sunday in rome

after breakfast in the termini, we headed for borghese galleria...i had visited the galleria before but was excited to see it again as the gallery is one of the best i have visited...we got there early so explored some of the grounds...we entered the gallery with the first group, later joined by several american youth groups led by clerics who gave lengthy presentation at each sculpture and painting group...the kids got bored...since this was my second visit to the gallery, i looked at the layout differently...i was impressed with the layout of the picture gallery, each room having its own theme, by periods, by subject matters... matching pictures with space...pictures were tucked neatly into corners, into every nook and cranny.

the sculpture gallery was well designed with each room concentrating on one of the great works in the collection, canova’s lady pauline in one room, bernini’s david (still my favorite), apollo and daphne (the bark and leaves very realistic), pluto and proserpina (still impressive with the hands leaving imprints on her thigh, in marble, no less), and aeneas, anchises and ascanius fleeing troy (theme was very emotional) in others.

there is one room dedicated to the ancient roman mosaics...and, lastly, caravaggio has his own room...the interesting observation with caravaggio’s paintings is the models...knowing caravaggio’s biography, i found the faces of his models interesting...most looked bored, most looked like street urchins; in fact, most were probably street kids surviving by stealing, selling their bodies.

there was a contemporary exhibit in the uccelliera of galleria borghese, georg baselitz’s fatto in italia...the only good thing about the exhibit was that it forced we to walk through the orangerie... 

since we couldn't take any pictures which at times is a good thing because i am forced to concentrate on the art pieces, not on taking pictures...and, of course, this policy has to be accompanied by a great gift shop which the borghese has...here is the website for the gallery:

http://www.galleriaborghese.it/borghese/en/edefault.htm

after the gallery, we took a taxi with edward who told us there was going to be a papal blessing at noon as this was corpus domine...we arrived at 1150 and waited in the sun for the pope to appear in the balcony of his apartment. It was like all the newsreels I have seen, almost mechanical like an exhibit at disney world... after a short recitative, the pope said, "pater, filius, spiritus sanctus"...he continued with words of comfort to the pilgrims from poland and spain...he turned out to be a real chatty kathy...

we left the assemblage and headed for the basilica...in the basilica we paid homage to the altar containing john paul ii's body and the shrine of st. jerome with pope john xxiii's body...i walked over to the penance entrance and went in search of an english speaking priest to receive the sacrament...no such luck so i asked a priest who was listening to confession in german and slovak..he said yes he could hear my confession...how cool to be confessing in st. pete's...i met up with the group at 1:00 and we went in search of lunch...

our taxi driver danilo suggested we have lunch at gigetto in the jewish quarter...i’ve always wanted to eat in the jewish quarter so i jumped at the opportunity...gigetto is located by the antico portico d'ottavia...i had fried rice balls with tomato sauce, fettucine al carciofi (a little bland), and a yummy veal roll (so jewish to have comfort food on sunday)...we had affigato for dessert.

we returned to the hotel to rest after a beautiful, albeit hot, day in roma...we had dinner around the corner to il secchio...we were given a plate of olives with a strong anise flavor; then ordered minestrone, osso bucco...i had limone and vodka for dessert...the limone came in a lemon, and i placed the limone into the glass with vodka...we were given limoncello and cookies, compliments of our stay at hotel dina.

our stay in italy was over and we would be heading to london for three nights of plays, museums, and good eating...

on to rome

we left bologna on a friday...the start of the weekend...and the train was crowded...no seats, standing room only...and in the entry area...

met a gal heading for forli where she is working for a master's in diplomatic sciences...she sees a future with the european community...wished her luck as she got off in forli...

reached rimini and walked over to hotel napoleon...welcomed by jo-jo, the resident greeter...she was most photographic...and she loved to pose, knowing cameras were clicking all around her...

after depositing our luggage, we headed for the san marino bus stop and purchased tickets from the "agent"...we had a 45 minute wait and then rushed the bus as there seemed to be less seats than passengers, not realizing another bus was behind us...

it was a nice ride along the countryside even though we passed a few outlet stores...upon reaching san marino, we looked for photo ops...the landscape of rolling hills was spectacular, on a nice sunny day with a bit of cloudiness...we walked up to the church but it was closed so we went in search of lunch...we ate at smaller...i had a tortellini ragu washed down with menabrea, a beer...after lunch we returned to the main road, in search of the town center...we found one area of souvenirs identified by the horse roundabout...we turned around and found the entry to the main part of san marino with a very formal crossing guard...

