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).
Front of Trattoria D’Agata
Inside Trattoria D’Agata
Inside Trattoria D’Agata
Outside Seating Trattoria D’Agata
Pizza Napoli – Trattoria D’Agata
Pizza Taleggio (cheese) and Mushrooms – Trattoria D’Agata
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.
Sciamadda Street View
Pernambucco in the glass
Pernambucco – An infused Orange Liqueur
Pat’s Roasted Calamari
Our Minestrone Genovese Soup
Erick’s Octopus with Potatoes – Ligurian Style
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 CheesePlin al Sugo D’Arrosto – Another AgnolottiPiola 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..!
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.
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.
Gastronomia Ferrero – Via Antonio Bertola, 6, 10121 Torino TO, Italy
Hot Entrée Selection – Yum
Hot Entrée Selection – I’ll Take That And That…
Deli Selection
Restaurant Display Window
Restaurant Wines And Dining Area
Vegetable Rice
Squash Vinaigrette
Roasted Rabbit With Carrots
Roasted Rabbit With Roasted Peppers
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!
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.
My Salad
Spaghetti With Clams
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€.
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.
Rigatoni all’Amatriciana
Spaghetti With Garlic And Oil
Pork Meatballs, Grilled Eggplant And Bread
Pork Meatballs With Peas
Grilled Eggplant
Roasted Ham Steak And Salad
Flan For Dessert
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!
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.
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.
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.
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!!!
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.
The River Po – Looking Southeast
The River Po – Looking Northwest
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!
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.
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 Naplesbooked 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.
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 Paristo Milan, and headed into the unknown.
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.
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.
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. They 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.
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.
Milano Centrale – Normally Crowded
Milano Centrale – Now Pretty Quiet
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.
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.
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.
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.
Skiff Regata – Practicing on the River
River Po in Autumn
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.
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.
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.
Nice – Front of Main Train Station
Nice – Inside Main Train Station
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.
Nice Airport – Looking at Welcome Sign
Nice Airport – Arrivals
Nice Airport – Ericka Waiting To Board Tram
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.
Tram Line on Avenue Jean Médicin
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.
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.
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 Niçoisrestaurants 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
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.
Ericka and Patti – Nice Overlook
Erick – Nice Overlook
There are several points along the way up to stop and enjoy the view of Nice.
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.
Avenue Jean Médecin
Nice – Avenue Jean Médecin
Avenue Jean Médecin
Nice
Avenue Jean Médecin
Erick and Patti – Enjoying Méssena Square
Méssena Square
Nice
Avenue Jean Médecin
Ericka and Patti – Enjoying Méssena Square
Nice
Nice
Nice – Avenue Jean Médecin
Avenue Jean Médecin
Méssena Square
Méssena Square
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.
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.
Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – Villa dell Regina Entrance
Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – Villa dell Regina Gate
Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – Villa dell Regina
Strada Comunale Santa Margherita – A long but gentle walk
Borgo Po – Turin does NOT use chemicals to fight Weeds
Villa della Regina – Pond
Villa della Regina – Reflecting Pond and Foutain
Villa della Regina – Tickets for Two
Wines produced at the Villa
Corso Fiume – Villa Crimea
Corso Fiume – After Crossing the Umberto I Bridge – Residential Neighborhood
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.
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.
Villa dell Regina – Main Hall Right – Apollo and Daphne
Villa dell Regina – Main Hall Left – Adoni’s Death
Villa dell Regina – Main Hall Windows toward Turin
Villa dell Regina – Hallway to King’s Rooms
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.
King’s Entertainment Room – del Trucco
King’s Entertainment Room – del Trucco
King’s Entertainment Room – del Trucco
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – Chinese Style
King’s Private Room – West Lobby
King’s Private Room – West Lobby
King’s Private Room – Typical Old Door
There is a short hallway with another beautiful ceiling before entering the Queen’s rooms.
Villa dell Regina – Hallway to Queen’s Rooms
Villa dell Regina – Main Hall
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.
The Queen’s Rooms – West Lobby
The Queen’s Rooms – West Lobby
The Queen’s Rooms – The 3 Tables in Scagliola
The Queen’s Rooms – The 3 Tables in Scagliola
The Queen’s Rooms – The 3 Tables in Scagliola
The Queen’s Rooms – West Bedroom
The Queen’s Rooms – West Bedroom
Five Appliques called Le Ventole – Giuseppe Maria Bonsanigo
The Queen’s Rooms – Dressing Room
The Queen’s Rooms – East Lobby
The Queen’s Rooms – East Lobby – Ceiling Painting Lost by Fire
The Queen’s Rooms – East Lobby
The Queen’s Rooms – East Room – delle Ventaglyne
The Queen’s Rooms – East Room – delle Ventaglyne
The Queen’s Rooms – East Room – delle Ventaglyne
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.
Villa della Regina – Roman Style Garden with Statues and Fountain
Finally, more photographs of the grounds and surrounding area.
Recently while taking a break from planning our next big set of travels for September and October, we decided to visit another set of museums in Turin which one could call unusual if not down right odd. I would say odd because when one thinks of a museum, at least the first one below would not immediately pop into one’s mind.
