Shopping while Wandering Around

 Buon Giorno

Since it's a warm day, and I had walked a lot, I stopped at my local gelateria for a treat. On my first trip to Italy many years ago now, my first taste of gelato was hazelnut or nocciola.  It was Divine!  And still my favorite after trying many other flavors.  Truly wonderful stuff.

I began my day with a trip to a grocery store.  The mini markets close by just didn't have good selection or a lot of basic things.  I had the idea that the larger--but still small--grocery store was a longish walk.  It turns out it's not.  I came back with a full bag and some Piedmontese products with which to abuse my digestion and arteries.  I love foreign grocery stores, so I had a good look around.  The museums are all closed on Monday, so this was my dose of Italian Culture.

Since the museums were closed, I decided to check out the shopping in Torino.  There's a lot on offer, but not necessarily things I would buy for myself or my friends.  The sidewalks on main streets and squares are covered.  In Bologna they would be called long porticos.  I suppose one could use the word arcade in Torino.  I made my way up Via Po and turned away from the castle onto Via Roma, which is one of the main shopping streets in Torino and is famed for it's luxury brands.  You'd recognize the name but neither I nor most of my friends have any interest beyond licking a window or two.

But I had a very nice walk.  Street musicians were playing.  At once point my meanderings were accompanied by Pachelbel's Canon in D.  I did spend some money.  I came across a charming chocolate shop that looked like it had some superior goods.  I bought some presents and a sampler bag for my own research purposes.  I was the only one in the shop at that point, but when I walked by on my way back, it was packed.

This part of Torino is pedestrianized and the building and galleries are particularly elegant in what is generally a classically regular city center.  You can find a cafe/bar on every block--sometimes in multiples, and the Torinesi and their visitors seem always up for a drink and a pastry.  The city rivals Lisbon in its tastes for sweets.  The Torinesi are also very fond of their dogs, who are well behaved and like going with their person to shop or socialize.

I got myself some Piedmont Robiola cheese from Alba and some Mortadella.  Ok the latter is from Emilia-Romagna, not Piedmont, but I developed a taste for it when I visited Bologna.  The World Health Organization doesn't like me eating it, so please don't report me.  I only eat cured meat in Europe where there's a chance the traditional methods of making it are less toxic.  To go along I have some Denominazione di Origini Controllata Barbera del Monferrato.  It's frizzante, which means it's a big fizzy and a beautiful ruby color to boot.  Shall we have a sip?  Nice.  Very refreshing.  Clearly it's time for Apero.

Ciao for now