Our brand new Peugeot was about to become our transport for exploring northern Italy until June.

We picked it up on the outskirts of Milano and headed off towards Turin — a little shakily at first.

Keep right. Look left.

It takes a bit of getting used to when you’re accustomed to driving on the other side of the road.

There was only one small incident at a toll booth, which ended with blaring horns and a waving fist. Luckily, we had French plates, so perhaps they assumed we were French tourists who simply didn’t know any better.

We made it onto the Autostrade unscathed and headed for Turin.

Our First View of Turin

We walked up from our Airbnb, which gave us our first opportunity to simply wander through the streets of Turin and get a feel for everyday life in the city.

Our destination was the Chiesa di Santa Maria del Monte dei Cappuccini – phew, what a name!

Turin has been described as having one of the most beautiful natural settings in the world, and from this hilltop viewpoint we could certainly see the appeal. Unfortunately, the air wasn’t clear enough that day to see the surrounding snow-covered mountains. But the view still gave us a good sense of the sheer size of Turin and how densely the city stretches across the landscape.

It was our first real glimpse of Turin and there was plenty more to discover.

Chocolate, Turin Style

Turin has another claim to fame that was rather more appealing to me.

Chocolate.

Back in 1678, the Royal Duchess granted a local chocolatier the first licence to sell chocolate as a drink. It caught on, and Turin became famous for both its hot chocolate and its chocolates.

We were there just before Easter, so the chocolatiers were putting on quite a display.

And apparently, when it comes to Easter eggs in Turin, bigger is definitely better.

We were walking around 12km a day, so naturally we needed to keep our energy levels up.

Enter the mid-morning espresso macchiato — occasionally accompanied by a little something extra.

Apricot crostini or Tarte Tatin?

Hard to decide…

We were staying close to the Umberto I Bridge, so crossing it became part of our daily routine as we walked into the city centre.

Built between 1903 and 1907, it replaced an earlier steel cable bridge that had been closed because it was no longer considered safe.

We crossed it so often that the four bronze statues standing at its corners became familiar landmarks — representing Art, Industry, Mercy and Valour.

Just another part of everyday life in Turin.

The Vibe

I read somewhere that Turin’s residents are known for their understatement and composure.

I’d agree.

There was something quietly charming about the whole city. Nothing seemed to be trying too hard to impress, despite all the grandeur around it.

In a word, we found Turin charming.

The River Po was flowing surprisingly full, despite the drought we’d read about.

It was beautiful to see it winding through Turin.

A City Fit for a Capital

Turin certainly knows how to make an entrance.

During the 18th century, the city underwent a major transformation, with grand boulevards, public squares and royal palaces designed to create a city fit for a capital.

You don’t have to look very hard to see the results.

As we wandered, we came across more historic buildings, churches and palaces than we could possibly count — ornate, imposing and very much designed to make an impression.

Big. Grand. Fit for a capital.

Interestingly, Turin’s architecture felt quite different from the other Italian cities we’d visited. There was a distinct French influence, earning the city its nickname, “Little Paris”.

And then there’s Turin’s industrial side.

It’s the home of FIAT — the name itself coming from Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino. And there certainly seemed to be no shortage of Fiats on the streets.

Not everything we photographed in Turin had a story behind it.

Sometimes something simply caught our eye. These rather unsettling dolls and toys were one of those moments.

I’m still not quite sure what was going on here…

The day was warm, so we took our time wandering through Parco del Valentino along the banks of the River Po.

It was a lovely change of pace from the grand streets and busy city centre with leafy paths, open spaces and plenty of people simply enjoying the sunshine.

The Food

The Food

Ravioli. 🙂

Jeff went for scampi and sea bass in a shellfish bisque – clearly no shortage of seafood on his plate.

I went veggo with artichoke, leek and sage.

Two very different choices, both delicious and the outdoor setting was perfect.

We found a lovely little local bar tucked away from the main streets and settled ourselves at a window with a pre-dinner drink.

Perfect position for one of our favourite travel pastimes – people watching.

More food! Veal Cheeks with Mushrooms and you can’t go past a good salad!

Two dishes you’ll see on menus all over Piemonte are Vitello Tonnato — veal with tuna sauce — and Carne Cruda, essentially raw beef.

Our host highly recommended the Vitello Tonnato, so naturally we had to give it a try.

Jeff enjoyed it.

I did not.

Let’s just say I’ve now learnt to recognise Vitello Tonnato on a menu and steer clear. And I’ll be doing the same with Carne Cruda.

Jeff, who happily eats steak tartare, was quite at home with both.

Palazzo Reale (The Royal Palace)

We’re not usually ones for tourist attractions, but we did make an exception for the Palazzo Reale — Turin’s Royal Palace.

And we’re glad we did.

We spent more time wandering through this magnificent palace than we have in many others. Every room seemed more spectacular than the last, with lavish interiors and outstanding art collections.

But the part that really caught our attention was the Royal Armoury.

Neither of us expected to find ourselves quite so fascinated by a collection of armour and weaponry.

But there was something about seeing it all laid out, the sheer scale, detail and craftsmanship, that had us stopping to look much longer than we’d anticipated.

Attached to the Palazzo Reale is the Cathedral of St John the Baptist.

While we were looking through the windows from the adjoining smaller private chapel within the Palace, a funeral service was taking place inside the cathedral.

We stood quietly for a moment, watching from a distance.

It was an unexpected glimpse into a very real moment of Turin life and a reminder that these magnificent historic buildings are still very much part of the city’s everyday life.

The Royal Armoury

The Royal Armoury was the part of the Palace that really got us both curious.

At first glance, I thought the horses were real – taxidermied and preserved for display. They weren’t. They are wooden horses covered with actual horse skins, carefully sewn over the forms.

It was reassuring to see just how well protected the horses were in battle.

Although, looking at all that armour, it’s hard to imagine them getting up much speed!

And as for the soldiers, protection was clearly the order of the day. Head to toe, and everywhere in between, armour was required if you wanted to survive the battlefield.

Quite a lot of weight to carry into battle.

It’s difficult to capture in photographs just how much there was to see in the Armoury.

There was so much detail, history and information packed into the collection that you could easily spend an entire day just in this one section of the Palace.

Our photos barely scratch the surface.

And, that’s a wrap for Turin.

We came expecting an interesting Italian city and left completely charmed by it.

Turin had grandeur, history, good food and plenty of character — but it was the quiet confidence of the city that stayed with us.

We loved it.

Catherine & Jeff