次天早上,徒步往都靈市最重要的廣場 Piazza Castello 時隱約聽到音樂聲,便朝著音樂傳來的方向走。巧合地那天是慶祝 carabinieri 警隊成立二百週年的日子, 他們在正在廣場裡表演。意大利有 carabinieri 和 polizia 兩種警隊,分別在於 carabinieri 是民警也是軍警,現在屬於軍隊一部分。在廣場裡與其他遊客和市民一起觀看 carabinieri 的部操和音樂表演,然後到廣場遠方的一家懷舊咖啡店喝咖啡。不少 carabinieri 也到那裡喝咖啡,令咖啡店十分熱鬧, 筆者在那裡遇上一個住在美國的德國人,和他閒聊了一會。他告訴我他本身任職金融界,閒時也兼任大學講師,由於懂意大利文,被邀請到都靈大學做客席講師。原來都靈除了是一個工業城市,也擁有意大利首屈一指的都靈大學和都靈理工兩所高尚學府,怪不得在那裡感受有點大學城市的氣氛。
由於之前只顧看表演,喝過咖啡後便回到 Piazza Castello 觀光。 意大利立國前,都靈是 Piedmont-Sardinia 皇國的首都,在 Piazza Castello 能看到曾是顯赫的 Savoy 皇族擁有,宏偉的 Palazzo Reale 和 Palazzo Madama 兩座皇宮。坐落 Palazzo Reale 旁是外貌平凡的大教堂 Duomo di San Giovanni Battista,但它內有乾坤,耶穌被釘十字架犧牲後,包裹著祂的遺體的布現在就是藏在那裡。由於太珍貴,原物被收藏起來,現在只能看掛在牆上的複製品。
都靈是一個規劃良好的城市,有整齊的街道,市中心充滿著十六到十八世紀巴洛克式的建築物,除了剛才提及的 Piazza Castello 外,還有很多漂亮的廣場,如 Piazza San Carlo,Piazza Vittorio Veneto 等。貫通 Piazza Castello 與 Piazza San Carlo 的街道 Via Roma, 全是柱廊建築物,十分有氣派,在那裡逛街不用日曬雨淋。由於在都靈時天氣漸漸轉熱,炎炎夏日令筆者失去胃口,為了解決晚飯問題懊惱了一會。後來發現原來都靈不少咖啡店在旁晚開始有一種東西叫 apericena,這個字由 aperitivo 和 cena 兩字合併而成。Aperitivo 時飯前酒的意思,而 cena 是晚飯的意思。在夏天,當地差不多十點才天黑,市民都喜歡在下班後和朋友相約在露天咖啡店邊喝東西邊聊天。那裡的咖啡店考慮到不少客人喝酒時想有一點小吃,所以推出 apericena 來吸引顧客, 用劃一價錢包括一杯飲品和任吃自助式的小吃。筆者在廣大的 Piazza Vittorio Veneto 找到這樣一家露天咖啡店,只是花了七歐元便點了一杯意大利人愛喝的 aperol spritz,坐在美麗的廣場上喝喝酒,吃一點芝士,迷你薄餅等點心,十分寫意。
都靈是一個規劃良好的城市,有整齊的街道,市中心充滿著十六到十八世紀巴洛克式的建築物,除了剛才提及的 Piazza Castello 外,還有很多漂亮的廣場,如 Piazza San Carlo,Piazza Vittorio Veneto 等。貫通 Piazza Castello 與 Piazza San Carlo 的街道 Via Roma, 全是柱廊建築物,十分有氣派,在那裡逛街不用日曬雨淋。由於在都靈時天氣漸漸轉熱,炎炎夏日令筆者失去胃口,為了解決晚飯問題懊惱了一會。後來發現原來都靈不少咖啡店在旁晚開始有一種東西叫 apericena,這個字由 aperitivo 和 cena 兩字合併而成。Aperitivo 時飯前酒的意思,而 cena 是晚飯的意思。在夏天,當地差不多十點才天黑,市民都喜歡在下班後和朋友相約在露天咖啡店邊喝東西邊聊天。那裡的咖啡店考慮到不少客人喝酒時想有一點小吃,所以推出 apericena 來吸引顧客, 用劃一價錢包括一杯飲品和任吃自助式的小吃。筆者在廣大的 Piazza Vittorio Veneto 找到這樣一家露天咖啡店,只是花了七歐元便點了一杯意大利人愛喝的 aperol spritz,坐在美麗的廣場上喝喝酒,吃一點芝士,迷你薄餅等點心,十分寫意。
在最後一天,原打算乘搭早上的火車離開,但路過一家專營黑和白松露料理的餐廳,便決定吃過午飯才出發。作為愛吃之人,早上先到位於 Piazza della Repubblica 的街市逛一逛。那個街市據說是全歐洲最大的戶外街市,被道路分割為四區,一區賣乾貨,衣服,鞋子,家庭用品應有盡有。一區賣蔬菜水果,全都是新鮮且價錢廉宜。可能都靈有不少華人居住,那裡還有華人在擺賣當地出產的冬瓜,絲瓜等呢。在街市用七毛子歐元買了一公斤黃梅子後便去吃午飯。看著餐牌看不懂的要比看得懂的多,幸好有位侍應會說英語,在他解釋過後點了個黑松露併盤,他還介紹了很合適的地道紅酒。上菜時嚇了一跳,拼盤有生的免治牛肉啦,有煎蛋啦,還有塗了軟芝士 mascapone 的麵包等等,上面全都蓋滿黑松露!有那麼多東西的併盤才二十三歐元,這個價錢在意大利以外哪裡也吃不到。筆者坐的是露天檯椅,坐下不久便看見一位看似在同一餐廳工作的女士,拿著她的午餐坐到我旁邊的檯子,侍應還替她蓋檯布。看看她的午餐,竟然也是蓋滿黑松露的煎蛋和意大利麵!她悠然自得地吃過午飯還喝了杯咖啡才回工作崗位。真的不能不佩服意大利人懂得享受人生的態度呢。
On the second morning, I was walking on a main street in the city centre when I heard live music being played. Following the source, I discovered that the carabinieri were doing a march and performance at Piazza Castello, the main square. There are two types of police in Italy, carabinieri and polizia, the difference being carabinieri is both civil and military police (and they have much smarter looking uniforms too). I stopped and watched them perform with the locals and fellow tourists. Afterwards I stumbled upon a very old cafe nearby and went in for a coffee. Many carabinieri had also gone in there for their coffee fix so the place became very