This is our last day in Italy for who knows how long. It is a sad day.
The weather was extremely frigid today. To warm us up it was necessary we have a traditional caldo di cioccolato, or hot chocolate. We found a beautiful paticceria called Gertosio that served it. It was thick and really rich like a melted chocolate bar- amazing!
drink of the gods
good to the last drop
We then went to the Galleria Sabauda, housing the painting collection of the Savoy dynasty. It was massive and included Dutch and Flemish masters. It is in the same building as the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum).
There were not a lot of lunch options around until we stumbled upon Re Calamaro, a small fry shop that specialized in fried calamari. You could order rings or legs! We got an order of the legs, a cod, and artichoke hearts. They were scrumptious. A pair of sophisticated looking women arrived after us and ordered some food with a bottle of prosecco that they gallantly popped open. Back to eating healthy starting tomorrow!
its fried in olive oil so its healthy, right?
We had one more museum we wanted to check out so we took a bus over to GAM, the city's contemporary art museum. There were some interesting pieces and some rooms juxtaposed modern works with classical.
Exhausted, we went back to the house to pack because we have to leave the apartment in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.
contemporary art museum
Exhausted, we went back to the house to pack because we have to leave the apartment in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.
After packing we went to an internet cafe to check on our flight and also to see if a couple of restaurants in our guide book were open on Sundays. Our flight was still on schedule and the restaurant we wanted to go to was open tonight. We have been almost one week in one of the risotto capitals of Italy and haven't had it yet so we chose a restaurant the specializes in it and serves 13 different kinds, called Oryza.
The restaurant is in the Porto Susa area, the other main train station of the city. We haven't' been to this part of town yet. The restaurant wasn't open until 7:45 (yes, we are early birds on this trip) so we had some time to kill but I won't say how much. The streets were very quiet. We found an Irish pub called St. Martin that had a full local menu but the decor was completely Irish. I wanted an espresso and something possessed me to order it corretto. I never had one before and I remembered my grandfather used to drink black coffee with anisette. I thought of him as I sipped.
We saw something on the menu we had seen signs for but didn't know what it was so I asked the waitress what a farinata was. She didn't speak English but I understood it is normally eaten before pizza and it is cooked in a pan on the stove. It is like a pancake made with chickpea flour. Sold. We tried it and it was served traditionally with ground black pepper.
It was tasty but a bit bland but of no fault to the cook. There were different toppings you could order like onion, cheese, or tomato which we would do next time. At 8:00 we headed over to the restaurant.
The restaurant is in the Porto Susa area, the other main train station of the city. We haven't' been to this part of town yet. The restaurant wasn't open until 7:45 (yes, we are early birds on this trip) so we had some time to kill but I won't say how much. The streets were very quiet. We found an Irish pub called St. Martin that had a full local menu but the decor was completely Irish. I wanted an espresso and something possessed me to order it corretto. I never had one before and I remembered my grandfather used to drink black coffee with anisette. I thought of him as I sipped.
first ever caffe corretto - in an Irish pub
We saw something on the menu we had seen signs for but didn't know what it was so I asked the waitress what a farinata was. She didn't speak English but I understood it is normally eaten before pizza and it is cooked in a pan on the stove. It is like a pancake made with chickpea flour. Sold. We tried it and it was served traditionally with ground black pepper.
first ever farinata - in an Irish pub
the man loves the black stuff
the man loves the black stuff
It was tasty but a bit bland but of no fault to the cook. There were different toppings you could order like onion, cheese, or tomato which we would do next time. At 8:00 we headed over to the restaurant.
We were not the first customers even though it had only been open for 15 minutes. It made us think it was going to be good! We shared a large antipasti plate which was an open buffet. There were some unusual grain salads and other vegetables we chose. Then of course we each got a risotto.
Ken ordered bagna cauda which was very flavorful with anchovy and garlic
The rice was very al dente, much more than we would ever eat it in the States. Ken's was very good but my spinach and crescenza, a soft cow's milk cheese, was very bland. I am not a complainer in a restaurant, especially when I don't know how the food is supposed to taste, so Ken gave me a few spoonfuls of his to liven mine up and it did. Overall I was disappointed with mine.
before the first bite
After dinner we went home because we have to get up at 4:00 for an early flight. We needed a taxi at 4:45 so I called tonight to arrange it. I called a taxi company and I asked if she spoke English and she said no. All the lessons I took paid off and I was able to set up the pick up without a hitch. I felt very proud of myself! Ken was proud of me, too.
We absolutely loved our week in Torino. It is a city of elegant architecture in a stunning location, loaded with art and history. And of course, it is a paradise for lovers of good food and wine.
Arrivederci!
Arrivederci!