The next couple days, I just spent wandering around new Pompeii, and visiting the malls, cafes, and shops near old Pompeii. Since I am traveling light, about all I could do was look and not buy. Oh, I did buy another shot glass for my bartender friend in Rosamond, California. With just a carry on bag and a computer bag, didn’t really have much room for trinkets.
I did need to find a place to stay in Turin so I didn’t waste all my time. A couple three hours were spent gathering information on what to see and do there plus finding a place to stay. Which I did eventually. My tablet computer with WiFi was really coming in handy. It’s got an built in unlocked phone too. Before I left the states, I’d bought ($8 USD) and installed a mapping program called Skobbler that included maps of all the countries of the world where I could just download the countries I’d be needing. Also bought a SIM for the phone built into my Android Tablet from a company in England. Both items were pretty handy while I was in Europe without a set itinerary (after Pompeii). I was constantly aware of how inconvenient it would be if my tablet was stolen so I kept a tight rein on it. One tricky thing I did was attach the computer bag to the metal handle tubes of the carry on bag instead of just plopping it on top. When you’re running for your next train, it could easily fall off or be stolen by a grab and dash thief without the little cables I’d found for the job.
Worked on my travel plan most of one day, but with a nice place to sit and enjoy the sunshine that came along occasionally between clouds. That table there on the right of the picture on the patio is where I’d set up and work. My room right behind. I did find the business card for the place: B&B Villa Rocla.
If I turned around, here’s the direction I’d go to get out on the street. The front door of the hotel was locked most of the time except when they expected someone. All the tenants like me would go in or out that electrically controlled, coded gate. It let out on a small & steep alley on the right just past that car gate which lead to the main street.
And here’s the communal kitchen where I cooked my dinner every night. The lower part of that tall cabinet looking thing is actually the refer. Behind me in this pic would be the sitting room and then the door to the main street. Usually locked. The mama didn’t mind me hanging out in here because I’d always clean up after cooking my dinner or making a snack. And do all the dishes in the sink. Because that’s what I do. Thing is, this big of a place you’d think they’d install a dishwasher. They didn’t even have a dish rack so I’d just place the wet dishes on a towel and lean them up against the wall if possible. Not very convenient. 
The trip to Turin was to be by rail, from Naples, after taking the commuter train there from Pompeii. It only takes 5-6 hours to get there, and that’s with a stop in Rome. There are several trains daily so I chose one that didn’t leave Naples until 9:40 AM and arrived in Turin at 3 PM. Excellent. It did cost €35 more than the 6:40 AM train but, who wants to get up that early?
On the morning of the trip, yep, raining. Damnit. Heavily too. Got up, had my shower, dressed, packed best I could facing a rain storm, and headed out on a hike to the light rail. Around 1-2 miles away but the same route I’d taken numerous times during the week I’d been here so that was helpful. Didn’t have a phone number for a taxi and it was early enough that there wasn’t anyone about at the hotel to make a call for me anyway. And I don’t speak Italian. I thought it wouldn’t be that bad with my rainproof jacket and bag, but I didn’t even notice my receipts (I’m keeping all my receipts of the trip) were in a low to the ground fishnet compartment on the outside of my carry on bag. The bag itself is waterproof, as long as you keep the covers cinched down. I hadn’t even put the receipts inside a plastic bag so the stack of them got drenched from the puddles I navigated.
It’s a downpour at about the halfway point during my walk with huge puddles forming everywhere but my schedule kept me going. Of course I stepped in a surprisingly deep puddle and got my feet wet. Sigh. When I get to the train station, get my ticket, and wander over to the platform, that’s when I notice my receipts. Grabbed one of the plastic bags I carry with me so that little problem is solved for now anyway.
When the commuter train arrives it’s packed with damp people heading into Naples for work. Windows are thoroughly steamed up. Can’t see a thing. Can’t sit down as there’s no seats open. Have to guard my luggage and keep it out of the way. Not fun. Lucky for me the station I need is the last stop so I don’t have to watch for a certain station. When we get there after around 30 minutes, I get my ticket for Turin from a ticket kiosk, find the platform I need to be at when the time comes, then try to find something to eat. Oh, and coffee. One advantage of the trains here in Europe is that there are several trains going to Turin (and beyond) every day so if you miss your train, just jump on the next one.
