September 29, 2026

September 29, 2026

Tuesday

Milano, Lombardy, Italia > Torino, Piemonte, Italia

Travel Day

This is just a “resting” day. The night went ok. My arthritis acted up and I was generally uncomfortable all night. Mary slept until 08:00. We went down to breakfast at 09:00. The breakfast here is still one of the best. The best part, for us, at least is that it is free.

We each had a cappuccino, yogurt and an omelet. After breakfast we returned to the room with no particular plans in mind. Our tickets are for the 12:02 Frecciarossa 9516. We just hung out and chilled. I worked on my blog and Mary caught up on her word games. We left the room at 11:00.

The first sign of the day was that the elevators weren’t working. So, we walked down the hall to the other block of elevators. One was working. We checked ports the hotel and walked across the piazza to the train station.

Our train was listed on the board. It didn’t show being late. As 11:30 approached the board began showing the train as late. First it was 20 minutes, then 50, then 80, then it just disappeared from the board. Trenitalia app continued to show the train, but it was saying it was 108 minutes late.

By 12:30 we decided to find some seats and maybe get something to eat. The nearest choice was Five Guys. We could see they had some places vacant. We got a hamburger, fried and chocolate shake and sat down. Since our train disappeared from the board it was decided that I should go down to ticketing and see what was going on.

The ticket office was packed, but I took a number and leaned against the wall. It was maybe fifteen minutes before my number was called. The agent simply said –“your train is late.”. I said I knew that, but it wasn’t on the board. The response was – “Take a different train.”

Ok, train tickets are for the most part interchangeable in this situation. However, we have business class and paid extra for assigned seats. We decided just to wait for our train which should arrive in Milano at 13:20 according to the app. Well …. 13:20 came and went, no train. Back to customer service, not really but that is what they put on the sign, and we were told to take the 14:10 train. I told them we were business class and had paid for assigned seats. He said ok, and then proceeded to give us business class and assigned seats on the 14:10 train.

More standing around. The station is designed to process people not have them sit down. There are very few chairs, and none once you are past security – which we were. At 14:00 the board showed the train was 20 minutes “in ritardo”. At 14:10 the train was 25 minutes late. We finally boarded the train at 14:39. The train is, as you might expect, packed.

We should get into Torino about 15:49 assuming everything runs as normal. Now, in all the years we have ridden the trains in Italy, we have never had a problem. Ok, yes maybe a train or two was 10 or 15 minutes late, but nothing like this. A lot of it depends on where on the route you board and they you are going. Even on the regional trains to Sondrio from Milano or reverse, or the train to Siena from Firenze while I was in school, never anything this bad. There are a couple of strikes scheduled in the next few days, maybe that and construction could have some impact, but who knows are cares.

We arrived in Porta Nova just about two-and-a-half-hours from our original train. It really doesn’t matter, we got to the hotel at 16:00 which is the normal check-in time. Would our room have been ready if we had arrived at 13:30? Don’t know, and don’t really care. It was ready at 16:00.

The first thing the front desk said was your reservation doesn’t include breakfast. They wanted us to include breakfast at €25 each. No thank you. She, Mary, doesn’t eat breakfast. So, they offered me breakfast at €21, if I bought it now. It is still too expensive. It is difficult eat €21 worth of food. However, they open at 07:00 and I know I can sneak out a yogurt for Mary. So, ok deal.

We went up to our room. It is very nice. Last time we stayed here the room had a treadmill, the only difference between the rooms is a treadmill we didn’t use. Should have maybe but didn’t. The shower-bathtub configuration is a bit strange we will have to see how that works.

Just before it had gone 18:00 we walked over to Serra’s. She has offered us dinner, and we have out extra suitcase-duffle bag at her house. Maybe some dirty laundry as well. It is 1.5 km (0.9 miles) for the hotel to Serra’s. Basically flat, although it could be a little down hill. We are very close to Piazza Castello and thus at what would have been a small hill. The Via Po leading away from Piazza Castello leads to the Po River and is a slight decline. The area where Via Po is now was swamp land and part of the rivers flood plain.

At Serra’s we played with the girls, watched her make dinner and relaxed. Nonna Pina had given Serra green beans and mushrooms from her garden, so they were part of the dinner. The main course was seared chicken thighs with figs and olives. Didn’t sound nearly as good as it tasted. The jammy figs paired with the chicken was really great. The olives stayed in the serving dish.

After dinner we had Pietro call us a cab. The two suitcase-duffle bags are heavy, plus the bag of dirty clothing, my backpack and Mary’s shoulder bag would have been too much to carry back to the hotel. Like seemingly all rides in Torino it was €10.

Back at the hotel I sorted laundry as tomorrow will be laundry day. Then it was good night.

Buonanotte e Ciao,

Enrico & Maria