retiredmartin

February 2026. Turin.

In 1985 the New Musical Express gave a legendary review of The Jesus & Mary Chain, berating them for no longer having the energy to play the twenty minute sets, slipping in their into the “rockism” of hour long shows with encores.

Similarly with blogging, it’s harder (for me, anyway) to write concise posts you can read in a couple of minutes than long, flabby, ones. I need 300 words10 pics (max), and a theme.

And the theme here is “What’s Turin famous for ?“. Well, Mrs RM reckons it’s the Gianduiotto chocolate, hence the icons on her “unmissable Turin” map on Google.

And, in fairness, the Novi-choc (problematic name alert) we bought the last night was almost as good as the 1kg bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk from Cannock Woolworths in 2008.

Half a dozen of Mrs RM’s choc bars mark Turin’s ornate cafes, many selling the overated Bicerin, “a rich and creamy hot drink with espresso, hot chocolate, and whipped cream“.

But what else does Turin, a city of over 800,000 souls have to offer ? It certainly hides its treasures under a shroud of mystery.

Well, a lot of large squares,

a museum housing stuff taken from Egypt, a giant tower called The Mole, plenty of shopping galleries,

and even more cafes with espresso for 1,50 euros.

Juventus, the best supported team in Italy, big enough for Ronaldo to play for once, charged 90 euros for tourist seats at their new Turin home, about 70 euros too much for me.

That leaves the Shroud,

which frankly is what most Britons associate with Turin. You can’t even see it, but the cathedral itself is a gem.

But what else is there to DO, apart from visit the giant Museum of Egyptology (no ta), pop in churches and eat ?

Well, we certainly weren’t finding out the next morning after that first night on the beer and an hour of Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

That looks even more hallucinogenic than Paris 2024.