Walking around the streets and bylanes of Turin, referred to as Torino by the Italians, I was struck by the strut of arcaded pedestrian boutiques and cafes, avowedly Baroque in design and structure. The more extensively I traveled the more I loved this mountainous little Italian city.
Before traveling to Turin all I had known was that it had hosted the 2006 Olympics and was home to the Fiat. I was discovering a new world altogether, in this Piedmont region modestly tucked away in north-west Italy. Driving in from the French border it had taken me a little over an hour to get into my one of the best luxury hotels. The drive, I might add, was picturesque and pleasant in the extreme.
Taking a tour of the city I couldn’t help noticing the strong resemblance to French cities, particularly Paris. Pearly white structures and broad boulevards as opposed to the narrow streets and red and yellow buildings of Florence and Venice make it look very French.
Getting tired of walking I decided to buy an all-day city ticket. I took the tram up to the well-known exhibition complex, Torino Esposizioni designed by the famous Luigi Nervi. It doubled up as an ice rink during the 2006 Winter Olympics; now it has gone back to being a trade show and an art exhibition center.
Later that evening I strolled beside the Po River admiring the Italian Alps from a distance.
The next day I caught the bus up to Mole Antonelliana, one of the greatest landmark pieces of the city which also houses in its premises the National Cinema Museum. There are five sections and my favorite was The Great Temple where I ensconced myself in a reclining armchair and viewed some of the best De Sica films on gigantesque screens overhead.
And how can I possibly leave out the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist? This is the chapel that houses the rather contentious ‘Shroud of Turin’. Of course, I did not get to see it but walking around in the chapel was a pretty awesome feeling.
Two days in Turin couldn’t cover it all, of course, but I’d had my fill of it. I left the city with a nice, buoyant feeling.
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