After 2 months of not seeing each other, my boyfriend and I decided to go for a trip to Italy. The cities were somehow randomly chosen as we were looking for affordable flight tickets. We started our trip in Torino and we ended it in Milano.In total 5 beautiful days that seem to last longer when you spend them with your loved one. But enough with the details. First, let's talk about Torino.
To be honest, the wisest thing we did is to rent a nice apartment in Apart Hotel Torino and we opted for the deluxe one.
The emplacement was 5 minutes walk from the main train station and we had almost all we needed around us. Everything was clean and so well decorated that we fell in love with it. We had better conditions than a hotel: a big well equipped kitchen/ living room , a big bedroom and a cosy bathroom. Check out their website because you will not be disappointed. http://www.ahtorino.com/index.php
In term of schedule we didn't really have a plan. However, we tried to make the most out of our trip.
On our 1st day, we joined each other in front of the train station. I was over the moon, as I got to see my baby after all this long time. After we did the check-in and spent some time chilling we went out for dinner in one of those local restaurants from the city center. Too bad I cannot remember the name. We both had pizza but mine was particularly tasty with roquette salad on the top. Absolutely delicious !!
The next day was more animated and we didn't stop exploring the city. We have basically seen everything in one day. We stopped for breakfast and coffe at at Coffee Lab Diamante. The place caught our eyes the day before as it looks like a crystal cub and I honestly have to admit the inside service is pretty good. You have a large variety of products to choose, from cakes to wonderful focaccia and a range variety of coffee.
After that, we ended in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, took a few pictures of this statue and went for a walk by the river. Apart from the cold, the weather was absolutely stunning . Eventually we decided to sit on a bench, let the sun heat our cold face and admire the wonderful landscape Torino had to offer.
In the end, our way to the Christmas market was paved with lots of small independent Italian boutiques, ' a pure merveille as we say in French'. All of them caught our attention and we didn't hesitate to get in for a look. This particular Tea shop was one of my favorite due to the breathtaking smell of fresh herbs.
Located in the piazza Castello, the Christmas market one the other hand was not bad at all. You could find tasty German Bretzels, mulled wine aka ' vin brûlé ' but also truffle oil and chocolate to take away for your relatives.
On our 3rd day, we decided to go for a Museum, but I cannot say it's an amazing idea if you have to eat lunch and a train to catch in the afternoon. We initially planed to go for the Cinema Museum which allows you to take the elevator and admire the rooftops of Torino. The queue was huge and we had for 1 hour and a half to wait in the cold. Because of the long wait we changed our mind and visited the Egyptian Museum which was indeed a beautiful museum. The entry costs 15 euros for an adult, earplugs and Ipad are given. If you decide to go, allow yourself at least 4 hours for a complete visit. In the evening, we packed our stuff and travelled to Milano, a place I am going to talk about in my next article.
I thought it would be nice to include a few tips/ infos about Italy so here they are:
- Don't let yourself influenced by the appearance of the restaurant. Old restaurant are the best !
- You have to pay for your tablecloth and service. Don't be amazed if you see 4 additional euros on your bill.
- Make sure you go for lunch before 3 o'clock otherwise you will have to eat panini and focaccia until you die.
( kidding) - Take warm clothes if you decide to visit Italy in December.
To sum up, I have to say Torino was by far wonderful: clean, with beautiful piazzas and educated, warm people and we would not hesitate to go back.
Xoxo,
Valentina