we entered the walled city and headed for the visa office...on the way i passed a store selling creches...i bought a creche made out of a bullet shell...one of the cottage industries of san marino is selling weapons of all kinds...guns, bows and arrows, spears, swords...so why not a creche out of a bullet...

we found the visa office and for a small fee we got the clerk to apply the visa stamp...we returned to the bus stop and returned to rimini, all the time being entertained by a russian on holiday...he was a student majoring in economics...he kept talking about going to new york or tokyo...both are his idea of cosmopolitan cities...he was already a bit drunk...and he popped open a heineken...well, it is europe after all...

we rested back at the hotel before exploring rimini..we found tempio malatestiano and entered the church, named after the house of malatesta, an italian family that ruled over rimini from 1295 until 1500...the church was impressive...i got a nice shot of the altar area...

we stopped to have an apperitivo of wine and sandwiches...we then continued on to the central piazza, formerly piazza giulio cesare where the roman general/emperor made his famous speech crossing the rubicon, now the piazza tres matiri, commemorating the martyrdom of three partisans, luigi nicolò, adelio pagliarani, mario capelli...they sabotaged a threshing machine which the nazis had deemed essential for the war effort...the three were tortured and hanged in piazza giulio cesare....

we returned to the hotel and prepared for our trip to roma through anacona...we checked out with eddie, an ex-pat from massachusetts who came to italy to play pro ball just like gresham's playing for pizza...after breakfast in the hotel, sharing the space with some cross-country bicyclists, the area looked hilly enough to provide challenges to this hardy band, we headed to the termini and the train to anacona...unlike the friday crowd, the termini was fairly empty...after the transfer at anacona where we helped a cretan with his transfer, we arrived at roma termini for our two nights in the eternal city...

we walked over to hotel dina and checked in, dropped our luggage, and headed back to the termini to catch the subway to the spanish steps...once into the subway station, we walked forever to get to the train stop...for a two line system, the walk seemed interminable...i can understand walking tower hill or chatelet in london and paris...but this is a two-line system...anyhow...we got to spanish steps and the throng walking around the area...we walked down via condotti in search of the sovereign military order of malta...it is recognized by many countries as a sovereign entity aka country...i wanted to add this "country" to my list of countries visited, having just added san marino...

of course, via condotti is the high end street of italian shopping...like rodeo drive...like the miracle mile...we left via condotti and headed down via corso in search of the pantheon...having found the pantheon with its circus-like atmosphere with horse-drawn carriages and posing roman centurions, we found out that the pantheon was closed for vigil mass...we walked over to a trattoria for a drink and some snacks...

trying to find a taxi back to the hotel, we passed a "wedding," judging from the services in a chapel and a reception being prepared across the way...the chapel was built in the 10th century, fell into disrepair, and then was given in 1577 by gregory xiii to the "company of piety towards prisoners" who had it rebuilt and reconsecrated in 1624...it was refurbished recently in 2007...

we caught a taxi back to the hotel, exhausted from the train ride and the heat of rushing around rome...i wanted to have dinner but no one else seemed so inclined...my traveling buddy decided he'd keep me company so we walked around the termini to build up his appetite...we passed a modern statue and walked over to find, conversazioni by oliviero rliviero rliviero rainadi...this statue is a 5.5 meter tall bronze statue of the late pope john paul ii seen in front of rome's termini and dedicated on may 19, 2011...the enormous statue, unveiled just weeks after the ex-pontiff was put on the path to sainthood, has sparked controversy -- with locals calling for it to go...the statue, which depicts john paul ii with his arms outstretched, has been called an eyesore by critics who claim it does nothing to capture john paul's spirit...we ended up at regina giovanna where i had pasta pomodoro e basilico and scallopine al funghi porcini washed down with house red...next door to arirang, a korean restaurant in roma...

tomorrow...the borghese galleria and the vatican and lunch in the jewish quarters...

