Turin in snow.

Thu 22 Jan 2009
To make my way closer to the other European countries, I met up with another couch surfer who was travelling from Rome to her home city of Turin by train. Sounded like a fair plan, train to the icy city of Turin, take a look around. There was still hope of getting to friends in Switzerland and Germany even though my travel plans were now 3 days behind.

Turin was interesting. Couchsurfing in Turin even more so. Rita was a typical host. Big smiles, can't do enough, extremely good guide information and most of all accepting, in terms of letting people into her home.

During my stay, I got to look around variously at the city, do a spot of shopping, join in a family dinner  that included two small lads enjoying the love of their Italian mother through copious amounts of food… She thought it hilarious when I pointed it out…. Italian mothers being so reported for this behaviour. O yeah, the other thing, I had the opportunity to attend a book launch. Literally translated, the book was called "Concrete Party" and a co-author, a friend of Rita's from Genoa. In a suitably grand building in the heart of Turin (aren't they all), the authors and researcher set about a discussion about the book an the spoiling of the Genoa(ish) water front by millions of cubic metres of concrete being moulded into the shape of luxury high rise units. Amongst the open forum that the launch had become as one crowd member grabbed the mic after another, two things dawned. One, Italians apparently no language equivalent, or no concept of the word "concise". Two, my home town Airlie Beach and the beautiful Whitsundays and other renowned destinations throughout the world were being challenged by the investment dollar and the development they bring… by the sounds, Genoa was doing worse than most.