Dream Vacation day 3 - Turin (pt 3)

The young guy from the previous night was on shift and discarded my dinner choices in favor of a celebrated local place, located near the Mole, called Tre da Tre (3x3). After freshening up and then waking Ross up, he and I headed to the restaurant. It was a full, bustling place with a lively atmosphere and a waitress who thankfully spoke some English. Ross was interested in the menu while I was facinated with the patrons who were allowed to have their dogs in the restaurant. We both chose pasta for dinner and awaited our food while observing the people and things around us.
 During our meal we saw interesting things. Some guy was traveling table to table selling individual roses. The restaurant manager engaged with those customer he knew and checked in on all facets of the staff and restaurant. Waitresses, bus boys, and others bustled to and fro. At some point I even snaked my hand away from the table to pet a dog nearby who was behaving quite well aside from a couple random barks. The food was yummy. The dessert was better! Ross and I ordered 'profiteroles' which ended up being mousse/ice cream balls surrounded in chocolate, powdered sugar, and encased in pastry shells. The dinner was a huge, satisfying success!!!
After our meal Ross and I explored Po street, a  main street in Turin linking our plaza to the piazza Castello. We also walked all along our piazza, then by the river, then around the city center in general just 'seeing' the city of Turin without a map or any worry about time.
Although it might seem that Ross and I accomplished little our first day in Turin we were tired at the end of the night. We'd walked a lot and gotten a general layout of the city center and all the things we definitely 'had' to see the next day in Turin.

Dream Vacation day 3 - Turin (pt 2)

The waiter didn't speak English and since neither Ross nor I speak Italian it was quite evident we were going to be forced to embarrassingly use a little Italian dictionary to look up the words we couldn't figure out with his knowledge of Latin and Spanish and my knowledge of French. After choosing what seemed like safe, appetizing pizzas we waited. The pizzas brought by the waiter had cost less than 10 euros each and were bigger than a medium pizza in America. Ross stared down with satisfaction and I with surprise; there was no way all that food was ending up in my stomach but it sure smelled and looked good. There were a few surprises in our order. Ross ended up with ham he hadn't expected under all his other ingredients and my mushroom, olive, ham pizza was more watery than I'm used to but every bite of both our dishes was heaven. As would become the norm on our trip Ross devoured his entire pizza while I struggled to consume half of mine in the same time. We left 'La Spada Reale' (the name of the restaurant) with happy, full stomachs. Since our entire day had begun a little late it was already nearing the early winter dusk when we left the restaurant.
We walked to the Mole Antonelliana (the tallest structure in Turin), not to explore the cinema theatre inside, but in order to try to catch sunset at the top of the observation area. The line was long when we stepped into it and I began to feel guilty that he'd let me choose the sight since my choice involved waiting in the cold. Bit by bit we moved up the line and inside into another line just as long. After waiting almost exactly 2 hours (graciously Ross helped me go over French exam note cards in line), we made it into the elevator that would take us to the top of the Mole. Ross seemed so weary and it was so cold that I felt slightly disappointed with the experience, but the view at the top perked us both up. Looking down we could see each piazza and monument lit up in the night (we'd missed sunset standing in the waiting line). The major streets crisscrossed below in a blaze of luminescence. Ross and I were surprised to see the Santa Maria al Monte lit up in dark blue lighting and we agreed it was better during the daylight. After as long as we could stand in the cold wind, Ross and I descended and headed back to the hotel. We both needed to warm up and rest our feet before dinner. Back in the hotel, me joining Ross in his room so we could try to figure out dinner choices from my travel book, staring at the travel book turned into napping. Fortunately, I awoke after about an hour and let Ross continue sleeping while I headed down to the hotel desk to gather info on local places to eat.

