Turin vs Milan

Letter 75

I think I may have left my heart in Turin. I truly loved that city and every second I spent in it bought more surprises, wonderful people and lovely places. But, alas, I had to leave. Milan is our third and final stop, and we took the train here at 1pm. To me, that meant I had the whole morning in Turin to explore and visit one last thing before we left. In this letter I’ll fill you in on the last few hours in Turin, and my first impressions of Milan.

Piazza Vittorio Veneto

I felt like I didn’t spend enough time in this beautiful space yesterday so as soon as I was ready to leave, bags packed and all, I headed here to do some reading. I had a lovely half an hour relaxing, admiring my surroundings. However, as this piazza is a through-road for traffic, is was louder than some of the others I had found previously. Still quite stunning to look out over the river, even if the views were submerged in fog.

Museo Nazionale del Cinema & the Mole Antonelliana

I had been really keen to do this museum since we arrived in Turin, and after setting off early, I managed to do it today. I am so glad I didn’t miss this as it has to be one of the best museums I have ever been to. The museum begins with the history of cameras and film, starting with the science of the eye and lenses. There are lots of interactive parts of the displays and also films in the style of 18th, 19th and 20th century cinema. It’s such as great experience! Then, it gets better. At the centre of the Mole Antonelliana is the Temple Hall which is full of vintage cinema seating and screens, and surrounded by small chapels dedicated to the cult of cinema. It’s such a fun space to explore. Going up again you get to see aspects of the film industry and even take part in green screen films. The museum really has it all. To top it off you can take the lift up to the Mole Antonelliana, 85m above ground, and get spectacular views across Turin towards the Alps. Of course, it was foggy for my ascent so I’ll just have to go back to get the better view. The museum plus the lift ascent costs 11€ for students.

I won’t spoil it by putting too many photos but there is a little taster for you. Have I convinced you to go to Turin yet? But please go in summer.

First Impressions of Milan

At lunchtime we hopped on our train to Milan, which I slept through most of. Arriving into Milan doesn’t have the same charm of any of the other cities I have visited, but that didn’t surprise me. Lots of skyscrapers and some quite run-down areas it seems. We had to get a metro out to our airbnb which conveniently is on the same line as the centrale station, and also the Duomo – probably the one we’ll use for exploring the city. Our airbnb check in was less than perfect but I won’t let that affect my view on this city. We took the metro back into town later in the day for a walk around and dinner. The metro card for 48 hours (which will see us until the end of our trip) is 8.25€. The city centre is much nicer than the outskirts, where we’re staying. Lots of lovely buildings, some large parks and many, many designers shops. However, it does just feel like any other big city I believe. I think this is partly due to it being an international fashion capital. Still, I can’t wait to get a proper look around tomorrow and see everything I’ve got on my list. So, first impressions? I don’t think it will be my favourite Italian city, and it’s very different to Turin and Rome, but I think the city centre will deliver. And hopefully the weather will too.

Here’s my one photo of Milan from last night. I couldn’t not take it.

That’s Turin and Milan. I will report back tomorrow about how Milan has treated us. Thanks for reading.