Last weekend, I went to Turin, Italy with my friend Nate. The food was amazing, and I fell in love with the city. To be honest, I had never really heard of Turin before this trip. I knew it was the host city of the 2006 Olympics, but that’s about it. The city has an authentic vibe; the people, food and overall atmosphere are not overshadowed by tour buses, souvenir shops and hoards of tourists. If you want a genuine Italian experience, definitely check out Turin!
On Wednesday, I took a train to London after my last class. The five-hour trip was not bad at all (nothing compares to the 15 hour flight from LA to Melbourne!). I arrived around midnight and hung out with my friends studying abroad there, and before I knew it, it was time to leave for our 7:00 a.m. flight. Luckily, the adrenaline rush kept me going. I mean, I was on my way to Italy!
After the two hour flight, we took a bus to the city center. We wandered around Turin, or Torino in Italian, for most of the day. The buildings were exactly as I imagined: intricate, ancient and beautiful. We ate delicious sandwiches, lattes and gelato. I could’ve gone home happy after that.
That night, we met up with Nate’s Italian cousin, Enrico, who is studying in Torino. We stayed at his apartment and he showed us around the city. The next day, we went to a technology class with him. An information technology class completely in Italian: two things I barely know anything about. I have never been so confused in my entire life!
For lunch, we went to a traditional Italian restaurant. Our meal consisted of bread, tomato and mozzarella, gnocchi, eggplant parmigiana, red wine and espresso. Absolutely delicious. That night, we drove to a church at the top of a hill that overlooks the entire city. The view was incredible, and the church was breathtaking.
The next day, we slept in, and Enrico and his roommate cooked us pasta and chicken for lunch. Homecooked Italian food… It doesn’t get much better than that. Oh, did I mention that Enrico’s mom is a cooking teacher in southern Italy? Needless to say, it was one of the most amazing meals I’ve ever had.
After recovering from a food coma, we had pizza at a restaurant for dinner. We walked around the city, got gelato (tiramisu flavor…amazing) and stumbled upon a water/light show in one of the main squares, Piazza Castello. There was a huge crowd of people!
We had to leave early the next morning to return to London and Glasgow. I was sad to leave but so thankful for the incredible experience. I loved truly living like an Italian for a weekend. It was a trip that I’ll never forget!