Dream Vacation day 3 - Turin (pt 1)

I'd like to say Ross and I woke up bright and early to explore Italy. But Ross and I aren't morning people so we both slept in, barely catching the end of hotel breakfast, and then proceeded to take our time getting out of the hotel for the day. Being Monday, and the dead time between Christmas and New Year's, we already knew that lots of things were going to be closed. However, determined to make the most of our trip we headed down the block to walk along the lazy river Po.
I had no idea when I picked our hotel for Turin that it would be situated perfectly right off of the gorgeous Piazza Vittoria Veneto, one block away from the river Po, and a ten minute walk from lots of major Turin sights. Random, perfect luck.
We first visited the Gran Madre di Dio, a neoclassic church resembling a rotunda with a slate blue dome and very pretty statues, situated just across the Ponte Vittorio Emanuele I (bridge). Though we couldn't go in, seeing the outside of the building was good enough. We'd already seen her lit up from the taxi the night before. My Italian is nonexistent, but I think our driver told us that the church was very important to the people of Turin and they viewed 'her' as 'watching over them'. From the Madre, Ross and I headed up the hill to a church. He'd seen it from below and suggested it might be cool to check it out though we didn't know what it was. I was up for stretching my legs and working up my appetite for a my first big Italian lunch.
Up the hill we went and arrived at the Santa Maria al Monte church. There wasn't much to see honestly. The building wasn't spectacular and although the inside was charming it didn't hold a candle to others Ross and I had seen...but the view outside! The view was perfect! In my kindest tourist manner I asked an Italian guy to snap a photo of Ross and I against the pretty skyline, making sure that it included the famous Mole. After a couple more minutes admiring the beautiful Turin from above Ross and I headed down the hill.
My boyfriend seriously doubted my choice of footwear, not that I blame him, because I was wearing black, kitten heeled winter boots. In my defense, unlike most females, my shoe repertoire is tiny and it was those boots or cowboy boots that I had paid too much for to be willing to ruin walking around Italy. My boots were super comfortable and I had faith that they'd last each day without killing my feet.
While walking in the area around our hotel, Ross abruptly stopped in front of a restaurant window. I was a bit skeptical since we had no idea, apart from the menu, how the food would be or if the place was reputable, but it looked quaint inside and the prices were reasonable. We were seated in a charming dining room and given menus....

Care Package

Forgot to mention this ... before Ross arrived, he asked if I wanted anything from America. Of course there was a list from here to China, but I reigned myself in to just the essentials:

Lucky Charms - I don't know why, because France has Frosted Flakes and Golden Grahams, but I crave Lucky Charms and haven't been able to find them. From his suitcase Ross pulled two Tupperware containers packed full of lucky charms (most of which have been eaten by now with immense satisfaction). I like the marshmallows and how the milk turns blue!!!

Gummy Vitamins - I'm clearly not an adult yet because my stomach rejects the Centrum vitamins for women that I brought with me to France. I knew that some companies made children's vitamins that look and taste like gummy bears because my cousins eat them - While Ross was in Toulouse, I fed these children's vitamins each day to myself and to him. Now that he's no longer in the same city, I get these treats all to myself. Staying healthy never tasted so good!

Macaroni and Cheese- there is no cheddar here - yummy sharp, eat it from the package block cheddar! And what's worse, there's no macaroni and cheese from a box a.k.a.  the American staple comfort food that I have been missing a lot! Ross brought a box for me though so I can celebrate finishing French exams with some comfort food from home.

Cosmo- Yes I'm aware that Cosmo is a trashy superficial magazine...but with all my french reading there's no way I'm buying a book to read for leisure. So, I asked Ross to bring something in English that I could peruse, something short and mindless = cosmo.

Advil- I'll stick with my tried and trusted American brand headache pain reliever thank you.

Loofa - there's no way I'm paying multiple euros for a little daily exfoliation. No way. A loofa is not a luxury item FRANCE it is a necessity - geez get with the program. Ross picked out and brought a light purple, perfectly sized loofa for me. Yay!

Deodorant - in America I never have to examine my 'deodorant' (I put it in quotes for a reason). From my experience all the deodorant I've ever bought has been anti-perspirant plus deodorant meaning it blocks sweat and has a pleasant odor. Here in France, that doesn't seem to be the case...it's one or the other. When you are in too many layers to take off on the metro, or the metro is too crowded, or you are walking a lot during the day even though it's cold outside, sweat happens....I don't want to be that girl with stains and smell. So, I asked my boyfriend to bring Degree for women (clear solid) which he did.

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Squares - my guy knows my weakness....tis all I can say.

I must be the luckiest girl in the world to have a boyfriend who will stroll up to the check out counter with the above items. I'm blessed indeed not only that he was man enough to buy those items, but that he brought them to France for me!

