Tuesday was another early day. We had to catch a high-speed train to Torino at 8am. The nice thing at least about this apartment was that it wasn’t more than 15 minutes to the train station so we usually got there with 5 minutes to find our seat and head off.
Neither Rebecca nor I knew much about Torino beyond the fact that the Olympics where once held there. I did a little research and discovered that there is a large old Fiat factory which had been converted into a mall centre. Atop this old 6 floor mammoth facility is the World’s only roof top test track…something I had to see for myself.
Upon arriving in Torino we jumped onto what can only be described as the cleanest subway in Italy and headed down to Lingotto. It was early when we got there, before 10, and most of the shops were not open yet but we walked around for awhile and after the stores started to open we popped into a few before we headed to the top floor to check out the test track. Earlier, before the elevators were working, we had tried to walk to the top through the spiral drive way, similar to that found in parking garages, but reached an unmovable fence which we couldn’t pass. The only way to the top is to head through the gift shop and up the elevators. This elevator will bring you to the entrance to the art gallery and also to the test track. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the track, I had seen a few photos from above but when we stepped out onto it, I was blown away. It was massive, with banked walls on either end. It was a simple loop, but boy was it neat. The factory, when built, was one of the largest in the world. The production line began on the 1st floor where the raw materials would come in and the car would make its way through the floors until arriving on the roof fully finished where it would do its first few miles around the track. We spent a while walking around taking a ton of photos because beyond offering a once in a life time chance to see a roof top test track it offered really nice view of the surrounding area.
We eventually left the roof to grab lunch at the “western pub” which was the worst American food I’ve ever had in my life. In Italy, they don’t have regular vinegar and they use mayonnaise for all their chips. It’s really not that healthy. We debated for a long time about heading just down the street to visit the Torino automobile museum which was due to open at 2 but in the end decided we both felt burned out already and were not up for a museum.
We headed back to the city centre and started our exploration of Torino, we walked up through Via Roma, something similar to the Champs d’Elysees in Paris, with a lot of high end stores. We strolled along the street arriving at the Royal Palace of Turin. We walk through the palace and passed by a beautiful old church where Roman ruins had recently been discovered. Eventually we settled in front of old ruins of the Palatine Towers where we sat for a long time trying to remember which courses we took in university. After our break we headed to a fresh fruit market in Piazza della Repubblica then down along the river as we headed towards Mole Antonelliana. Mole Antonelliana is named after the architect who first undertook the creation of the building for which construction began in 1863. It was originally intended to be a synagogue for the local Jewish population but now houses the Museo Nationale del Cinema. We would take a few neat photos of it before eventually walking along the river to head back to the train station. After a full day in Torino we both agreed that it was a really neat city.
After a long day, Rebecca and I were both ready to crash so once we got off the train and started to head home we were excited to rest, however, we encountered a Ferrari 458 parked out front of our local bar. I, of course, walked over and took a few photos and admired its beauty. The owner happened to notice us and he invited us over for a drink where we ended up sitting for about 2 hours just talking. His name was Franceso, he owned a few different businesses in Milan and had just sold his two older Ferraris, a 360 Modena and a 550 Maranello for this new 458…must be nice.
Graham McCormick 