A Lovely Shopping Day in Torino

 Buon Giorno,

I'm leaving early tomorrow morning.  My taxi to the airport is booked, and my airline just sent me an email wanting me to check in on line.

But first let me enjoy the last licks of then wonderful hazelnut gelato I got.  I don't think any ice cream compares to real Italian gelato.

I had a bright warm day as I headed out, and the air was fresh and clean after yesterday's rain.  I walked past the Castello to the fancy arcades. Whoa. The arcades and buildings are truly beautiful.  I strolled about just enjoying them for a while, but then I backtracked to an elegant chocolate shop I spotted.  Entering, I found a fine selection of great looking stuff, some of which I was forced to buy.  I tell shop assistants that I'm a tourist and I don't speak Italian.  Most of the time it does no good because they assume I'm going to understand the Italian anyway.  But I do get taken care of.

I walked back and headed down Via Roma and entered the department store Rinascente, which is more or less Italy's answer to Galleries LaFayette.  I was reliably informed that I could find some fancy artisan pasta there.  The cookware and food section is in the basement. Folks, this is high end, but the shop assistant spoke good English, helped me find what I wanted, and even signed me up for a Rinascente loyalty card and discount.  I figured why not?  I plan to visit Italy a lot as long as I can travel.  It's on my phone now.  I also bought a fancy bottle of wine and learned where to come if I ever lost my mind and wanted to spend hundreds of dollars on booze.

Then I had a leisurely walk back appreciating the beautiful city I had the privilege of visiting.  Some tidbits.  I have noticed this in every Italian city--north of Naples--that I have visited.  The Italians wrap themselves up.  I will be walking around in my shirt sleeves (and as a Southern Californian I am hardly impervious to cold) and the people of my host country will be wearing padded jackets securely zipped up.  Crossing the street is interesting.  Cars may or may not stop at crosswalks.  For crossing with lights pedestrians follow what I call Paris Rules.  If there's traffic one waits for the lights to change.  No traffic? Cross against the light with impunity.

Dinner will be some Piedmontese treats of Agnolotti and red wine Dolcetto d' Alba DOC.  I also learned that the "Italian Green Sauce" I like to make and put on fish is a Piedmontese specialty.  It's easy to make in a food processor:  A bunch of parsley, a couple of anchovy fillets, garlic, capers, extra V olive oil and a hard boiled egg.  You can find more exact recipes on line.  I don't care for anchovies straight, but I like them as an ingredient.

It's been a good trip.  I saw what I wanted to see and ate what I wanted to eat.  Multi grazie to those who have followed along with me.

Ciao

Demonstration Day in Torino

 Buon Giorno,

Well, that was interesting.  It's Monday.  And May 1. International Workers Day. The museums are closed and I had no plans beyond wandering around and seeing if there were fun things to buy.  It began to rain pretty heavily, but sidewalks of the historic center are covered, and I have a good umbrella, so no big deal.

When I emerged from my building I found Piazza Vittorio Veneto packed.  Despite the rain a big crowd had gathered.  There was a loud speaker.  I saw banners and flags.  Clearly it was some kind of May 1--I'll call it a celebration. I figured I'd soon leave it behind.  

Nope.  The crowd was on the move and Via Po was packed. I got stuck behind a brigade of police.  They had nightsticks, but they didn't seem too concerned.  The crowd was lively and there was lots and lots of noise, but no one seemed to be doing anything but expressing themselves peaceably. 

There appeared to be several groups.  I don't think they were competing, but I couldn't tell from the banners and signs what the groups stood for.  I mean I saw the word "Democrazia" pretty frequently, but recent developments show us that that word can mean different things to different people.

Clearly I wasn't going to be able to get anywhere, so I gave up, came home, and made myself some green tea.  I'll have another chance tomorrow.  In the meantime I can keep myself amused with shows from my streaming services.

Today I'm feasting on Piedmontese cheese and lovely red Piedmontese wine.  The cheese has a wonderfully creamy texture I appreciate. It's not strong like the French cheeses I enjoy, but the flavor is rich, but subtle.

Ciao for now