Europe

After a good night’s sleep last night, we were up early again today, and downstairs by 8:00 am to enjoy breakfast.

Just before 9:00 am, we hopped in a cab from the hotel, and headed for the Milano Centrale station to catch the high-speed train to Turin.

We arrived in Turin at 10:30 am, and walked from Porto Nuova station through the Giardino Sambuy (Sambuy Garden) to Via Roma, a lovely street lined with beautiful shops. We continued on to Piazza San Carlo, Turin’s iconic 17th century square, where we decided to stop for a bicerin and cake at the beautiful Caffé San Carlo. Meaning “small round glass” in the Piemontese dialect, bicerin is a traditional hot drink native to Turin. Served in its namesake glass, it is made of three layers: espresso, hot chocolate, and whipped milk or cream. It is very decadent and was very delicious!

Next, we headed outside into the beautiful Piazza San Carlo, where we strolled around and admired the beautiful architecture.

From Piazza San Carlo, we walked to Piazza Castello, on our way to the Palazzo Reale di Torino (Royal Palace of Turin).

The Palazzo Reale di Torino is the first and most important of the Savoy residences in Piedmont. It is a stunning building, which we enjoyed exploring.

We exited the palace into the gardens, a beautiful seven-hectare green space in the city.

From the gardens, we walked back into the piazza to visit the museum, featuring works by Boticelli and other important Italian artists.

After we left the museum, we walked to the Galleria Subalpina. We found a nice shop with a lovely young man who did embroidery with a manual sewing machine. We made a couple of purchases, which he embroided for us on the spot. Watching him work was very impressive.

By now, it was time for lunch, so we walked around the corner in the gallery to the famous “Baratti & Milano” restaurant.

After a beautiful lunch, we headed to the Mole Antonelliana, which houses the National Cinema Museum. The Mole Antonelliana is a major landmark building in Turin, and is named after its architect, Alessandro Antonelli. It was originally conceived as a synagogue but due to huge cost overruns, in 876 the Jewish community that had funded the construction, pulled out and the building was taken over by the city. Interestingly, the Mole Antonelliana is the tallest unreinforced brick building in the world!

Next, we walked about 15 minutes to the Cattedrale di San Giovanni Battista (Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist). This cathedral is home to the Shroud of Turin. The shroud itself is only rarely on display, due to its fragility.

From the cathedral, we headed back to Caffé San Carlo, where we stopped for a drink.

Next, we managed to squeeze in a little bit of shopping before a very brisk walk to the train station. We managed to board our train with just two minutes to spare. The train trip back was very relaxing, and we arrived in Milano just before 7:00 pm. We caught a taxi back to the hotel and opted for dinner in our room, after what has been a very big day.

Tomorrow, we’re leaving Milan and driving to Geneva, a trip of about 400km.