Today is the last day of 2009.
The sky is overcast today. So it won't be a good day to get a panorama of the city and the Alps. Instead we went to a foodie's paradise: Eataly. It is a gourmet Italian food emporium backed by Slow Food, another Piemontese gift to the world. There is one opening in NYC but as of now there is no info when or where.
Their stock is all artisanal and made in small quantities and in the most beautiful packaging. It is a warehouse, a city block in length. The basement is a tremendous store unto itself of wines, liquors, and beers. Yes, Italian small batch produced beers (with the odd Belgian thrown in).
Scattered through out the store are restaurant stations with different specialties like meat, seafood, vegetables, pasta, pizza, cheese and cured meats. Before we started to browse, we knew we had to eat or else we would never get out of there. Each food station had the day's specials on chalkboards and a regular small menu. We chose separate stations.
I went with the lasagna with Ligurian pesto and potatoes and Ken got a piadina with take a guess - anchovies! ricotta cheese, and tomatoes. The bread, salt, and dipping oil that came with was absolutely sublime in and of itself. The food was incredible.
what foodie dreams are made of
the olive oil aisle
the cheese zone
my hand is small, but this was one big lemon
it was crowded, really
the olive oil aisle
the cheese zone
my hand is small, but this was one big lemon
it was crowded, really
Their stock is all artisanal and made in small quantities and in the most beautiful packaging. It is a warehouse, a city block in length. The basement is a tremendous store unto itself of wines, liquors, and beers. Yes, Italian small batch produced beers (with the odd Belgian thrown in).
a glimpse of the wine selection
Scattered through out the store are restaurant stations with different specialties like meat, seafood, vegetables, pasta, pizza, cheese and cured meats. Before we started to browse, we knew we had to eat or else we would never get out of there. Each food station had the day's specials on chalkboards and a regular small menu. We chose separate stations.
the vegetable station
I went with the lasagna with Ligurian pesto and potatoes and Ken got a piadina with take a guess - anchovies! ricotta cheese, and tomatoes. The bread, salt, and dipping oil that came with was absolutely sublime in and of itself. The food was incredible.
Ken's piadina
I chose the low calorie, low fat, and low cholesterol lasagna
I chose the low calorie, low fat, and low cholesterol lasagna
After filling up, we were able to browse the aisles. We bought a few items to bring home but in retrospect should have bought more. And brought an extra luggage. Here is a sample of what we purchased.
We dropped the food off at the apartment and then took the bus to Primo Levi's house. One the way we passed by one of Torino's most famous pasticceria, Platti. Photos were irresistible to take but we passed on eating any of it.
cookies with a chocolate center
chocolate cookies with a chocolate center
dried porcini and tarallini
We dropped the food off at the apartment and then took the bus to Primo Levi's house. One the way we passed by one of Torino's most famous pasticceria, Platti. Photos were irresistible to take but we passed on eating any of it.
house made torrone
beautifully festive
At the residence of the late Primo Levi, there was no plaque on the building but the family name is still on the buzzer. A woman waiting for a ride was standing in the doorway so she was in some of the pictures and as we were leaving, her ride showed up and we were able to get a few shots without her in them.
the late Primo Levi's apartment
Ken at his front door
Ken at his front door
We then took a bus to the Duomo San Giovanni Battista, also located at the site of the ancient Roman city. This is where the shroud of Turin, the Santa Sindone, is kept. At the back of the cathedral is a life size photograph of the shroud.
The real thing is to the left of the altar in a chapel built specially to house it. No photos were permitted, of course, and I respected that rule but I did find a picture online here. The chapel is protected by glass and is temperature controlled. Inside you see a large marble (?) case with a photographic negative of the face hanging above it. On the case is a cloth embroidered with Latin words and on top are twisted branches of thorns. It will be shown to the public in spring 2010 attracting pilgrims from all over the world.
After leaving the duomo we walked behind it to the Palazzo Reale, a former palace of the House of Savoy who ruled the Kingdom of Italy until after World War II. We attempted to take a tour of the interior but we just missed the last one for the day. They closed early for the holiday.
So we made a new plan, to walk along the massive shopping street Via Garibaldi and its narrow, windy backstreets lined with boutiques and small restaurants. There is a lot of shopping in this city. And a lot of open space.
Afterwards we took the bus to GAM, Torino's modern art museum but unfortunately it was closed. While waiting for the bus home, as it was now siesta for us, across the street was a beautiful pastry and confectionery shop and I had to take pictures of the sweets in the window. Torino has many of these jewel box sweet shops and I love to take pictures of them!
The Palazzo Reale, royal palace of the Savoys
next door is Palazzo Madama, now housing the Museo Civico di Arte Antica
So we made a new plan, to walk along the massive shopping street Via Garibaldi and its narrow, windy backstreets lined with boutiques and small restaurants. There is a lot of shopping in this city. And a lot of open space.
