January 30, 2026

Milano, Italia > Torino, Italia

Time to change venues. We are headed back to Torino this morning. The goal is to downsize our suitcases to carryon for the next segment of the adventure. We have to be out by 10:00. The morning was spent putting things back where we found them, taking out the trash, packing the suitcases so they would close, and getting ourselves together to exit cleanly. Several trips were made to dispose of the refuse. One for organic and plastic (which includes metal), one for glass and paper, another one for the final plastic. We probably got it all. Fortunately, the very nice door man helped make sure we got the refuse into the proper bin.

On the last trip up, just before 10:00 the cleaning lady, actually a young woman, was waiting to get in. We got our suitcases and headed out the door. We used the back entrance as it avoided the stairs at the front entrance. It was a short walk over to tram (#15). One was pulling out as we approached, which seems to be a theme with our taking trams and metro trains.

It was fifteen minutes before the next one showed up. We boarded, tagged on, and found some seats. It is only a fifteen minute ride to Duomo. The plan was to switch to the metro there. We got there and stopped at a small café on the Plaza di Duomo called 12oz.

We ordered cappuccini, one each, a brioche con Marmellata (apricot) and a cinnamon morning roll. We sat down outside in the nice 4° C ( 40° F) weather, ate our breakfast, and just enjoyed the morning watching people. Normally there wouldn’t be too many tourists out. First due to the fact it is January, secondly it is cold. However, the Olympics have changed all of that. There are a goodly number of people. Of course, a good third of the Piazza is taken up with the Official Gear Olympic Store, which may have distorted how many people are here.

After breakfast we walked around the piazza for about and hour. Just looking in the windows. A number of the stores have changed over the years, yet just as many have remained the same. The Duomo itself is still partially covered as part of its restoration, which will probably never be done. What is exposed does look really beautiful.

Just as it went noon, we decided it was time to head to centrale to catch our 14:02 train. J . We hadn’t seen and were looking for either an escalator or elevator to the metro station. The bags are too big for these old people to manage getting downstairs. So we opted for a taxi. Fortunately, there is a large taxi stand at the south end of the piazza.

The taxi operator was probably a little disappointed we weren’t headed for the airport. A taxi to the airport, at least in the past, has been between €100 - €130. The ride to centrale was €16. The metro would have been approximately €6, a €10 penalty for being a lazy tourist.

Please note before Trump took office the euro was basically on par with the dollar (a euro cost $1.02). The exchange rate on the 28th, the last it was looked at, was $1.21 to the euro. Which means my €1 cappuccino cost $1.21. Unfortunately, we have found that prices here have inflated somewhere around 20%.

This mornings very large, 12 oz, cappuccino cost €5,20. Ok, it is tourist place. Yes, it is 360 ml when a normal cappuccino is maybe 120 ml. $6.30 for a grande cappuccino in San Carlos is probably about right. The small café we have been to over the last couple days charged is €6.40 for one cappuccino and two brioche. That is $7.75. Can’t do anything close to that in California, neither the price nor the quality.

When we got to centrale it was time to use the facilities. They have completely remodeled the facilities in advance of the Olympics. They are very nice and very clean. They have always had a cost of the facilities. On past trips it was €1 or about $1. They do this to cover the cost of cleaning. They have always had an automated gate. You put a coin in and the gate opened. This time they have raised the price to €1.20 or about $1.45, again doesn’t break the bank and a clean bathroom is worth it. But now you not only need a €1 coin, but you also need a 20-cent piece. They have a bill/coin breaker just outside of the gate. Technology to the rescue. Just like the metro and trams, you can tap your credit card. Looking at my credit card, the charge came through as $1.44.

Yes, it is a bit unnerving to use your credit card like this. However, we both have one credit card we use only for these type of charges. It is one we can put an immediate hold on through the banking app. And Yes, we check the card balance every day. We are probably a tad bit overly cautious.

We then decided since we had two hours before our train, and it was lunch time, we should get something to eat. There is a Roadhouse Restaurant above the main floor of the station. There are lots of places to eat, but we wanted to sit down and relax. It isn’t cheap. Mary 50 cl of Coca Cola Zero was €4.90 (almost $6). My bottle (750 ml) of water was €3.30 ($4).

There was a “special” on chicken tenders with fries for €12 ($14.50). The chicken tenders were breaded breast meat and fried. There may have been nearly two full chicken breasts in the serving. They didn’t come with any sauce, but they were very good. The fries we the “scooped boat” type. There was only about 250 ml (1 cup) of fries. It was a lot of food, enough that dinner won’t be necessary.

Mary had a grilled chicken bowl. Grilled chicken strips, rice, green beans, onion, bacon and Caesar salad dressing, although Mary thought the dressing was more mayonnaise than a salad dressing. It was easier a liter in size. Her only complaint was that the chicken wasn’t hot enough. Her chicken bowl was €15.90 ($19.25).

Now while there is no tipping in Italy, they do add a “coperto” or cover charge. It is standard everywhere and is €2.50 per person ($3). In total the bill came to €41.10, which showed up on my credit card as $49.32 (which is an exchange rate of $1.20). If you are a first-time traveler, you need to check to things. 1. Does your credit card charge a foreign currency translation fee? 2) Do they use the spot rate for foreign currency transactions?