a reminder weekend--slovenia, machu picchu, and buenos aires

i volunteered to help my buddy with a golf tournament fundraiser...while personning the door prize booth, i met another volunteer from slovenia...we talked for a bit about ljubljana...i remember that city for several reasons: the old town looked reconstructed, like a city in epcot or disney world...it was clean like brand new...not just scrubbed clean...and there was that unusual bridge that connected the sections of old town...we also enjoyed an open market; and the cherries were delicious...we met a waiter who knew all about waikiki...it seemed he was a porter on a royal caribbean cruise ship...fun city...

there was a registrant wearing a machu picchu cap...so we talked a bit about the experience of visiting this world heritage site...about the thin oxygen at that level...i had to remind him about the unusual train exit out of cusco...the pretty people serving as train attendants, doubling up as models, showing and selling alpaca goods...i enjoyed cusco a lot more than machu picchu...it felt so much more spiritual than machu picchu...maybe the guide taking us through the city sites in the evening with camera flashes creating weird reflections off people's sneakers made the city seem more spiritual...the indians amalgamating their ancient ways with christianity...their christian god and saints taking on the characteristics of their ancient gods...of the last supper with a guinea pig...

and the gal at the mulligan table had just come back from buenos aires where she spent a month, unable to get out to other parts due to weather...we didn't experience any such misfortune so i got to tell her about our visit to mendoza and malbec wine (she was jealous, having fallen in love with malbec)...i told her about the wine tasting experience in san telmo where we met a vineyard owner...she told me how the exchange rate was now 4-1; and, although she got great meal deals, everything else was very expensive, heavy clothing going for $500 to $2,000...i remembered the exchange rate was 3-1 and my travel buddies were gobbling up leather goods like crazy because the prices were so good, a leather computer case going for $150...i told her about our love affair with the taxi drivers, so friendly, so courteous; and, because of the exchange rate, we only rode cabs...our best food experience was in boca where we had a great steak dinner from soup to nuts for $25; a comparable meal in the states would cost nearly $200...

the last experience this weekend that brought back former trips is daniel silva's portrait of a spy...he has gabriel meeting shamron in an apartment in rue lepic in the montmartre area...i remember the street when i stayed at a comfort in on rue des abbesses...it was a street with many chinese takeaways with roasted pork hanging in the window, a street that wound through montmartre where vincent van gogh stayed in an apartment at 54 rue lepic (i found it on a rainy afternoon)...and now gabriel is in gare du nord heading for the eurostar and london...i can see gabriel using his "fake" passport, going through immigration and then heading for the lounge area for the train to be called...i wonder if he bought his snack at paul's???

ah, the fun of traveling...

bologna to parma and back

we left bologna early to visit parma...arrive in parma mid-morning, walking from stazione to the courtyard of the majestic palazzo della pilotta (named after the pelota game which used to be played in the courtyards...we passed the angel victory column along the strada della repubblica...i looked all through the internet to identify this statue with no luck...

while in the courtyard, looking for the teatro farnese, we had to dodge bicyclists of all ages, of all dress, of all economic ranges...it's like parma is the city of bicyclists...well, it is a university town after all...

we found teatro farnese in all its baroque styling...it was built in 1618 under order of the duke of parma to honor the visit of cosimo ii de medici, a visit which never happened...the theatre was almost destroyed by an allied air raid during world war ii (1944)...it was rebuilt and reopened in 1962...there was a no photographing policy; but, as soon as we paid the entry fee and walked into the space, the theater guide walked out, leaving us alone in the space...so i took a few shots with my spy camera and got some crummy shots except this one...

we left the theater space which is quite remarkable and went next door to the palatine library which is the union of the royal parmense library, the national library, the imperial bibliotheque, and the ducal library... it was founded on the request of ferdinando di borbone...the library displayed many of its illuminated manuscripts...i was impressed with the addition of the koran in the collection...

we passed through the open market behind the palazzo, selling everything from clothes to shoes to produce to food...we passed the partian monument in the gardens nearby...dring wrld war ii, parma was a strong center of partisan struggle...the monument, inaugurated in 1956, was designed and built by architect and sculptor william lusignoli marino mazzacurati...the monument sums up, in its three parts, the death of the partisans for an ideal, and the heroism with which they continued to struggle to make sense of this sacrifice to achieve their ideals..the monument is, in fact, made up of the statue of a fighter with a gun in his hand and cloak billowing in the wind, which rests on a pedestal and the statue, on the ground, of a partisan killed...in the background is the wall that was built with bricks from a house collapsed under the bombing of 1944...