Via Garibaldi to the horizon
arcades as far as the eye can see, handy in the rain and snow
Afterwards we took the bus to GAM, Torino's modern art museum but unfortunately it was closed. While waiting for the bus home, as it was now siesta for us, across the street was a beautiful pastry and confectionery shop and I had to take pictures of the sweets in the window. Torino has many of these jewel box sweet shops and I love to take pictures of them!
I foresee pastries in my future
La Befana, the witch who arrives on January 5 to give good children a sweet and bad children, well, a sweet, too, but made to look like a lump of coal that looks like this:
carbone dolce (sweet coal) photo from www.ladolceidea.com
carbone dolce (sweet coal) photo from www.ladolceidea.com
more cakes
and cookies
At 7:00 we went out to begin our New Year's Eve. First we went looking for aperitivo but most places were closed and restaurants were booked except for one pizzeria that could seat us but only for 30 minutes so we kept walking. Ken read the fireworks and countdown would be in Piazza San Carlo but we walked there and it was empty.
We wandered back to the Via Garibaldi area and found an open wine bar called Enoteca Della Contrada di Caporali on Via Guiseppe Barbaroux. It was a very eccentric place. It was loaded with dusty statues and wall hangings from Asia, Africa, and South America.
The owner was a grumpy Italian man and his wife sat in the back room watching TV. There was one French couple there and two other non-Italian couples followed in soon after us. Slim pickings for New Year's Eve so far. I asked where the toilet was and he gave me a key and walked me outside, pointed to a doorway and said in Italian the toilet is in the courtyard. I walked in there and there was a WC with a lock on it and when I went in there was no paper and it wasn't an emergency so I left!
hmmm...doesn't look like NYE festivities are happening in Piazza San Carlo
We wandered back to the Via Garibaldi area and found an open wine bar called Enoteca Della Contrada di Caporali on Via Guiseppe Barbaroux. It was a very eccentric place. It was loaded with dusty statues and wall hangings from Asia, Africa, and South America.
the look of an Italian wine bar
The owner was a grumpy Italian man and his wife sat in the back room watching TV. There was one French couple there and two other non-Italian couples followed in soon after us. Slim pickings for New Year's Eve so far. I asked where the toilet was and he gave me a key and walked me outside, pointed to a doorway and said in Italian the toilet is in the courtyard. I walked in there and there was a WC with a lock on it and when I went in there was no paper and it wasn't an emergency so I left!
We wandered around the center for a place to eat but nothing was open or available so we headed back towards our neighborhood because there are a lot of restaurants there and it was early enough that we could go back home after dinner then head out later in the evening. On the way, we passed by some more of the Luci d'Artista light installations.
We are the pizzas then realized we didn't take a picture first because we sere so hungry. In the bathroom, in Italian I asked a woman where the celebration was tonight and she told me in English Piazza Vittorio Veneto. When her friend came out of the WC she said in Italian, "Hey, listen to you, speaking English to someone!"
outdoor art...
in lights
We found a pizzeria open called Spaccanapoli. We went in and the place was in frenzy and a man was calling out names of parties ahead of us and seating them. We didnt' know what to do so we just waiting in the line until we got to the front and a young couple behind us said to him in Italian that they didn't have a reservation but wanted a table for 2 and I said "Anch'io!" which means me, too. So only about a few minutes later we were seated. I of course, had the Napoletano and Ken got the onion.
in lights
happy to be here
anch'io!
the aftermath
We are the pizzas then realized we didn't take a picture first because we sere so hungry. In the bathroom, in Italian I asked a woman where the celebration was tonight and she told me in English Piazza Vittorio Veneto. When her friend came out of the WC she said in Italian, "Hey, listen to you, speaking English to someone!"
We were close enough to home and also more importantly, mapless, so we stopped at the apartment for a bit before going back out at around 11:00.
We walked along the river Po and could hear live music coming up from the piazza. There were loads of other people walking with us. Piazza Vittorio Veneto is one of the largest open squares in Europe and the largest with an arcaded perimeter. It was filled with people facing the river where there was a stage and large LCD monitor.
A rock band was finishing their set and when we looked at the monitor, we saw Juliette and the Licks! We caught the last few minutes of their set.
bring on 2010!
We walked along the river Po and could hear live music coming up from the piazza. There were loads of other people walking with us. Piazza Vittorio Veneto is one of the largest open squares in Europe and the largest with an arcaded perimeter. It was filled with people facing the river where there was a stage and large LCD monitor.
the sea
A rock band was finishing their set and when we looked at the monitor, we saw Juliette and the Licks! We caught the last few minutes of their set.
best view in the piazza
under the arcades
There were people set up with beer taps along the arcades and we got ourselves a couple of beers. The mayor of Torino spoke, and then we were preparing for the countdown. I yelled it our in Italian with the rest of them and then the fireworks began. It was a great way to celebrate the beginning of 2010.
Happy New Year!!!!!!
the fireworks
the fireworks
the toast