January 3, 2026

Torino, Italy

This cold, flu or sinus condition really isn’t working out for me. I woke up about 03:00. Tried as I might, I couldn’t get back to sleep. Part of it is undoubtedly jet lag. We had made an agreement to meet Pietro, Serra and the girls at Torteria 40 on Via Giuseppe Mazzini. It is just a couple blocks over and one of the best places in Torino for a cappuccino and brioche.

Harry V & Ali went out for an early morning walk. There isn’t anything to do in Torino at 07:30 in the morning, except maybe find a place for a cappuccino and brioche, but they wanted to see more of the city. I finally connected with Pietro and Serra and we agreed to meet at 09:30 at Torteria 40.

Harry V & Ali met us downstairs in the entryway just before 09:30 and we walked over to Torteria 40 together. Although we arrived a few minutes after 09:30 we were still there alone. We ordered cappuccino, well three of us did, Ali ordered an Americano, and we ordered various brioche. Mary had the integrale (whole wheat) with lampone (raspberries), Ali got the chocolate croissant, and I got the croissant with apricot jam.

Pietro, Serra and the girls showed up just as we were served our drinks and brioche. Pietro order for himself, Serra and the girls and we sat and had a nice visit. We had made a reservation, again, at Il Mannarino della Rocca for 13:00. Harry V, Ali and us were going to have a nice steak lunch. We finished up at Torteria 40 and the group split up, Serra & Pietro and the girls going to do their weekly shopping at the market, Ali & Harry V off to go shopping, the first week in January everything is on sale here in Torino, and Mary & I returned to the apartment.

Almost immediately after our arrival I headed down for a nap. I woke up just before 13:00, jumped out of bed and was getting ready to go to lunch when Mary stepped in and said lunch had been cancelled. Apparently, I am not the only one who had been napping. You would however think that a three-hour long nap would make it so I wasn’t tired, but somehow, I managed to climb back into the nice warm bed and go back to sleep. This time I slept until almost 16:00.

Just after 16:30 we walked over to Serra and Pietro’s. The idea was for us to watch the girls while Serra & Pietro take Harry V and Ali out for an aperitivo. Luisa wasn’t unhappy with the arrangement as it ment she got to use Nona’s iPad to watch cartoons. Amadea wasn’t as cooperative. She wanted her parents. She must have carried on for thirty-minutes before finally settling down.

After that it was easy. I made egg white scrambled eggs for the girls. The first batch was made by separating the white from the yoke and cooking just the white for them. I made scrambled eggs from six whole eggs. They ate it all. Both of them seemed to want more, but I found a box of egg whites in the fridge, so the second batch was from the box. I turned the yokes into scrambled eggs for myself. I had a nice slice of bread from Panificio FICINI which Serra & Pietro must had picked while they were vegetable shopping in Piazza Madama Cristina. Love that bakery.

Serra & Pietro returned about 19:30. Luisa showed her cousin Harry V and Ali the apartment, including the terrace outside in the cold. We left about 20:00 and headed to the Borello market again to get a few things for dinner, and some bottled water to have on hand.

We walked back to the apartment, looked at emails, and finally decided it was time for sleep again. I went back down at 21:00 with the hopes of sleeping at least until 06:00.  

Buonanotte e ciao

Enrico e Maria