28/11/2011 - Key word for today is TUNNELS. Driving thru the Alps you would tend to
think of towering snow capped peaks, plunging valleys, and roaring
rivers. Uh Uh. No such luck. After leaving Chamonix we get to the Mont
Blanc Tunnel.
After parting with 36Euros we entered the tunnel which is 10km long -
so much for parting views of Mont Blanc. Once we emerged from the other
side - the drive was a continual series of tunnels. So we didn't catch
much of a view of the scenery. And even when we did, the air was thick
with woodsmoke and factory output (the Italian side of the Alps is
heavily industrialized). Sometimes it was so thick you couldn't even see
the mountains.

After an uneventful drive we were soon in the outskirts of Turin.
Not looking promising - looks a bit grotty. Roads are ****, buildings
look dilapidated - and drivers are, well, drivers are Italian. Just as
well my collarbone has healed up sufficiently, because no way will Julie
even consider driving in this madhouse!! The landscape is improving the
deeper we travel into the city. The buildings are becoming more ornate,
reflecting the history and cultural heritage of the city. Drivers are
still mad.

We've finally found our way to the hotel
via the myriad one way streets and laneways, and as luck would have it, a
parking spot right in front of the hotel (albeit about half a meter
shorter than the car is long). Still, when in Rome, etc etc., soon the
car is parked as well as the locals park theirs - half in, half out,
with hazard lights flashing as if to say "I won't be long".

The hotel turns out to be a bit of a mixed bag - older style building with
decor which is VERY Italian. Still it appears to be clean and
comfortable, good enough for a couple of days.

29/11/2011 - Today is a day for exploring. Consulting the tourist map its easy to
plan out the day - all the major "must see" places are grouped together
in the central part of town. So all it takes is a ride on the No 13 tram
to get there. By the way, we have worked out why Italy is such a
financial basket case - no one wants to pay their way, and no one wants
to make them!! We have spent the last two days using the Turin tram
system without buying a single ticket, without being asked to show a
ticket, and with no apparent way to buy a ticket - what a bargain!!

The first place we explore is the Museo Egizio (http://www.museoegizio.it/pages/hp_en. jsp),
which houses, wait for it, the largest collection of Ancient Egyptian
artifacts outside Cairo. Strange to think that the place of the most
well known ancient empire is home to artifacts of that other ancient
empire. And its not just a few replica models thrown together in a dusty
building either, these are the real deal. The exhibits range from stone
and wood sarcophagus' to mummified bodies still in their original cloth
wrappings (and some without cloth wrappings). The whole exhibit takes a
couple of hours to get through.

By the time we finished at the Egyptian exhibit and grabbed a bite to eat, with the
obligatory cup of coffee (did I mention that the Italians make the best
coffee - note to the French: come here and learn how to make coffee
properly), time got away from us, so we did a whirlwind tour of a couple
of museums, just so we could say we saw them. First was the Museo
Civico d'art Antica (Civic Museum of Ancient Art) followed by the
Palazzo Reale, or the Royal Palace.

http://www.palazzomadamatorino.it/pagin a3.php?id_pagina=103

http://www.comune.torino.it/musei/en/el enco/arteantica.shtml

http://www.a-torino.com/web/en/torino/p alazzo_reale.html

After the museums were done with, we walked back to the hotel along a
pedestrian walk, Via Giuseppe Garibaldi which must be home to the
largest number of shops we have ever seen (Julie, put the wallet back in
your pocket!!). Shoe shops, bag shops, sporting shops, dress shops,
mens shops, more shoe shops, more bag shops, you name it, its along this
walk - well over 1km long (oh my aching feet). Still, it was a most
pleasant walk, broken up by sitting on seats and doing some people
watching every now and then.

Turin has proved to be a real surprise. Everything you imagined Italy to be is here - chaotic,
stylish, laid back, cultural, glamorous, old, new, historic, modern.
There is something for everyone here to enjoy.

That being said, we have decided we have had enough of big cities for the
time being. So we have decided that tomorrow we are going to bypass
Genoa, and head for a small place called Menton, just over the French
border. Looks to be an interesting place to spen a couple of days.