First Stop Torino

After leaving Nice at 10am yesterday, I reached Torino (Turin) at 5pm after switching trains at Genova (Genoa), a grimy-looking city with old industrial parks against a hilly backdrop. Luckily I listened to Mary, a friendly Irish tourist, and did not stay there. The scenery was serene, sailing along the coastline and fields of maize, and I slept for the first time on the train. Earlier, I could not help but gazed dreamily at this Italian guy who looked uncannily like a Musketeer with his strong features, long wavy hair and thin moustache but he had to go bite his nails and shatter my illusion!

At Torino, I was a bit disoriented and strayed for 20mins before I gave up and checked into the 3-star Hotel Genio near the train station. The kind Italian fellow at the front desk had told me it was usually 103 euros per night but they were offering a promo price of 70 euros now. I gave him a sad puppy look and said my budget was 60 euros and we agreed at the price! Yay!

I later checked out the other nearby 2-star hotels (50 euros) and did not fancy any of them, some were plain spooky and ancient! Hell, I decided I will splurge more on the accomodation so I could sleep well and watch my BBC and music videos. After all, I always retired early to my room shortly after dinner at 10pm, which was really pathetic.

While there was still light, I wandered around Via Roma, the main shopping avenue, and checked out the old cafes and bookstores around Piazza San Carlo (which is under massive construction work) and the empty Piazza Castello, before finding my way to Urbani Ristorante near my hotel for a plate of agnolotti - stuffed ravioli with tasty pinkish red meat in roast sauce (8euros).

The American couple next to me had the antipasti buffet (15euros) where the waitresses brought different tapa-sized plates of ham, olives, antichokes, roasted peppers and they could eat as much as they want. They then had a beef main course and Italian desserts (the stupid guy didn't know what panna cotta was!) with two different wines. I was green with envy and love to taste everything like they did but it'd be too greedy and expensive for me. Pasta was basta (enough)!

I asked the friendly concierge (a Rob-Schneider lookalike!) why the restaurant had a lot of soccer memorabilia and found out that it is a regular haunt of the Juventus soccer players! A pity I don't recognise any of them though!

Turin was quiet at this time of the year as the locals had left for their holiday and a lot of the shops and restaurants were closed. But there were still various old cafes, international boutiques and bookstores lining the graceful arcaded avenues along Via Roma. It was indeed an elegant and cultured city, judging by the numerous bookstores, museums and the grimy dusty historic architecture (which needed some cleaning badly!).

The next day, I visited the Egyptian Museum, one of the best outside Egypt, and wandered down Via Garibaldi for a caffe latte and sandwich for lunch (the only restaurants open were hammered by the crowd). I made sure I saved room for a post-pranzo treat at Caffe Al Bicerin circa 1763 (Piazza della Consolata 5), one of the renowned cafes in Turin frequented by intellectuals and celebrated for its signature specialty Bicerin originated from the 18th century. A closely guarded recipe (employees are bound by a secrecy contract!), the layered concoction is described as an "exquisite hot drink - a mixture of espresso, chocolate and fresh cream" www.bicerin.it

But to my utter dismay and disappointment, it was closed - daaaammmit!! I popped into the opposite Santuario della Consolata and almost sobbed. The magnificent church was resplendent in true Baroque grandeur - imagine full marbled panels and ceiling nigh columns, old faded frescos framed by intricate gold trimmings, cherubic angels and oversized gleaming antique chandeliers. My eyes didn't know where to focus, lost in the richness of each decorated space. It was truly a sanctuary and I sat there for some time listening to my confessions and deepest thoughts.

From there, I walked to Piazza S. Giovanni and visited the huge cathedral which housed the Turin Shroud (for those who don't know, the shroud is the burial cloth in which Jesus was wrapped after he was taken down from the cross. When photographed in 1898, it revealed a majestic positive image of a man, bleeding in certain parts.) Unnerving.

The Royal Palace was closed for a major renovation - I guessed the whole city is cleaning up for the Winter Olympics in 2006. They should be anyway because despite the beautiful architecture, most parts were really dirty and sad-looking made worse by the ugly grafitti. If this was Singapore, the vandals would be whipped or publicly humiliated for their ill behaviour!