Turin, Italy

A delightful town that is more like its European neighbors than the cities to the south

This post and the next two are from a rapid trip through Italy and Switzerland. These are more of the “postcard” variety of travel essay, just quick snapshots of my impressions from each city.

This wasn’t my first trip to Italy. I’ve been to Rome, Naples, Positano, Capri, and other areas near Rome. I quickly learned that northern Italy is very different from the areas I’d visited in the south. It isn’t just the landscape; the people and the city's vibe were different, too. Here, people were comfortable and helpful, and the number of tourists was lower despite the Olympics underway in nearby Milan.

The trip was quick, as usual for my spousal unit, giving me a quick snapshot of the city. As usual, my goal was to simply breathe in the city and see if it was a place where I would be comfortable living. It’s a game I play with every city to see if I could thrive in that city. Does it have everything I need to be happy and comfortable?

The answer for Turin is a qualified “yes,” even though I doubt either of us would make an effort to live there full-time. My husband loves to ski, and we were dreaming of a fantasy world where he could have a place not too far from the Alps. Wandering the streets, we found the residents helpful and pleasant, laughing with us at the silliness created by our inability to speak Italian.

While the cheese, of course, is something to write home about, I found the bread intoxicating. It did not matter what type I selected; each was delicious, even the breadsticks I normally ignore.

We took a train up to Bardonecchia for my husband to ski. Because it was the weekend, the train was full and extremely noisy as we were surrounded by young professionals and college students goofing off for the day. While the photo below gave me the beauty I expected, the actual snow base for skiing was very low, and there were many places in the mountains with no snow at all.

It was strange. No snow in the Italian Alps? Yes. And then I listened the next day to the Olympic announcer talking about the same issue in that part of Italy.

I spent the day working on several chapters of my next novel, enjoying the quiet at a coffee shop in the tiny town. I asked for permission to stay in their cafe and work, and was not only granted permission but also given food and a corner table next to the electric outlet. My espresso addiction got a major boost.

Northern Italy is much more like the cities I’ve visited in Europe, and Turin was no exception. Is it worth a visit? Yes, absolutely. But stay more than a few days. We plan to return by car in the summer. I’m a bit tired of trains after this trip.