiting here, the information and experiences are out there, you just have to let them in.

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Côte d’Azur – Nice – Part One

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Nice – The French Riviera

Nice and the Côte d’Azur conjure up thoughts of beautiful weather, money (rich people) and vacation. It is a destination that many people have on their bucket-list of things to do; if not for the casinos, then at least for the sun and crystal clear light-blue sea. It was after some trepidation on my part and a pause in our other travels, that we decided to go to Nice for another short holiday.

Whenever possible, we travel via train since it is more cost-effective and has one of the better, if not the best, Eco-friendly footprints. The trip took us surprisingly just over five hours from Turin, most likely due to a mixture of train schedules and the routes involved. However, one of the advantages of being retired is time is the one commodity you have in abundance.

Since this was not actually a last-minute decision, we were still able to use a modest amount of planning and coordinated the trip with our daughter Ericka, who joined us the following day. She flew in and using the Côte d’Azur (I must say) fabulous metro/tram system which now links up with both terminals at the airport, we were able to meet her at Terminal 1.

Our choice of Nice was due to many factors. First the train station is large and one can travel to many different places taking advantage of both regional and special coastal trains. It also happened to be in the center of the Côte d’Azur, the famous vacation coast which attracts visitors and tourists from both France, Europe and beyond. Nice has been expanding their metro and transportation system and it seems to be paying off; it did for us. If you are staying for any amount of time you can buy a 10-trip (not day) transportation pass for 10€ (that’s a 30 percent discount or 4 free trips). Though we did not use them all, we used enough to do better than break even.  We then handed them to someone at the hotel, so they could use the rest.

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Our Hotel

We stayed at the Hotel Belle Meunière, a short two-minute walk from the main train station and our domicile for our travels. Though our room was not much to look at per se, one has to understand the hotel is actually under renovations. The outside of the hotel is very well-kept and seems to be an old historical landmark of some kind, since they have obviously tried to keep it sound. The inside however, is somewhat confused but manageable.  It is obviously a converted manor house. It is therefore, not really a hotel but more of a hotel/pension fusion, if there is such a thing.

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Hotel Belle Meuniere – A Niçois Experience

We found the price and location with respect to the train station very acceptable and there are also very good Niçois restaurants nearby. However, the location also worked somewhat against it as well, since areas around train stations tend to be a bit dirty. This is also true of the area around this hotel.  If you are really into the beach, you might prefer something closer to the shore, though they will be more expensive. Though I would not give it any Michelin stars, it was manageable and the staff go out of their way to make you comfortable.

Nice From Inside and Above

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Notre-Dame de Nice

Nice is a typical European city. It has a core or old city surrounded by many environs or suburbs that have their own distinct look and things to see. One of the more prominent sights along the main Avenue Jean-Médecin in Nice, is the Roman Catholic Gothic basilica called Notre-Dame de Nice. Like Notre-Dame de Paris, it also has a large rose window on its front but is much younger, smaller and is not a cathedral (it is not even designed after the one in Paris). It will at least make you stop and take a photograph.

Castle Hill

Another must see is the overlook of the city from the Colline du Château or Castle Hill. It is a modest walk from the old city up the hill to the East, before you are able to enjoy the vista.

There are several points along the way up to stop and enjoy the view of Nice.

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Patti and Ericka – Enjoying The Waterfall After The Climb Up The Hill

There are also other things to see on Castle Hill, including a waterfall and an overlook of Villefranche-sur-Mer, the next town over, though somewhat obscured by trees on the walk down.

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The above are a collection of our initial photographs as we walked through the city.

We also have favourite place in France, called Charlot Premier in Nice, which does excellent oysters.

– Roger Moore

More on Nice and our other travels to come…

 

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Turin – Villa Della Regina

Also known as the Queen’s Villa, the villa is situated in the Borgo Po district of Turin. Though the villa was first constructed in the 16th century by Cardinal Maurice of Savoy, it did not come into fame until the Savoy family ascended to the throne in 1713.  Since the Duchess Anne d’Orléans, who was married to Duke Victor Amadeus II still owned the premises it automatically became known as the “Villa della Regina“, or the Queen’s Villa.

More History and Tourism

In 1865 the Villa became a boarding school for girls until World War II, when it was later bombed and received extensive damage. Finally in 1994 the Tourism ministry or Turin finally obtained it and started restoring the structure which had badly fallen into disrepair. It was finally opened in 2006 to the public for tourism, but even now shows signs of decline with the difficulties of the Italian economy.

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Examples of Landscaping Issues and Disrepair at the Villa

The Villa Inside

After purchasing a ticket which costs €5/person (unless you were lucky enough to enter on a free day, check the Turin website for dates), the Villa’s main hall is a real wonder and in very good condition.

 

The King’s Rooms

The visitor next sees the rooms the King would have when he was at the Villa. All of the floors in the Villa are parquet, with few exceptions.

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There is a short hallway with another beautiful ceiling before entering the Queen’s rooms.

The Queen’s Rooms

The rooms that consist of those for the queen are unfortunately not in as good a condition as those of the King’s. This is most likely due to the extent of the damage from the bombing during the war to be more concentrated in this area.

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Once you have finished the Queen’s rooms you find yourself again back at the Main Hall and your way out to the grounds, which at one point in their lifetime must have been beautiful, all the hallmarks are there.

The Grounds

Though poorly kept and in some cases falling still further into disrepair and eventual collapse, they are nonetheless impressive. The fountains though still functioning stand their vigil over empty pools of water that once might have kept chinese carp or goldfish but now just harbor algae.

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Villa della Regina – Roman Style Garden with Statues and Fountain

Finally, more photographs of the grounds and surrounding area.

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