Keeping cool in Turin

SUMMER PEACE: The tranquil waters by the weir on the River Po. The river divides Turin and is the longest river in Italy. All pictures by Phil and Sue Newdick

Phil and Sue Newdick continue their travels through Europe, crossing the border from France into Italy, bound for Turin.

We boarded an Italian train at Grenoble and crossed the border into Italy without noticing we had arrived. As is the norm for most of the western countries in Europe, there was no sign of any border control or formal paperwork. 

Our arrival in Torino (Turin) and the short walk to our apartment from the railway station was uneventful. Our host was waiting as promised when we arrived at the apartment. It was in a recently renovated building, a spacious unit and a bit cluttered by our standards, but certainly a great welcome to Italy. 

The northern summer had really kicked in and the temperatures were climbing into the 30s. However, our well-appointed apartment was on the shady side of the street and two large ceiling fans helped keep us comfortable. 

We were based in the older part of the city and during our wanderings there were surprises around almost every corner. 

As we have found during our travels around the European Union, it is amazing how even short distances can take us into completely diverse environments. In this case Italy was so different to France. It was not just the people, the language and the customs, but also the architecture and the layout of the towns were noticeably different once we crossed the border.

Italy, although part of the union, has retained its national identity, but the Italians still share the friendly and helpful attitude we had found in other parts of the union.

Turin is a very old city with a rich history dating back to medieval times. It includes occupation by the Romans and Barbarians and was the first capital of the new Italian kingdom from 1861 to 1865.  

Situated on a broad, fertile plain east of the Alps, Turin is one of Italy’s most important industrial and communications centres. It is a major road and rail junction and has an international airport. 

Turin has long been associated with the automotive industry. It is home to Fiat, Lancia and Alpha Romeo, plants that produce many of the country’s automobiles.

We were very impressed by the huge arched verandas over the footpaths, something we hadn’t really seen since we were in Sicily and Sardinia. They are not just verandas, they are actually an extension of the first floor of the buildings. In the hot weather they proved to be great protection from the sun and as most of our wanderings are on foot, we appreciated them no end. 

As we had found in France, although there are plenty of supermarkets, the handling, especially of the fresh produce, is not consistent. It makes it hard because when we have found a chain that sells good fruit and vegetables in one city, we tend to patronise them as we go along. This generally works but in this case the Turin supermarket, of the chain we had used in France, did not live up to expectations. 

However, on our third day in Torino we stumbled across a produce market, a real Italian market, with all the sellers singing the praises of their wares. We had done our shopping on our arrival, but couldn’t resist and bought stuff we didn’t really need. Never mind — we could diet when we got home. 

We were still very conscious of the need to keep our baggage light but after two months on the road there were a few items sneaking into our suitcases that we just couldn’t bear to leave behind. 

Our next move was to Milano (Milan). Our apartment in Torino was about halfway between two railway stations, Porta Susa, the one we had arrived at, and Porta Nuova, the one we were to travel to Milan from. It was purely a coincidence but very convenient. All flat and an easy walk with our luggage. This plus the short travel time between the cities made for an easy day’s travel.