Tickets for Two – Museum 1
Tickets for Two – Museum 2
Tickets for Two – Museum 3
The cost for each of the two museums above was €5 each. However, one can purchase a €10 entrance pass which includes the first two museums as well as the Museum of Fruit.
Museum of Criminal Anthropology
This Museum of Criminal Anthropology is located on the same block as the Museum of Human Anatomy. At via Pietro Giuria, it is housed in a somewhat unassuming building and if you were not actually looking for it you might pass by it altogether.
Entrance to the Museum of Criminal Anthropology
The building inside, like so many in Turin, has a grand architectural style inside and was probably under the influence of one of the many great architects that have worked in this city.
The Beautifully Adorned Ceiling before the Entrance to the Museum
So as to not bore you with the benefactor’s history of this museum, you may visit the website to learn more if you wish, let’s just say that once inside you get a very good idea of just how backward science and medicine were in those days. The main displays in this museum are those of skulls and artifacts from criminal patients who were often labeled crazy or insane. Many of the skulls were labeled with the crimes that each of the individuals committed, all of course written in Latin.
Cases Housing Patient Skulls
The adjacent side of the floor contained numerous examples of the implements used in many of the crimes that were committed.
Knives and other Handmade and often Strange Implements used by the Patients
If I were to sum up my thoughts of this very interesting museum it would be one of great curiosity. Not only for the obviously poor people who were involved and in some cases mistreated and misdiagnosed by their treating physicians, but for the times in which they lived. Many of which would have benefited from our medical knowledge of today, perhaps to the point of never turning to crime. As for the doctors and scientists involved it must have been a time of great discovery, however misguided some of them employed their influence and knowledge.
It took us a little over an hour to visit the entire museum and we would recommend it, though we would consider it a bit on the morbid side.
The Museum of Human Anatomy
On via Corso Massimo d’Azeglio and the adjacent street and same block as the previous museum one can visit the Museum of Human Anatomy. This is another museum where some may not be appropriate, especially if they are uncomfortable with anatomy, blood, brains or guts. So plan appropriately.
Museum of Human Anatomy
It can however be used as it had been in the past, as a very good pedagogical device for learning more about oneself and what composes the human organism. Having been used in the past as part of the medical university system in Turin it still offers valuable insights to visitors.
Internal Entrance to the Museum
This museum is also housed on a single floor. As you begin your tour you first learn of basic anatomy and view examples human and other animal skeletons.
The Introductory Case showing Human and Animal Skeletons
Once you move through the internal entrance door, after purchasing your tickets, you will see examples of human dwarf- and gigantism. This is followed by displays of the anatomical differences between the human sexes. After that, each successive colonnade displays in both wax and actual human form (samples that have been preserved in solution) specific areas of the body.
Curios filled with Human Anatomical Samples
Finally in the back of the museum one will find an in-depth study of the human nervous system, brains and actual examples of how individual nerves are routed and connected in the body.
A Large Figure showing how very important Anatomical Features are related
I would greatly encourage anyone with children to visit the museum. Though not for everyone, it can be used as a great teaching aid and perhaps put some young mind on the path of becoming a doctor of medicine or forensics. It’s also great just to learn how the scientific community in the late 18 and early 19 centuries learned about and taught anatomy.
Museum of the Risorgimento – The Apartment
Our next visit was actually triggered by an offer on Turin’s official website of free admission for a tour of the apartment associate with the Museum of the Risorgimento. The Risorgimento of course was the political and social movement that consolidated different states of Italy into a single state, or what became the Kingdom of Italy in the 19th century. It began in 1815 in Vienna and was completed in Rome after it became the capital Italy in 1871.
The Museum of the Risorgimento
Entrance to the Museum
Our Tour Group
The Facade of the Apartment
The part that we actually saw is not open often and is not actually part of the museum proper, but rather an adjunct to it. Special tickets are provided at a specific time during the day, so you must watch the website for when these are available.
Cities and Towns where Baroque Architect Guarino Guarini had influence
The apartment and the museum itself owe their legacy to Guarino Guarini, an influential architect or the baroque style of his day. He is responsible for many important architectural works of this style, none more so than the examples he left in Turin. However, he is also responsible for many other important works in a wide area that covers both Italy and France, as shown above.
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Bed Detail
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Chandelier
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Bed
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Wall Portrait
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Details
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Mirror Walls
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Ceiling Fresco Bedroom
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Baroque Ceiling
The Apartment and Rooms of Emanuele Filiberto di Carignano – Floor and Hallway/Galley Way
Emanuele’s rooms as styled after the Baroque influences of Guarini are impressive. Though one can say the gold leaf is a bit overdone the parquet flooring is amazing, even though it is showing its age.
Spiral Staircase Leading to Basement
The Oval Shape of the Spiral Staircase as seen from below
The Cellar
Typical Ovens and Dumbwaiter as Designed by Guarini
Though our self-guided tour took all of thirty to forty minutes it was nonetheless well worth the time, since absolutely no other expense was incurred (thank you Turin!) for us by doing so. If you are also fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit these impressive rooms and architecturally significant buildings, we suggest you do so. We found them very compelling.
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.
Tagliatelle with Oil and Parmesan
Tagliatelle alla Melanzane with cheese
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.
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!
They 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. 
