Day Trip to Torino

Yesterday I was pretty excited to get out of Milano and take a day trip to Torino. I headed out pretty early in the morning to catch the 9:15 train from Centrale. The train ride was a little under 2 hours but unfortunately I managed to have a slightly rocky start to the day. I should have gotten off at the Torino Porta Nuova stop but instead got off one stop too early at the other Porta something...whoops. I wandered around aimlessly for about 5 minutes...I was pretty desperate to pee. I ended up finding a cafe near a metro stop, had a coffee, used the toilet, then asked "dove il centro?" They instructed me to get on the metro and get off at Porta Nuova...what I should have done in the first place!

The metro was much newer and modern than Milano's. In fact, riding it felt like being on some futuristic ride. After getting off the metro in the center of Torino I immediately began looking for signs. I thought I followed a sign towards the Egyptian museum but my mistake again....wrong way! I ended up asking for directions...again (in Italian), but then got distracted by a market. Quickly wandered the market, then finally made my way back to the center and onto the museum.

Egyptian Museum...pretty awesome! Its actually the 2nd largest collection of only

Egyptian artifacts after Cairo! The actual museum itself was pretty cool because there's an archeological excavation in the courtyard and Torino's original Roman wall is still standing in the basement. Honestly I would love to know more about the Egyptians because I think I would have appreciated it a little more.

After the museum I was STARVING (big surprise right?). I tried away from the touristy area a bit to just find a panino or pizza or something quick. As I was

about to walk in somewhere I was stopped by two Italianmen (one grandpa and the other in his late 50s or so). They asked if I was a tourist, pointing at my camera, and then insisted that I should eat somewhere better for lunch and they would show me. Although I was very apprehensive at first they seemed harmless and I figured it would be a good way to practice my Italian since they spoke zero English. I thought that they were just going to show me where to go but it turned out that they were actually taking me to lunch with them.They (especially Grandpa) were very interested in the fact that I came from America and had many questions for me. I was extremely impressed at how well I answered everything in decent Italian (well they could understand me and thats all that matters). It was actually a very good lunch--apparently the restaurant is where the Torino soccer team eats frequently. We ate seafood spaghetti

followed by fish and shrimp and then fruit for desert (all accompanied by mineral water and spumante) and followed up of course by espresso. It wasn't exactly how I'd planned my lunch but nonetheless it was good and really helped with my Italian.

After lunch I headed out to Piazza Castello for some more sightseeing. I went inside the castle and found it to be incredible. Architecture is a passion of mine and I love seeing how it changes over time, especially in mansions

and palaces. This particular museum did a fantastic job of illustrating the

evolution from the medieval to baroque periods with specific attention paid to decorative details.

After a wander back through some of the main squares I was back at the (correct) train station and headed back to Milano!

Even though it was a solo trip I'm so glad that I went. It was great to get out of milan and see somewhere different. I had vague memories of the few hours I spend in Torino when I was 15

on the Post-Roundsquare Conference tour. However, I always enjoy going back at seeing things when I truly can appreciate their value!