Sunday
Feb202011
GRAND TORINO
Sunday, February 20, 2011 at 10:16PM
PHOTO: UWERN JONG
BY UWERN JONG
The thing is, there are just so many other great Italian cities I’d visit before even considering Turin – I mean, a forged shroud (I’ll pre-empt this story with a word of warning to those of you inspired to visit after reading this piece – never and I mean, never challenge a Torinese about the shroud – the most polite response I got was a proud,“Well, I’ll have you know that it is a very old fake!”) and a Winter Olympics doesn’t really compete against the Roman Coliseum or a Venetian Bridge, or a Tuscan meal. Turin’s calling cards just never really came up to scratch as compared to its counterparts – even the ski-savvy would turn their nose up slightly when you talk to them about the Torinese Alps.
But I was challenged by a city determined to show the world what they had. Turin, in my mind, the runt of Italian urbanity, called out to me to reappraise my beliefs. A city proud of their industrial past, the birthplace of the world’s Fiats, the stomping ground of the mighty zebra-like Juventus football (soccer) club and the home of the biggest Egyptian museum outside Egypt(?!), provoked my interest and led me to its riverside splendour.
Since the Winter Olympics in 2006, the city’s keepers seem determined to propel it into a forward-looking metropolis - and it seems they have done a good job, whilst keeping hold of its mixed medieval and Renaissance past. A young city, both in history (up to the mid 1800’s it was actually part of the Kingdom of France) and in its population (there are two big Universities in Turin), there is a great mix of the past, present and future – the crowning example being the stunning Mole Antonelliana, originally built in 1863 as one of the world’s tallest synagogue, a truly magnificent building that is now the setting of the National Cinema Museum – a contemporary, fun and interactive experience. Its showpiece though, is a ‘Charlie-and-the-Chocolate-Factory’-esque glass elevator, totally un-cased and un-enclosed, rising through the floor of the Mole’s spellbinding atrium, through a hole in its beautiful, quadrilateral dome, emerging to a viewing platform high above the city, offering views of the iconic gridded streets and courtyards below, to the hill-top mansions of the Torinese elite, right to the limits of the city’s Alpine walls.
Having won the golden-ticket to ride in a glass elevator, I’m surprised the museum didn’t make more of its ‘chocolate factory’ similarities. After all, Turin has a passion for chocolate. Its infamous hazelnut chocolate can be found all over the city, in its old-world cafes, cake shops and gellaterias. Try the local favourite, pure heaven in a cup for just a couple of Euros – Bicerin – a mix of melted chocolate and espresso. The bonus? Not a Starbucks in sight!
And whilst you’re not on a chocolate break, give yourself plenty of time to roam the streets – boutiques, gallerias, buildings and of course its eateries. It’s not Roman ‘gasp for breath’ architecture and town planning, but its pretty romantic nevertheless. And if like me, you like your markets, you're in for a treat. Porto Palazzo Market is a treat, fresh produce from artichokes to hazlenuts abound, on a film-set of babbling Italian Mammas and day-glo gypsies.
On the subject of eateries, just be aware that they open and close at very specific times. Breakfast, lunch, aperitivo (another unique experience, a early evening buffet with cheap drinks until the food runs out) and dinner (which doesn’t start til about 10pm), all have their set hours. This said, coffee, ice cream and anything in bread can be found at any time.
Just don’t get caught hungry in an anti-Berlusconi demonstration. I’ve never seen anything like it, thousands, if not tens of thousands of Torinese took to the streets to campaign against their Premier’s latest sleaze scandal. Great to see democracy in action, especially on the day after the Egyptian ‘liberation’ from Mubarak – but I can’t help thinking, from the somewhat ‘churchy’ audience of older women, that this was more of a moral demonstration than a radical one. You could imagine the same lot out in homophobic force for example. Nevertheless, it was quite a sight, especially as the demonstrators each brought balls of coloured yarn, throwing it forward into the crowd as a symbol of unity, a rainbow procession akin to a Pride march in a parallel universe, whilst they all chanted “Dimi-ssioni, dimi-ssioni” – “Resign, resign”.
PHOTO: UWERN JONG
And despite this moral background, there is quite a developed gay scene in Turin. It’s spread out across town though, so there isn’t a gay village or hub.
The trendier mixed bars were good fun, especially the ones on Piazza Vittorio Veneto (arguably the largest square in Europe) – shabby chic in part, but a great vibe - like something from Shoreditch or Williamsburg, complete with comical street musicians outside blaring out Lady Gaga tunes from a four-piece brass and percussion band.
We also ventured to the somewhat provincial ‘Caffe Leri’ – its upstairs bar twinned with a gay bar in any small city – with its clientele of drag, trannies, queens, dykes and fag-hags, perched on bar stools, making the occasional eye contact, whilst head-down in the local scene-rag.
Downstairs was like a Euro-trash disco, with the local boys and girls finding the highest places possible, the bar, chairs and sofas to show off their dance moves. I even recall a tune that just had the lyrics “sexy-sexy dancing” spoken over its euro-pop dance beat. You know the kind of place.
Quite a step up was Les Folies Scandal’s nights at the Life club on the banks of the river Po. Outside you’d wonder if you’re in the right place as what seemed a ‘straight’ crowd of Torinese partygoers create one hell of a commotion to get in – clearly they don’t like to queue. But once you’re in, you watch the same boys disrobe to their muscle vests and the on-the-cheek kissing becomes something all together different – and all is well. It was a hell a lot of fun, but keep an eye on what you’re spending as no money is exchanged until the very end, you’re given a pass which tabs up your entry, cloakroom and what you drink. Then to get out, you’ll need to pay the cashier for an exit pass. €50 lighter, which wasn’t too bad for a fun night out, I stumbled into the night…
To summise, Turin is definitely worth a visit, I recommend it wholeheartedly and my preconceptions are firmly changed. My verdict is to give it a long weekend, no more, no less – and take in as much as possible in that time. Nothing personal, as it was hell of a lot of fun, and certainly a rainbow pin for my travel map – but it’s definitely a one-visit city.
Acknowledgements
We stayed at Town House 70 – thanks to SLH.com. A lovely boutique hotel, although rooms and communal areas are showing some severe signs of wear and tear.