we headed for the duomo which was closing in 15 minutes for its lunch break...construction on parma's present cathedral began in 1059 by bishop cadalo (who later became the antipope honorius II) and was consecrated by pope paschal II in 1116...a gothic belfry was added in the 1200s and twin towers were started, never finished...i was impressed with correggio's assumption, a fresco in the cupola...the other impressive art work in the cathedral was the deposition, a theme i have seen in several italian churches...

we left the duomo, passing the baptistry which was closed...we continued our walk in the piazza and decided to have lunch in t cafe, and i had couscous con pollo and zucchini...

we walked back to the stazione and returned to bologna and rested up for dinner...we decided to hunt down allessandro’s recommendation for the best gelato in bologna...passing st. petronio’s statue for the umpteenth time, we walked down via castiglione in search of sorbetteria where I ordered chocolate, pistachio, and coffee triple decker...we then went for dinner at la cesarina...we started with mixed antipasti of cubed mortadella (mousse-like and most delicious), artichoke salad, coppa, and prosciutto e melone; then tagliatelle bolognese; then stuffed zucchini with a bottle of house red, campo cellini, a tavola rosse...i finished the meal with vin santo and espresso...a good meal to end a good day of travel...

after breakfast at the hotel, we caught a taxi to the suburbs of bologna to visit the ducati museum...on the tour we were told that there were 500 workers with an equal number of administrative and support staffs...they were making 220 cycles a day, all preordered...90% of the parts are made in Italy...the worker doesn’t just bolt on a screw repetitiously but rather builds a section of the cycle and then stamps it with his/her name...the cycles are sent to dealers without seat and rear view mirrors to avoid breakage...the work force was mainly male with more females being added to the work force...the company attempted to soften the factory with plants...after the factory visit, we visited the museum with the history of the ducatis from making projectors, vacuums to making motorcycles...many of the winning cycles were on display as were the suits from the winning cyclists...there were several display cases with trophies from the many races ducati has won over the years...

we returned to the city to visit MAMbo, the modern art museum of bologna...the works were modern and contemporary...my favorite work was guttuso renato’s funerali di togliatti  for its scope and its depiction of history, a good example of expressionism...palmiro togliatti (26 march 1893 - 21 august 1964) was a politician and leader of the italian communist party from 1927 until his death...he died while on vacation in the crimea, and his funeral in rome brought out millions of supporters...here's a link to view that painting ...http://www.pasolini.net/immagini_raccolta_uccellacci_a.htm...

most of the works lacked the humor that contemporary painting and sculptures need to compensate for their lack of artistic "value"...

we had lunch at ex forno, part of the MAMbo complex...the dulce of limon sorbetto served up with prosecco in a champagne glass was one of the highlights of the trip...
.

we walked back to the hotel, rested for an hour in the heat of the day, and then caught a taxi to piazza galvani named for luigi galvani (1737-1798) who was born, educated and taught anatomy in bologna...the italian physiologist made one of the early discoveries that advanced the study of electricity...we then headed for biblioteca comunale dell’archiginnasio to the second floor to find the teatro anatomico...one of the main historical rooms in the medical school in bologna is the anatomical theatre...the palace, or archiginnasio, was built quickly, between 1562 and 1563, by order of saint charles borromeo, then pontifical legate in bologna...the theatre – completely made with spruce wood – underwent several modification and reached its final shape between 1733 and 1736...the theatre was destroyed during the second world war, but was rebuilt with many of the salvaged pieces...the two famous statues of the "spellati" (skinned) carrying the canopy surmounting the teacher’s chair are the work of the well-known artist of anatomical wax displays, ercole lelli...in the center of the theatre stands the white table on which the dissection of human or animal bodies took place...

after a return visit to st. petronio where i learned of jp ii's visit, we ended up having an appertivo dinner at tamburini...we walked into a "deli" with cases full of cold cuts, cheeses, and prepared foods...we were told we could have an appertivo by ordering a tray of meats including prosciutto, cotto (ham from the pig's neck), salumi, mortadella, and pancetta...we washed it down with a very dry ferghettina...it was more than enough...and went beyond appertivo to our dinner...

