Our sleep the night before was not ideal due to the heat and lack of air conditioning. I had forgotten how important it was to look for that when searching for hotels in these areas. However I guess it’s better than the cool wet weather at home.
We started out with a city tour aboard a double decker bus with English commentary on the sights around the central part of Torino. The city was and remains an important site for royal and governmental residences, palaces, gardens, and business. There is also the usual abundance of churches here as well as what used to be a Jewish synagogue at the end of the 19th century but it has been transformed into a national cinema museum. It is called the Mole Antonelliana and provides a spectacular view of Torino if you ride the elevator to the top, which we did.
We also spent a few hours in the Palazzo Reale looking through the lavishly decorated rooms where the Savoy dynasty was housed until it was sacked by Napoleon’s troops then inhabited by King Carlo Alberto and Queen Maria Teresa. In front of the Palazzo was a large piazza which displayed some delightful sculptures by a contemporary Chinese artist named Xu Hong Fei all depicting a full bodied woman enjoying different activities and just life.
The guys then opted for a trip to the car museum while Katharine and I went back to the hotel for a clean up and siesta before supper.
The Museo nazionale dell’automobile proved to be worthwhile, telling the history of the car from an Italian and European perspective (a lot of FIATs), and a good motor racing section as well. On the way back to the hotel we took the metro which was sleek, fast, and modern. Nice to be in a city that has recently spent a lot of money on upgrades for the Olympics!
We fly like the wind, too.
The Palazzo Reale
Inside The Rustic Hotel Elevator
A Cisistalia - The Car As Art
Palazzo Dining Style
Up For The View
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