Back to Italy

Next morning I decide to go to the Jewish Museum at Camden Park. An exhibition of Jews in entertainment has some interest. The museum and exhibitions were just OK, well done but not very strong in content.

One thing that annoyed me was that at the end of the Holocaust section of the museum there was a section where you could write “what would you take” if it was you fleeing or being taken away. One idiot wrote my Playstation, Ipod etc. – clearly didn’t get it.

On the way to the Underground I stumble on the Camden Markets, something that stirred in my memory – probably from watching too much UKTV. Not much there except a T Shirt which says I don’t need any more sex, I get F&*(d by the government every day!

I head back to Leicester Street and Chinatown and had a great lunch. A bit strange were some young kids eating KFC on the street where there was so much excellent food around them – go figure.

On the way home I bought a birthday cake and decoration for Claudia which we shared at Helen’s parent’s place – her mum asked after Danielle.

Finished packing my bags and off to Gatwick. No problem getting to Victoria, selling my Oyster Card back to British Rail and hopping the Gatwick Express. I get to the airport with the intention of checking my bag in at 20:00 saving me some time in the morning, but the time is only 18:30 so I sit around having a coffee and at the allotted time I check my bag in and purchase Speedy Boarding which is offered to 30 if the 156 passengers at £11.50. While I had no intention of doing this my enquiry resulting in advice that the plane was overbooked prompted me to DO IT!

I ask after a taxi and am told to call a number that the taxi is much cheaper than from the airport. I later find out that Gatwick has 32 million passenger movements a year making it the 31st most busy airport in the world. Assuming half of those are leaving and that 14% (I am told) use a taxi then there are 2.25 million taxis being taken from the airport. Apparently the owners of the airport sold the franchise rights to book cabs for £350,000 per annum. Booking a cab involves going to a window making a booking and that person getting a cab to come from the holding pen to the airport – i.e. there is no taxi rank per se at the airport!!

Seems to me the owners would make a lot more than that if they simply charged each cab £1. Anyway the background is that a cab taken at the airport would cost £13 while the one I phoned cost £9 and only took five minutes to pick me up.

Anyway I get to the hotel get to bed and wake at 4:00am the next morning to get the 4:30am shuttle or so I thought. Got down to the front desk at 04:35 to pay the bill only to find that the Shuttle was full and had left. “Oh didn’t they tell you to be down fifteen minutes before” the Eastern European receptionist ask “No they f&*(g well didn’t. Anyway after expressing my disgust for the situation the hotel paid for taxi – score one for DS.

The cab drops me at the drop off point and it seems at least a 2km walk to reach the security point. No problems through to the plane – usual enquiry to check the size of my carry on – it passes.

I think that there is something on my plane booking which say “park at the furthest gate possible” as I walk some 2kms to make the flight. At least I get to board and choose an exit row. Now the broadest man you have ever seen doesn’t pick two petite ladies to sit between – no he sits between me and another larger than average person – spreads his legs and arms – déjà vu American trip all over again. Anyway only 2 hours.

For somebody that usually organises his life pretty much in advance I have 8 days on this trip with no itinerary or agenda. I was half planning to toss a coin when I picked up the car and decide where I would go Marseilles, Toulouse and Dodogne or Lake Como. The night before I could stand it no longer and decided for Lake Como. I booked a hotel in Torino for two nights.

Later in the day I booked what looks like a sensational hotel Grande Imperiale Hotel Lake Como (http://www.grand-hotel-imperiale-como-lake.com/)

The day was a little emotional for me. I picked up the car (a brand new Citroen C4) and after idiotically not being able to put the car into reverse and being shown (need to lift a ring around the gear shift) I drive to Savona and Turin (300kms 3 hours) On the way I pass Monte Carlo where I had spent two weeks with Linda, a Villa atop Menton where I had spent another two weeks with Linda and various other spots which bring thoughts flooding back to me.

I had meant to drive down to the morning fruit market at Menton, - knowing exactly where it was and how to get there - in order to buy some (French) white cherries that I resisted at Harrods’ asking price of $A45 a kilo, but I missed the turnoff and simply kept going.

To Anna and Danielle I resisted the urge to take the Pompeiana turnoff and yes there was one off the freeway believe it or not!!

Couldn’t resist stopping at an Outlet Centre 70kms from Turin which had beautiful shops I must say including Navigare, one of my favourite Knitwear companies. Of course I bought something I wanted but can’t really say I needed but given the weather reports from Sydney I certainly see myself using it.

I arrived in Turin and checked into the hotel which had changed its name and the new name appeared nowhere to be seen. Catch up on some emails to relax for an hour. I then go for a walk down the historical part of Turin to find a most wonderful city with a lot of charm and beauty.

Now I don’t want anybody reading this to die of shock but I am seriously thinking of going to Lucia Di Lammermoor tomorrow night. It hasn’t happened yet but I am thinking 75%. Tickets are available and I will decide tomorrow morning.

Dinner and some much needed sleep after waking at the equivalent of 05:00, flying for two hours and then driving for three more.

Next morning I wake, have the standard Italian Hotel breakfast and go for a very long walk and discover how truly lovely this city is. The Palazzo Castello, the many lovely buildings with beautiful forecourts – it truly is an amazing place. I walk to the Opera Theatre and yes even queued up for 45 minutes to get my ticket so yes I will be going tonight.

Some things in life want to make you grab somebody by the neck and shake some sense into them. I go into the Turin Tourist information office and ask for any tourist information in English. “Oh we have a tourist pack with five brochures in it for €5 ($A7). Who dreams up this stupidity??? Anyway I saved my five Euros and just kept walking finding one more beautiful Piazza after another.

Lunch at a local Asian (sorry but I have been in Italy for three weeks) restaurant and more afternoon mooching before my pre-opera nap. This city seems to be a series of extremely large buildings maybe 200 years old, most of which take up a city block. Within the centre of the buildings are beautiful courtyards with flowers etc.. Upstairs are apartments or offices with beautiful retail at street level. The size of the historic centre is unbelievably large and it is obvious that there is more disposable income here than in Sicily.

Italian lesson for the day – 21 letter alphabet no J K W X or Y. Oh and BTW they do have fresh milk on the mainland and lovely cappuccino as a result.

That night I hop the 10 minute ride to the Opera – yes I could have walked it but have been on my feet ALL day so I treat myself.

On a scale of 1-10 of my possibility of enjoying the Opera it was an 8. Note to self: next time read the story line before I go! Obviously it was in Italian and they had the libretto, two lines at a time coming on a letter board above the stage. Now if they are singing in Italian why not put it up in ANOTHER language (joking). To Donazetti’s credit I did manage to follow most of what was happening.

For the benefit of Jerome: Lucia: Elena Mosuc - Edgardo: Francesco Meli - Enrico: Fabio Maria Capitanucci - Arturo Bucklaw: Saverio Fiore - Bidebent: Vitalij Kowaljow - Alisa: Federica Giansanti - Norman: Cristiano Olivieri -  Conductor: Bruno Campanella.

I try to get into a cab to avoid a 10-15 minute walk only to find that they all have their meters already turned on at around €9-10 so I decide to save the $A20 fare and take a very pleasant walk back. Interestingly, being 23:00 the streets are quite alive with young people many of whom seem to be school age.

If anybody is near Turin I would recommend a visit as it is a city which has the most wonderful relaxing and friendly feeling about it.

Hope everybody is well.
Love to all. XXXD