Generally, it is better to pay in Euros rather than dollars. The exchange rate offered at the Roadhouse was $1.28 to the €1. Obviously, it is cheaper to pay in Euros because the exchange rate is almost always better. Some banks, when you use the ATM, will offer you an exchange rate as well, you get to chose between $ and €. Again, usually € is the better choice. There is usually a fee with the bank, normally between €3.5 and €5 per transaction. It may or may not be charged if you choose $. So, if you are getting a small amount of €’s then it may be better to take the exchange rate, if there is no fee with the exchange rate. The bottom line is you need to keep yourself a breast of the current exchange rate, it fluctuates daily.

As 14:00 approached we headed down to the entrance gates. Using the Trenitalia app we brought up our tickets and scanned the QR code to open the gate. We did learn that you should tap on the QR code once the ticket is up. This increases the QR code and makes it easier for the machine to read it.

Once inside the looked at the Partenze (Departures) display. At this point, about a quarter to two, the board made no indication of a ritardo (late). Normally you expect the binario (track or platform) to be displayed ten minutes prior to your departure time. Well just about ten minutes before our departure time the display posted 10’ in the ritardo line (10 minute delay). Then it posted 15’, then 10’, then 20’, then 10’. Finally at about 14:05, the posted Binario 7. We took off like a shot and headed to the platform.

Business class as “in testa” translating technically to the head of the train, but meaning the furthest distance from the waiting area at the far end of the binario. Today we are in car three, so not quite all they way to the end. There are sometimes fifteen to twenty cars on a Frecciarossa trains. These high-speed trains run along the North-South backbone of Italy.  the Apennie mountains. Today’s train came from Salerno just south of Napoli. Some trains go as far south as Lecce on the heal of the “Italian boot”, the province of Puglia. From Torino Porta Nova to Lecce is almost a ten hour train ride, on a high-speed train. It would cost about €170 in buiness. It is about 1,100 km (660 miles) from Torino to Lecce. Almost the whole length of Italy.

We boarded car 3, with a little help from fellow passengers, and we went looking for seat 3A and 4A, the window seats in a four-seat group with a table in the middle. There was a couple in seats 3B and 4B, the isle seats. They got up so we could sit in our assigned seats. The gentleman in 4B, next to me, spoke English and wanted to talk. It didn’t appear that his wife spoke English or at least she gave no indication of being able to do so. Honestly a nap was in order, but he wanted to talk.

Yes we did talk a bit about politics. Apparently immigration is a really big issue in Italy. Italy has a long-term demographic problem. It has one of the lowest birth rates in the world. In 2024, births hit a new low record of about 379,000. The fertility rate among Italian women is between 1.18 and 1.2. Keep in mind a replacement only, no growth birth rate is about 2.1. Italy has a shrinking and aging population. Immigrants are necessary or there won’t be anyone in Italy. The problem is more people are dying than are being born.

The Italians don’t like immigrants because they use government resources. Big surprise there. However, the biggest perceived dislike is that the immigrants aren’t assimilating into Italian society. That is, they don’t do things the Italian way.  They aren’t acting like Italians. Apparently, many are coming to Italy, because it is closest to Africa, and are on their way to other EU countries. However, they don’t appear to be going to the other countries. It is probably way more complex than what come out in the conversation.

However, he didn’t like Trump. He even used the word fascist did get used to describe Trump. The Italians are VERY upset that he sent ICE personal here. Thankfully the train ride is only an hour. They got off at Porta Susa, so we did have ten minutes until we got to Porta Nova, without any conversation.

We got to Porta Nova and headed to the taxi stand. Got a taxi and took it directly to our hotel, the NH Collection Torino Santa Stefano, Via Porta Palatina 19, is located on the edge of the Quadrilatero Romano District. The hotel was designed by the famous architects Gabetti. It is in the heart of the shopping, restaurant  and nightlife of Torino.

The hotel is also within a stones throw of the San Giovanni Cathedral, the home of the Shroud of Turin. Which means it is also right next to the Royal Palace. And as the name indicates, it is a stones throw form Porta Palatina, is a ancient Roman city gate. This gate provided access to Julia Augusta Taurinorum (modern Torino) from the North said of the city. It was probably called Porta Principalis Dextra by the Romans. It would have been one end of the Cardo Maximus one of the principal streets in every Roman town.

Porta Palatina is part of an archeological park that opened here twenty years ago. This gate is the primary archaeological evidence of the ancient Roman period in Torino. It is said to be one of the world’s best preserved 1st-century AD Roman gates. There are the remains of an ancient theatre located just a short distance way. It is historical but at the same a wonder modern and beautiful hotel. The building was built about the same time the archaeological park opened twenty years ago.

We touched our selves in. I went to the Carrefour Express, a small market around the corner and got us some more tea and honey. Our room is very large. It has a treadmill in the room, a bathtub, a separate shower, and a desk for each of us. We stayed in and called it an early night. It is a very nice hotel.

Buonanotte e Ciao

Enrico e Maria