Dream Vacation day 2 - Turin night

My feet must have had a sixth sense for taxis because without seeing a sign or any direction I walked straight toward an awaiting taxi fleet in front of the train station. There was no possibility that Ross and I could figure out the Turin tram system or how to walk to our hotel so taxi ride it was. The kind Italian stowed our bags, demanded our destination, and sped off for Hotel Alpi Resort. Ross paid attention to the driver, seeming to converse in a half english/italian pseudo-conversation while I stared out the windows drinking in the sights. All the old, gorgeous buildings were lit up with lights to accentuate the magnificent architecture. The Christmas lights over the roads caught my attention immediately. Suspended on wire frames, constellations in blue and white lights rolled by all down one long street. Then we turned onto a street with all white lights in the shape of various circles and symbols. I thought it might be religious symbols and planets but no, just random pretty lights. I vowed to get pictured of such magnificent Christmas lights while in Turin.
We pulled up to the Hotel Alpi Resort, payed the friendly taxi guy, and said our goodnights. When Ross and I entered the hotel building he was very confused. Thankfully I'd done way too much research online and knew that the hotel was located on the third floor of the building, with the first two being residential. We skipped the tiny three by two foot wide elevator that we couldn't figure out how to work and lugged our stuff up three winding flights of stairs. At the top of the third floor we found ourselves at the hotel Alpi, a plush warm place decorated in golds and reds with little rooms but lots of charm! Because of all the travel, I had a splitting headache and Ross and I were both impatient for food. We stashed our things in our rooms and asked at the front desk where the nearest open restaurant was. (I complained enough about the pharmacy being closed that the sweet young gentleman at the front desk gave me a tylenol for my headache from the hotel's supply). The guy told us that we could visit the pub or the take-away pizzeria a couple blocks away. Ross and I opted for the pizzeria but instead stopped in at the first place we saw with a flashing pizza sign conveniently located less than a block away  from our hotel.
Inside the pizza place, I stared down in disgust and disappointment at the pizza slices covered in hot dog slices, french fries, and other odd ingredients. Clearly the man behind the counter was proud of his gross assortment of food so I didn't so much as frown while I looked it over trying to decide what Ross and I could order that wouldn't make us sick. Ross was up for anything bless him and I was too tired to care all that much, so we exited the pizza shop with a box of various slices of reheated pizza and two soft drinks. Our first 'dinner' in Turin was interesting indeed, and neither Ross nor I complained as we hungrily munched our pizza while contemplating  sightseeing for the next day. I must admit I was proud of us as a couple. A long day of travel, some unexpected glitches, and a dinner more suitable for someone fresh out of the nightclub ...yet we kept calm, positive, and comforting each other throughout. That "what if?" question about us not traveling well as a couple vanished. We were going to be fine, more than fine, traveling together after all. The thought didn't surprise me.