lively. I chatted a man whom I first thought was Italian as he spoke in Italian to the waiter. But he introduced himself as a part time professor in the US having moved there from his native Germany. He told me he was invited to present a lecture in Turin University. Only then did the penny drop, since arriving in Turin I had felt the city gives off a university town vibe. Apparently Turin University and Turin Polytechnic are two of the best higher education institutions in Italy.
As I didn't get to see Piazza Castello well during the carabinieri performance, I returned to the square. In Piazza Castello, one could see two grand palaces, Palazzo Reale and Palazzo Madama, both belonging to the House of Savoy, the royal family which ruled the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia, before Italy unified. Next to Palazzo Reale, Duomo di San Giovanni Battista looks almost nondescript, overshadowed by all the grand buildings nearby. But it's what is kept inside this cathedral which draws the crowd - the Turin Shroud. It's been said the shroud is the very piece of burial cloth used to wrapped Jesus' body upon his crucifixion. The original is so fragile and precious that it is hidden safe somewhere out of sight, visitors are only allowed to see a replica hung on the wall.
Turin is a well-planned city with grid-like streets, filled with many stunning Baroque buildings built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Aside from Piazza Castello mentioned above, there are many more grand squares, such as Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Piazza San Carlo is one of the prettiest square I have been to. And the street connecting Piazza Castello to Piazza San Carlo, Via Roma, is itself a lovely street to walk as this shopping street is a covered passageway, protecting one from the elements. Speaking of which, the weather was really warming up when I was there. During warm weather I simply lose appetite, which is a big problem in Turin as there are so many good restaurants (Turin is also the home of slow food movement). So when I learnt of apericena, I thought it was exactly what I would go for. Apericena comes from two words, aperitivo, a pre-dinner drink and cena, dinner. As the sun doesn't set till almost 10pm during summer, Torinese people love to meet friends for a drink after work or college, and most like to hang out in outdoor cafes in the squares. Some entrepreneurial cafe owners came up with apericena, as people always prefer some nibbles to go with their drink. For a flat price, one can order a drink and take as much nibbles as one likes from the buffet table. Most cafes have some salads, cheeses, mini pizzas etc. I found such a cafe with the apericena offering Piazza Vittorio Veneto, and for 7 euros I got an Aperol Spritz, more than enough nibbles and a fantastic view of the piazza, just leisurely watching the world go by.