we walked back to the hotel, knowing we had conquered bologna...now on to rimini and san marino...

the food trip known as bologna

we left riomaggiore early monday morning with hardly anyone in sight...we had to change trains in la spezia and arrived in bologna in the late afternoon...after checking in with andrea and linda (very helpful) at nuovo hotel del porto, we walked via dell’indipendza toward piazza maggiore...we stopped at cattedrale di santo pietro to view the statues, altar, and chapels...i was especially moved by the deposition sculpture piece...it was done in a medieval motif...we continued onto the piazza, passing the display area for the alumni association of the university of bologna...an exhibit of copper sculpture pieces ranging from medieval battle scenes, crusades, and the holy family...the sculpture pieces were done by sara bolzani and nicola zamboni... we walked up to the statue of neptune...it is a monumental civic fountain located in the piazza nettuno, next to piazza maggiore...

we found the i and received some suggestions for dinner...after a great apertivo at la corte di bacco...we ordered soft drinks and were served appetizers of ham, tomato/cheese, and salmon sandwiches...welcome to the world of italian dining...we were told our first choice for dinner was booked solid so we went searching for another trattoria...looking down an alley, we saw trattoria da leonida and decided this was the place...i ordered tagliatelle al ragu bolognese, veal milanese, and we had a bottle of sangiovese (rocca di ribano)..a great end to day one in bologna and prep for tomorrow's tour...here's the website for your info:
http://www.italiandays.it/

we were met early by cristian who drove us to a parmiggiano reggiano (to be called p-r) factory in modena...we met up with our host, allesandro who explained the process of turning whey and curds into this priceless cheese...we followed the wheel of p-r cheese to the salting bins and then to the ageing areas...we were told how to decide the quality of the p-r cheese by the stamping on the rind of the wheel...we sampled the delicious cheese before heading to villa san donnino...

we walked up to the attic where balsamic vinegar is aged...the balsamic maker places five barrels in descending size, placing the new grape must into the largest barrel and then adding more must as evaporation shrinks the quantity in the barrels, the largest barrel receiving the most recently pressed must...the balsamic aged for twelve years in judged to be worthy of the authentic aceta balsamica stamp...if not, the vinegar is returned to the barrel for further ageing...we sampled the various aceto balsamico in the gift shop...the most memorable sampling was the fresh ricotta we brought from the p-r factory dribbled with aceto balsamico...we also had gelato with aceta and that was good...

we drove over to a neighborhood to a prosciutto factory...the only give away was the louvre system that was used to air cure the ham...the pig is italian, non-free range grown and slaughtered at 9 months...the pig rump is of uniform sized, about 13 kilos...salt from sicily is rubbed on the open end and allowed to cure for 22 days, excess salt being removed and rump allowed to cure for another 70 days...all excess salt is removed and the open end is covered with a paste of rice flour, lard, and salt...after walking through the factory, we had a chance to sample prosciutto and cotto (ham from the neck)...

we then headed to guiglia and the trattoria sbrigati for a light lunch according to allesandro...we were served four pasta dishes, tortellini con ricotta and spinaci; beet, spinach-flavored macaroni; tagliatelle con tomato and onion; and tagliatelle al ragu, and more than ample glasses of frizzante (a very light white sparkly perfect for the meal) and lambrusco...since we were the drinking end of the table, our glasses were never empty...we had limoncello and nocino as digestif with espresso to end the meal...

we were finished for the day...it was a great end to a perfect visit, a highly recommended visit...and the drive back to bologna cemented the memories of the day....

on to cinque terre

we left genoa early saturday morning, not realizing we would be part of the great migration to part of the "italian riviera"...we sat across from a german family with papa, mama, and boy with his snail hand puppets...they were excited to be escaping the gloom of springtime germany...

we reached riomaggiore, the eastern most city of the cinque terre...we were met by mama maristella who drove us up to la baia di rio, a b&b rated high by tripadvisor...we had the marco polo room with its view of "downtown" riomaggiore and the "beach"...we settled in and decided to head to vernazza and lunch...

we had lunch at trattoria sandro...i ordered spaghetti pomodoro e basilico...it is amazing how simple yet delicious the italian concept of spaghetti is...we then walked down to the beach where the tourists were basking in the sun...the beach was protected by a groin which we walked to get a better view of the city...