Dream Vacation day 2 - to Turin

Day 2 began bleary and early. To the train station Ross and I headed with our bags and our excitement for the next week. With exams the Monday after our week of travel, I made doubly sure to pack notes and flashcards as well as my mp3 player. Deluding myself, I imagined I'd be able to tear my attention away from cuddling Ross on the trains in order to study. One walk to Compans Caff, then a very short metro ride later, Ross and I found our way onto our first train for Valence. We were fortunate enough to have seats next to each other and spend the ride engaged in all the normal travel distractions: mad libs, crosswords, talking, dozing, watching the scenery flash by....
At Valence we found sandwich lunches from a stand inside the tiny train station, watched people stroll/run by in all assortments of garb and appearance, then made our way to the next train headed to Chambery. On our first train we had had reserved seats. This leg of the trip was not the same. The train an hour earlier to Chambery had encountered some issue and so all the passengers had been advised to find room on the next train, incidentally the train Ross and I were about to get onto. Once the doors opened the waiting crowd turned into a frenzied mob with people shoving, complaining, and rushing trying to secure the few seats available. For the rest of us the trip would be spent sitting on bags in the aisle or standing mushed up against someone in between cars like sardines in a tiny tin can. Ross and I thankfully got an aisle position which allowed us a little more standing room and the option, if we could manage it, of putting our bags on the overhead shelf. We were positive about the situation, holding hands and talking of little things while the train sped past little tiny french villages. I was just happy we weren't in between cars where people had to shift and find even more room that didn't seem to exist since each stop between Valence and Chambery revealed more and more people crushing themselves into the train in order to get to Chambery.
Chambery had an even smaller train station than Valence, a veritable corridor between the street and the awaiting trains and maybe enough sitting for a couple dozen people. Cold in the station, and desperately needing to use the restroom, I convinced Ross that this was the perfect time to spend our hour long layover at a cafe getting drinks.
Directly across from the train station sat a cafe with neon green lights and a dated interior and two customers inside. While not the best looking place it seemed okay enough so we entered with our luggage and sat down at a booth facing the counter/bar. Cokes and fries were ordered, drank, and devoured while Ross and I fiddled away our hour. At last we climbed back aboard a train headed for Turin (this time with plenty of open seating and room for luggage). Just as Ross and I were starting our 5th game of gin while two french kids ran up and down the aisle stopping every so often to watch our card play we pulled into a snow covered little train station. Everyone gathered their things and began to leave the train while Ross and I looked around confusedly. We weren't in Chambery yet....
I asked three different people who all told me that the train was broken and so we were being bussed to Turin. Okay, fair enough Ross and I thought, trying to remain positive despite our tiredness and the realization that a bus trip was going to take considerably longer than a train ride. Directed to one bus we dragged our bags and our feet only to be told to try the next bus. Ross stowed our bags and we began to climb aboard the second bus, but we were told to go back to the first bus. Ross went to get our luggage while I stood waiting by the first bus. Onto the first bus we climbed, finding that it was overfull and we'd probably spend the next few hours standing. Right about this time Ross and I began to complain to each other. The bus driver complained of not being able to drive on the highway with standing passengers while some other transport official rushed around trying to get a proper headcount and ordering taxis to take some of the passengers to the next closest town. The other buses to Turin pulled out of the station. Ross and I complained more as we watched a half hour tick by. Finally, the bus was unloaded enough by those headed to the next town over (going by taxi) that Ross and I were able to nab seats. A few hours later we were in Turin Italy, dropped outside the train station in the cold, past time for restaurants to be open, and very late for hotel check-in.

Dream Vacation day 1 - Toulouse

After spending the last few holidays alone, I couldn't sit still while waiting for my boyfriend, Ross, to arrive in Toulouse on the 26th of December. His visit to Toulouse and our trip to Italy were to be my Christmas presents and my opportunity to travel in Europe. We'd secured hotel rooms in our two chosen cities, Turin and Milan, and made all the necessary arrangements beforehand.

The day of Ross' arrival I traveled to the Toulouse airport way too early, but I was excited of course. I stood outside the baggage claim area (which is separated by a pair of colored, glass sliding doors) straining with all of the other individuals to catch a glimpse of those waiting for their bags on the other side of the doors. So many people came through the separation doors during the hour and a half I waited - the screen on the wall kept scrolling the words "Heathrow Arrival. Passengers Deboarding." the entire time I waited - then finally Ross walked through the doors. After a very long, breathless bear hug and a quick kiss greeting, we headed toward the airport shuttle hand in hand. With his hand in mine everything frustrating and difficult over the last semester seemed to melt away. I couldn't stop smiling and thanking the Lord for this gift.

As we rode the shuttle toward Compans Caffarelli I thought to myself, "What if I've gained weight? What if this trip sucks?  What if I cling to him too much during our time together? What if we can't handle traveling together?" Basically I was worried that our college relationship which had now moved to the post-college adult world of real life would be damaged by his visit rather than strengthened...

Knowing that our options for dinner were slim since it was the 26th of December and most places would be closed, Ross and I picked a few options around the Captiol/Place Wilson area. Our picks for food were closed. I tried to walk us around the Place Wilson circle, looking at all the menus, but all the restaurants seemed to be serving the same inedible typical French things, tartare and foie-gras. Finally we stumbled into a Brasserie and somehow managed to dine on salad, steak with caramelized onions, and french fries. The meal was delicious! Ross was surprised by the medium rare cooking of our steaks...I wasn't because I'd heard about the French conception of cooking meat only one way for every customer (the medium rare way). However, I really wanted Ross to like the food, so his downcast, surprised face made me nervous. He ate his entire plate, despite the meat's preparation, and he even helped me finish my plate. The brasserie interior was beautiful and full of people! It was a lovely first night in Toulouse and a great start to our European vacation together!!!