January 31, 2026

Torino, Italia

Good morning. We both had a good night’s sleep. We have communicated with Serra and Pietro, to meet at Torteria Quaranta on Via Giuseppe Manzoni for cappuccino and brioche. Torteria Quaranta is a really good pasticceria. The people there know Luisa, and maybe her mom and dad.

There was a bit of confusion. Pietro wrote and it was read as, we will be there at 10. What it said is we will be there until 10. So, we didn’t hurry over. In fact, took our time. We arrived just as they were getting ready to leave. However, they sat with us while we enjoyed the good cappuccino and a wonderful brioche with marmellata (apricot jam) for me, and a pistachio for Nonna.

When we finished, we walked over to Giardino Aiuola Balbo and Parco Giochi. Parco Giochi is within the giardino and is a small playground with swings, a slide, climbing ropes and horses on springs for the children. We spent an hour playing with everything, plus Luisa wanted me to be a leone or lupo and chase her round the giardino. It is possible to play the leone or lupo but chasing a three-year-old around a 11,000 meter square (about 2+ acre) park is a lot. Doing it once, ok, twice well getting difficult, the third time only about halfway. Getting old can hurt your ego, and remind you, you are not as young as you used to be.

After exhausting ourselves at the parco we walked back to Serra and Pietro’s apartment. Nonna actually mentioned polenta out loud. So we had to stop at the market and get cheese, vegetables, and polenta taragna. Polenta taragna is a Valtellinese dish Nonna’s family has been making probably since the beginning of time, or at least the introduction of carb to Europe in the 15th century. The polenta taragna doesn’t just use the yellow corn meal, it uses is a blend of buckwheat flour and cornmeal. Now traditionally, or perhaps historically, it may have used chestnuts flour which was common in the Valtellina. The addition of cheese and butter to this polenta gives it a dark color, earthy flavor and a creamy, “stringy” texture.

While walking back Serra & Pietro are telling us of all the protests here in Torino, and it turns out Italy, today. Apparently, it is Saturday and a good day to protest things. As Serra puts it succulently, “all the assholes being assholes.” They are protesting, among other things the current president of the US. They really don’t like ICE here for the Olympics. There are their own immigration policies some don’t like. There is a housing crisis here in Torino. Many, many things to protest. However, they are all around where our hotel and Serra’s apartment are located. So, getting back to our hotel during the period from 13:00 to 16:00 might prove challenging. So we stayed at Serra’s.

On the way we stopped at Agisalumeria Luiset for some of there artisan sausage and salami. It is an expensive shop, but the salami here is particularly good. The sell a variety of cold cuts as well. The prosciutto is really good. A salumeria is a shop that sells salami. They added agi to highlight the small production and to follow the agrotourism theme of today.

We confused on and stopped at Borella Supermercati in Piazza Aldo Moro just off of Via Sant’Ottavio, basically in the middle of the Università degli Studi di Torino. This is a very large supermarket aimed at the students. Think a lot of prepared foods. We have shopped here many times.

As noted, this is in the middle of the university. If we hadn’t known about the planned protests today, we probably would have wondered what was going on. Lots of the stores were closed, including “The Place”, where I like to go to get my morning cappuccino and brioche. They pulled all their chairs and tables inside like they were getting ready for a major storm. Perhaps they are. There were more police than normal.

We headed back to Serra’s and spent the early afternoon playing with the children, talking a well-deserved nap, me not the children, and eventually preparing dinner for everyone. We ate early, at least for Italians, about 18:00. We left after we finished up the dishes and the girls had taken their baths. Serra and Pietro were putting the girls down as we left. They may get an hour by themselves tonight.

We walked back to the hotel by going up Via Giuseppe Verdi to Piazza Castello. There were a lot of “young”, meaning college age, people out. When we got to Piazza Castello there were a few young people hanging around but more police than anything else. Looking at the young people, visions of 1969, 1970 & 1971 college protests came to mind. More organized and less violent than they were back then, but pretty much dressed the same. Hey, the love the music from the late 60’s and early 70’s maybe it makes sense.

We walked through the Piazzetta Real, down Via XX Septtembre, and then down Via della Basilica and into our hotel. There were a few people around but not so many. We were both very tired from the days activities and were ready for bed. There was a nice hot bath for me, my PJs and bed.   

Buonanotte e Ciao

Enrico e Maria