In which Doris has time to think while all the clothes get washed.
What a great city Turin is. And to top it all, there is a nice clean efficient easy-to-use launderette just a few blocks from our splendid 4* hotel. Time to smuggle a huge bag of dubiously-smelling kit out of the hotel along with a €10 note (because yes, the launderette also gives change, dispenses soap, etc etc). And clad in her swimsuit under the Hot Weather And So Not Yet Worn evening blouse and shorts, Doris has some time to ruminate.
1. Italian Drivers. Why are we finding Italian driving so difficult, when on the Istanbul return trip we cycled from Bari to Civitavecchia with no problems? I think this might reflect other people’s views that north and south Italy are two different countries. Down south maybe things are calmer and slower?
2. Italian Marches. Theory A above is completely contradicted by the way we have seen the big Pride march, and today the little Majorettes’ celebration, managed through the streets. Each time there was an absolute minimum of police presence, just a rolling cordon making some space on the streets a little way in front and allowing normal life to resume immediately afterwards. No fuss, no crowd barriers, no streets needing to be closed. Calm, balanced and good-humoured.
3. Bidets. We have only seen one bidet before Italy, and that was in the Very Traditional (translation: unmodernised) fabulously named lunchtime rain rescue hotel Soleil d’Or on the first day. And interestingly it was in the traditional place, which is next to the basin in the bedroom, not in the bathroom. In Italy bidets are in every bathroom. I have no theories for this, but they are handy when you need to wash all your kit by hand. Which today we don’t, ha ha.
4. Italian Breakfast. Italians eat cake for breakfast. That is weird. Personally I prefer dead pig and semi-committed hens and cows – thank goodness I’m not weird. It was fun finding a gelateria yesterday which sold “petit dejeuner” flavoured gelato, which they explained was apricot jam, bread, and a little bit of butter. Anyway, a comprehensive Italian breakfast buffet is described as “both savoury and sweet”.
5. Italian Men Drink Sparkling Wine. Yup, you heard it here first. I have seen several young men busy talking, looking like an informal business meeting rather than a romantic date, while casually getting through a bottle of the fizzy stuff.
6. Italian Towns Have Cobbled Streets. It’s like a permanent set of sleeping policemen and requires mountain-bike semi-standing cycling if you don’t want to emerge at the far end with blurred vision and numb nether parts. Enough said about that. Anyway I can reassure you that cobbles are much easier with my nice wide soft electric bike tyres, not to mention the e- itself helping to prevent me bouncing to a halt. PS never try to do an emergency stop on them in the rain.
That’s it! 30 mins of wash and two dries, and time to waft forward fragrant and lovely again.