On the last day, I was going to take a morning train out of Turin, but as I walked by a restaurant specialising in truffles, I thought I just had to stay for lunch. In the morning, I walked to Piazza della Repubblica to check out the market there. This market claims to be the largest outdoor market in Europe, and it is wrong. It is absolutely massive. It is sort of divided into four zones by the big intersection, with one zone dedicated to all sorts of household products and clothing, another section has seemingly hundreds of stalls selling fruits, it's absolutely mind-boggling as it'd be such a pain to try and shop around for the best bargain! After only spending 70 cents on a kilo of yellow prunes, I slowly made my way to the restaurant.
When I finally sat down and read the menu, I struggled to decipher anything as there were just too many unfamiliar words. Luckily the waiter (who can speak some English) came to the rescue, and as I told him I wanted to have truffles he recommended the mixed degustation plate. My jaws dropped when I saw the plate, there was just so much black truffles shavings, on the beef tartar, fried egg, bread with mascapone etc. I was just about to devour my delicious lunch when a lady came out of the premises (I was sitting at an outside table) and sat down at the table next to me. I figured that she works in the restaurant but was just taking her lunch break. I then spotted what she was having for lunch - fried egg and some pasta with lots of black truffles shavings! After finishing her lunch she leisurely drank a coffee before heading back inside to work. I can't figure out where else would serve black truffles as staff meal, it certainly beats soggy sandwiches by a million miles! Torinese really know how to live.
Turin is a well-planned city with grid-like streets, filled with many stunning Baroque buildings built between the 16th and 18th centuries. Aside from Piazza Castello mentioned above, there are many more grand squares, such as Piazza San Carlo and Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Piazza San Carlo is one of the prettiest square I have been to. And the street connecting Piazza Castello to Piazza San Carlo, Via Roma, is itself a lovely street to walk as this shopping street is a covered passageway, protecting one from the elements. Speaking of which, the weather was really warming up when I was there. During warm weather I simply lose appetite, which is a big problem in Turin as there are so many good restaurants (Turin is also the home of slow food movement). So when I learnt of apericena, I thought it was exactly what I would go for. Apericena comes from two words, aperitivo, a pre-dinner drink and cena, dinner. As the sun doesn't set till almost 10pm during summer, Torinese people love to meet friends for a drink after work or college, and most like to hang out in outdoor cafes in the squares. Some entrepreneurial cafe owners came up with apericena, as people always prefer some nibbles to go with their drink. For a flat price, one can order a drink and take as much nibbles as one likes from the buffet table. Most cafes have some salads, cheeses, mini pizzas etc. I found such a cafe with the apericena offering Piazza Vittorio Veneto, and for 7 euros I got an Aperol Spritz, more than enough nibbles and a fantastic view of the piazza, just leisurely watching the world go by.
On the last day, I was going to take a morning train out of Turin, but as I walked by a restaurant specialising in truffles, I thought I just had to stay for lunch. In the morning, I walked to Piazza della Repubblica to check out the market there. This market claims to be the largest outdoor market in Europe, and it is wrong. It is absolutely massive. It is sort of divided into four zones by the big intersection, with one zone dedicated to all sorts of household products and clothing, another section has seemingly hundreds of stalls selling fruits, it's absolutely mind-boggling as it'd be such a pain to try and shop around for the best bargain! After only spending 70 cents on a kilo of yellow prunes, I slowly made my way to the restaurant.
When I finally sat down and read the menu, I struggled to decipher anything as there were just too many unfamiliar words. Luckily the waiter (who can speak some English) came to the rescue, and as I told him I wanted to have truffles he recommended the mixed degustation plate. My jaws dropped when I saw the plate, there was just so much black truffles shavings, on the beef tartar, fried egg, bread with mascapone etc. I was just about to devour my delicious lunch when a lady came out of the premises (I was sitting at an outside table) and sat down at the table next to me. I figured that she works in the restaurant but was just taking her lunch break. I then spotted what she was having for lunch - fried egg and some pasta with lots of black truffles shavings! After finishing her lunch she leisurely drank a coffee before heading back inside to work. I can't figure out where else would serve black truffles as staff meal, it certainly beats soggy sandwiches by a million miles! Torinese really know how to live.