from vernazza, we headed to manarola and dinner...we were being followed by a student group with approximately 40 kids and 7 chaperones...god bless them for the courage to travel together...we walked around the town and then headed to aristide upon recommendation our hostess at la baia...we walked up to the local piazza where the kids were wheeling on bikes and skateboards while the oldsters watched and talked...the open-air restaurant was a perfect setting for dinner...i started with spaghetti vongole, scallopini ai limoni, and tiramisu...eventually i learned to cut my meals to two selections...

we decided not to walk back to riomaggiore and caught the train back, deciding to walk via dell'amore on sunday...

the local parish church was up the path from our b&b so i went in search of mass, hearing the pealing bells; however, mass was at an inconvenient time...we passed the municipal mural about life and the sacrifices of the workers of the town, a mural painted by argentinian silvio benedetto...after breakfast in the marco polo room, we went in search of via dell'amore, the easiest walk of the trail connecting the five towns of cinque terre...we paid our entry fee and started the leisurely walk to manarola...

it was an easy walk and we were quickly overcrowded with a group heading toward riomaggiore...lovers making this walk leave padlocks with their names inscribed in paint, magic marker, engravings, and then locked on ropes or chains along the walk...the theme of the walk with resting places along the way is the great homeric epic the odyssey...the first resting place heading away from riomaggiore is penelope...even though the title has become synonymous with long travels, a subtheme of the epic is penelope's steadfast love...

once in manarola, we caught the train to monterosso to see the "big" city of cinque terre...or, as a kid yelled as we were de-training, "miami, yeah"...it has a marvelous beach with cabanas, umbrellas, and lots of sunbathers...we stopped for a drink and then headed for gigante at the end of the beachwalk...

we had lunch at cantina di miki where i had a slice of pizza and a local beer...i wanted to try one of those sweet italian wines so i ordered straciatella which was served with a cookie...a good digestif...

we headed back to riomaggiore and did the climb back up to the b&b...didn't think i'd be doing any more walking for the day but we headed down to the town of riomaggiore...after a walk around and checking out all the trattorias and cucinas, we decided to order takeout pizzas, a respite from all the evenings of pasta dining...we got the pizza from a couple who works the summer season from 7 in the morning to 9 at night, home to la spezia, and then back 7 days a week...the gal who ran the pizzeria with her husband has adopted the street "urchins" and feeds them left over pizza...several pictures attest to this on the pizzeria's wall...and, of course, it was margarita pizza, thin crusted and yummy...we bought a red wine to go with our meal...

tomorrow we're off to bologna and the reason we came to northern italy...the food basket of italy....

on to genoa

we left torino early today, walking the two blocks in torino termini...the train ride was short enough, getting us into genoa just a short time before noon...we taxied to hotel helvetia, a truly historic hotel with connections both contemporary and historical with switzerland...once checked in, we took to the road and walked via cairoli, passing unesco's pallazzi dei rolli and finding i where we got information for places to eat..our first stop was da maria where i had a lunch of minestrone alla genovese (no tomato paste) served lukewarm (probably because it's summer) and a veal turrine...we walked over to the piazza fronting the opera house and enjoyed the fountain, down to the christopher columbus house (not his birth house) and on to san lorenzo...

we caught the metro to get back to piazza nunziata and our hotel...i learned from this sojourn not to take the back alleys of genoa...they're winding, leading to other alleys that wind onto others...stick to the main roads...they're better mapped...

for dinner we headed back to via cairoli where we found profumeria rosa which was ranked as a "must"...i ordered a whiskey and melon double scoop...dessert before dinner which we had down the via at gaia...i had sea bass con funghi with an antipasto of cod on patate...the meal was good...

day two in genoa was the search high and low...we took the funicular to the top of the city to the mirador...it was a nice ride to the top; however, genoa needs to trim its trees which blocked the view of the city..we took the funicular down to a midway stop where the view was much better...in fact, it was so good we had some gelato...we returned to the hotel with a stop at la lacanda where i ordered genovese bread made with raisins, citron, and pine nuts...it was not like panetonne because it was a much heavier bread...we used this bread when we made breakfast in riomaggiore...

