Wednesday, July 5th

I was pleasantly surprised to find that the breakfast at Hotel Victoria was just as good as my breakfasts were at the Doria Park Hotel. The only thing missing was the fresh orange juice. I could not decide which breakfast was better but I had a few more days to enjoy and decide.

After finishing breakfast, I went back up to my room to grab my things for the day. I stopped at the front desk on my way out to inquire about where I could find a store that sold cell phone batteries. After my phone went dead twice, I decided that I needed to do something about my phone. I was given the recommendation of an electronic store nearby.

The store was a few blocks away and easy to find. I showed the girl at the counter my phone and asked her about the possibility of buying a new battery for the phone. She told me that my phone was too old. I might be able to find a battery across town but the chances were slim.

She was extremely kind, complimenting my Italian even though my cell phone vocabulary was quite limited. She asked where I was from and could not believe that I was from Hawaii. She proceeded to call everyone who was nearby over to see this girl from Hawaii! It was pretty funny.

After everyone left, she recommended a phone similar to mine that was one of the cheapest phones in the cabinet (49 euros). This phone used the same car charger as my previous phone, which worked out perfectly and it was also a tri-band phone, which could come in handy someday. She helped me change my tim card so that my new phone would work and showed me a few of the new features of the phone. She said it was charged partway and that I could already start using it. I thanked her for all of her help and then headed back to my hotel to drop off my old phone and the box/contents for the new phone.

I stopped in at a bar in Piazza San Carlo for an espresso and to figure out my plan for the day. Just as I was about to pay, my phone began to ring. At first I did not realize that it was mine! Then, I quickly tried to figure out how to answer it before it stopped ringing. The caller was my friend, Diana. She wanted to make final plans with me about heading to Acqui on Friday.

I paid my bill and then headed out, starting off with a little window shopping. I found a cool Mac store nearby and was so tempted to buy this Crumpler Duck bag. I decided in the end to try to find one at home. I could not justify with myself such an expensive splurge with the exchange rate.

I stopped in a couple more stores and then took out my map to figure out how to get to Al Bicerin to try the famous bicerin drink that I had heard so much about. I got a little lost on the way but finally found the place, but it was closed for the day.

Plan B ~ Piazza Solferino…

When I arrived at this cool piazza, I discovered an amazing fountain, two atriums, and various figures in the shape of different winter sports surrounding the piazza. I guess it was a good omen that Al Bicerin was closed. I may not have checked out Piazza Solferino if it was open.

The first atrium contained images, films and other information about the recent winter olympic games, which were just held in Torino. I spent about an hour in the atrium watching some of the clips and looking at all the pictures.

Here’s my blog post (with more photos) mainly about this beautiful piazza & the exhibit inside the atrium.

I was getting pretty hungry. I grabbed some lunch at a fresh food self- service place called EXKI, natural fresh & ready.

After lunch, I headed over to Piazza Castello to take a tour of the Palazzo Reale (royal palace). When I arrived at the Palazzo Reale ticket area, I took out my Torino card expecting to easily get a ticket and tour the palace.

A not so friendly woman told me matter of factly that there was a big group that already booked the next tour and I would have to come back much later in the day if I wanted to see the palace. I did not quite understand what she was saying at first. I told her that I did not understand and her response was to speak even faster in Italian again telling me that that I could not purchase a ticket for the next tour. I replied that I did not really need to take a tour. I just wanted to look around the palace.

I finally understood the problem when this nice man sitting near her doing some other job explained to me (also in Italian but in a much nicer way) that the tour was mandatory and the next tour was already booked. He told me that I could return later in the day and try to book one of the next tours. I thanked him and decided instead to go to the Egyptian Museum, which was nearby.

Luckily, it was quite easy to get into the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum).

My Torino card worked for this museum. I thought the museum was quite remarkable and I was very glad that I went.

Here’s my April 2008 blog post (with more photos) about my visit to the Museo Egizio

By now, I was exhausted from walking all day. I went back to my hotel to rest for a while and then decided to go to a pizzeria called Urbani (recommended by the hotel) for dinner. This pizzeria was located right near the train station. I passed a few other places that served pizza on the way and figured that Urbani must be really good since there were many closer places along the way.

My experience at Urbani was strange from the moment I arrived. When I walked in the door, the woman at the entrance whom I assumed was seating people looked at me strangely when I said “one for dinner.” I then told her I wanted to order a pizza. She must have misunderstood me as she brought me to the back where there was a man behind a counter making pizzas.

I saw a waiter and explained that I wanted to eat at the restaurant for dinner. He found me a table and asked me what I wanted to drink. I asked for some water and then he left. A different waiter came back with a small carafe of water and asked me what kind of pizza I wanted. I asked him if there was a menu. He said just to tell him what kind of pizza I wanted. I have heard of places without menus before but never a big restaurant/pizzeria. I told him I wanted a pizza margherita with pepperoni on top (pepperoni in Italy is peppers not the meat pepperoni). He asked me if I wanted the meat or the vegetable pepperoni. I confirmed that I wanted the vegetable pepperoni.

About 15 minutes later, he arrived putting a plate of roasted peppers on my table. I told him that I wanted the peppers cooked on the pizza, not on the side. He said he was bringing them to the pizza maker but wanted to make sure that this was what I wanted. The pizza man then began to make my pizza. I was glad that there was a world cup match on the TV as it was a very long wait.

Finally my pizza was delivered to my table. It was good, but nothing to rave about. While eating my pizza, a couple from England was seated next to me. The waiter asked them what they wanted to eat without bringing a menu. They were given some suggestions and then they ordered. They also thought it was strange that there was no menu.

After I finished my pizza, I was asked if I wanted dessert or coffee. I said I was full and asked for the bill. The waiter disappeared. After about 15 minutes I saw the man who originally seated me. He asked me if I wanted dessert. I told him I was waiting for the bill. He asked me what I had to eat and then disappeared.

A few minutes later, he brought a plain piece of paper with €15.00 written on it. I should have said something as I knew right then I was being ripped off, but the restaurant was not in a great area. It was getting dark. At this point, I just wanted to head back to my hotel. I didn’t remember until later on that it is against the law to not be given a bill on an official restaurant slip. I knew that a pizza and some water did not cost that much, even when adding the cost of sitting at a table, but because I was not shown a menu with the actual cost, I figured that it would turn into a big hassle and so I just paid the €15 and left.

Back at my hotel, I told the woman who recommended the pizzeria what happened. She said that it was very strange. It was not normal to not be given a menu, to be charged that much for a pizza and to be given the bill on a plain piece of paper with just €15.00 written on it. I was not going to obsess about it, but I wanted to let her know so she would not recommend that pizzeria to other guests at the hotel.

All in all, besides the 2 crabby people & then the rip off at the pizzeria, I really did have a great day in Torino!