A Weekend in Turin

First stop at Sassi, where the funicular to the Basilica of Superga departs. A short 20-minute ride and, as you climb, you enjoy an excellent panorama. The Basilica is majestic; we visit the Savoy Tombs and go to see the plaque on the hill in honour of the Grande Torino. At the bar next to the Basilica the speciality is the "collino", a mix of chocolate, cappuccino, milk and cocoa with a little cream — fabulous. Leaving Superga, a stroll in the Valentino Park, along the Po, where there is a faithful reconstruction of a medieval village of the 1500s. In central Turin it's very hard to photograph the Mole Antonelliana, so wedged between the houses. The next morning we park in Piazza Vittorio Veneto (Piazza Vittorio as the Turinese call it) and, continuing under the arcades, we reach Piazza Castello, visit the Royal Palace and I realise that the Savoys had their own splendours too.

The gardens are very beautiful too, even if not exactly immaculate. In Piazza San Carlo there is a "granata" gathering and there I realise I'm wearing a black-and-white striped shirt, put on at random that morning but which fully reveals my football allegiance. Before setting off again, a last look at the majesty of the Po and its green, well-kept banks.