we walked down to the porto antico where we had lunch at eataly...the port received mixed reviews from me...the aquarium, the terrarium, the galleon were quite impressive...but so many street vendors, street performers and lack of real eating areas made the wharf more carnival...we found eataly at the top of the port building...it's a joint business operation of batali, bastianich, and their business partners...the store is full of produce and italian products like cheeses, wines, packaged goods like rice but, more importantly, eating areas like pasta, pizza...we chose the pizza counter and watched the pizza makers do their thing...we ordered margarita pizza on a nice thin crust...

we returned to san lorenzo to view the interior of the church which doesn't open until 3:00 in the afternoon...it was very impressive and the tresor had some artifacts like san giovanni battista's reliquary were excellent...however, its "holy grail" looked very pier one...

we ended our stay in the san lorenzo area with a glass of coke and a passion fruit macaroon...we decided to walk back by way of the port to the hotel, comfortable with the major roads...

we headed out for la franca for dinner, making the big mistake of walking alleys which ended at the back of churches, which miraculously disappeared into thin air...until we came across a genovese who righted our path..we saw that la franca was off via cairoli...it was a seafood restaurant with probably the best meal (in toto) of the trip...i started with zuppetta di muscou, on to the pasta dish of pappardelle con tonno, and the secondi of cod with patate and smoked pepper coulis...i washed down the meal with cascina praié, a pigato grape from testico...we finished with a dessert, tenerina al cicollato, a trio of treats, chocolate cake, gelato vanilla, and zibibbo, a sweet wine mainly from sicily...a great way to end the food fest in genoa...

now in torino...

arrived in torino via british air and taxied in to hotel urbani...as i registered at the front desk, these two gals who sat next to me in the plane entered the hotel...if i had only known they were headed for the same hotel, i would have shared a ride...but they made it sound like some far-out hotel like in the boonies...checked into my room and returned to the lobby to enjoy a glass of red, waiting for my travel buddies to arrive from st. moritz by train..after we were all settled in, we went next door to Trattoria De Felice where I started with zuppa di fagioli con crostini, bruschetta, veal, and vodka limon gelato. The dulce was excellent.

after breakfast in the hotel, we caught the tram to san giovanni battista to the chapel of the shroud of turin...although the shroud was not on display, it was hidden beneath the chapel's altar...after we left the duomo, we headed for the reale piazza for picture taking...torino is famous for its many piazzas and reale piazza is the most magnificent...we then headed to mole antonelliana which was originally commissioned as a synagogue, although it has never been used for this purpose, changing ownership before completion...at over 167 meters, la mole was the highest brick building in the world at the time of its completion and remains the tallest building in turin...it was a white elephant until the museum was placed in it...the layout is awkward with an elevator that goes to the top of la mole for a bird's eye view of the city...it was a hot day and the layout wasn't too appealing so i found a great seating area and watched a compilation film about dance in the cinema...

we returned to the city center to have lunch at blah blah, a restaurant/club/meeting hall...the name was cool but the food was awful...i had a penne that was a bit overcooked...

we headed for the museo egizio, the second largest collection of egyptian artifacts in the world, next to cairo museum...it was an impressive collection with items ranging from tabletop-sized  to mummies and sacophagi...i enjoyed the crocodile mummy, not knowing why any pharaoh would want such a mummy...the hall of sekhmet was very impressive...the main problem with the museo is its double entry point, thus the need to keep the ticket handy.

we headed for stratta on the piazza san carlo...it is one of the better pastry shops in the city...the frutta gelata (passion fruit, rose, and pear) and cannelloni zabaglione, washed down with prosecco...we returned to the hotel to rest up for dinner at la locanda di sorriso (smile)...its specialty was cucina regionale, calabria...our host was filipo...mama runs the kitchen, even prepping the dinner dishes...we started with complimentary pollo bruscheta washed down with menabrea beer; then antipasta parmesan a la calabria with a bottom layer of potato, aubergine, ham, eggs, all thinly sliced (one of the best dishes of the trip); papetelle (wide noodles) with aubergine stuffed with bread crumbs; veau blanquette; bottle of ramole, a red nebbiolo; espresso; and vecchio amaro del capo, a digestif...what a great way to end our day in torino...now on to genoa...