mirgraphy

A few things that I vaguely know about Turin before I took myself there for the long weekend:

• Juventus
• Turin shroud
• Where chocolate was invented
• Not much else…

Not knowing anything about a place did not worry me as much as missing my plane to reach the said unknown place for the third time…

For some reason Gatwick airport and I were just not meant to be friends. My sense of direction, timing and anything else that made me a vaguely functional person went haywire every time I head towards Gatwick.

To those who are in a similar situation, grab the Gatwick express and save yourself plenty of grief.

Nestled in the north of Italy, Turin is surrounded by the Alps. When combined with the numerous number of gorgeous architecture within the city meant that I could and should have spent a few more days to really explore it properly.

If you are a bit of a Museum maven, Turin has a number of interesting museums and galleries. Ranging from the Eyptian Museum of Turin to the National Cinema museum. I was happy to wander around aimlessly for the majority of the time, but I did want to see Porta Palazzo, reputedly the biggest open market in Europe.

I love markets in general. Whether it is visiting Kyoto’s Nishiki market or London’s Burough market they are usually a pretty good reflection of how the locals live. In Porta Palazzo’s case, I have never seen so many different varieties of tomatoes being sold in one spot.Had I been a little more mad, I would have bought my weekly grocery and carted it all the way back home to London. Fresh vegetables were just so cheap, with most things costing one euro per kilogram. I could easily imagine spending a long and lazy weekend with some friends in Turin enjying the sights and the food, perhaps come next summer we might just do exactly that.

Foodwise if you have the time, drop in to Baratti & Milano, a confectionery to the Italian royal family that now operated as a cafe and restaurant. I loved the old fashioned charm of the decor and of course the chocolate!