There’s a nice comfy internet lounge inside the Naples train hub. And since I have a ticket, the attendant tells me the password and I get to surf the net while I wait. The WiFi is only available for you if you have a ticket. I forget what time I head for the platform and find my seat on the train but by 9:30 AM we’re zooming along at 180 MPH (290 KM/H).
We stopped every half hour or so and boarded or deboarded passengers. There were only 2 stations I recall as having 10-15 minutes stop over time. All the rest it was only 3-4 minutes. And the conductors are not that friendly if you don’t jump right back on the train when they’re ready to go. They’ll just leave you there. When I got bored, I took out my wet receipts and let them dry out on my table and seat. Train was nearly empty most of the trip so I had plenty of room to spread them out to dry.
Diner car fairly early in the day. But I figured I’d have a late lunch here just for fun.
And then we make a short stop in Rome. Wasn’t long…maybe 15 minutes to unload and board other passengers. 
Then off we go again. We’re heading north. 
Very nice farmland here in Italy.
I hadn’t had much for breakfast so when lunch rolled around I ordered something that didn’t sound too icky (menu was in Italian of course). Turned out to be chicken. It was good, but I’m not a big fan of cooked greens so….
About an hour outside of Turin, I stepped off the train to stretch my legs and to admire this very nice train station. Interesting architectural design.
Here’s my car. I’m in the seat right behind the window. I took the picture because I finally noticed the electric sign with all the info on it. There had been times when I couldn’t figure out which train was which in a train station. Never noticed these signs. Always looked in the wrong place I guess.
I know I took this picture to show this big town, but I can’t recall what town it is.
And here we are in Turin after another hour or so on the rails. Again, a very nice train station. And it is huge. It’s a hub I guess.
After I exit the train station, which wasn’t as easy as it sounds, I walk over to the row of taxis and show the first guy in line the address I was looking to go to. He had no idea where it was. Asked all his friends nearby and got several answers. Everyone seemed friendly though. I knew it wasn’t far away, and I’d copied it exactly off the web site where I’d reserved the room, and told him how many kilometers it was. And would have showed him where it was if my mapping program had shown it, but the software couldn’t find the address either. Finally, all the drivers decided it was ‘over there’ so off we went. Around 4-5 KM later, the driver says that he’s pretty sure it’s in that building we just passed. He has to pass it since it’s on a narrow street, finds a place to park, I go look and can’t find the hosts name on any of the buzzers. Damn. Their names, Marco and Giulia are on the buzzer label but in a form I don’t recognize as I’d written down that info from the web. But what they said on their ad on the web doesn’t match reality. But the driver is fairly certain he’s brought me to the right place, and I’m convinced because of the address match on the building. I spy a nearby bar, I pay him and stroll over there. It’s still in the early afternoon, so it’s not a worry about not finding the right buzzer to push…pretty sure I have the right building, and the hosts phone number. It’s beer thirty so I wander over to the bar. I order a beer and get a free appetizer plate to go with it. Nice.
Then I call my hosts. Giulia answers…I guess she’s at work. I explain the situation of how I know which building it is but don’t know which button to push and she’s having trouble explaining to me which one it is. She does speak English but with an accent and with my hearing trouble makes her instructions confusing. I finally relay where I am, that in itself was a chore because at first she didn’t recognise the name of the restaurant I was at…just 50 or so feet from her building. Eventually that was straighten out, and she asks me to sit tight and she’d send her husband out to collect me. So I’m sitting just outside the restaurants front door but under and inside their weather tent. Of course you could see me from outside, sitting there at a small table right next to the doorway. Off in the distance I see a guy approaching holding a phone up to his ear talking. I’m thinking, yep, that’s him, and he’ll be spending the entire time on the phone and not look left or right and miss me. Sure enough, he walked right by the doorway where I’m sitting. I call out his name, three times. He’s got the phone glued to the ear nearest me and he can’t hear shit, I guess. So he keeps walking around the patio looking for me and my cow hat. Which I’ve got on my head.
I’m thinking…dumbass kids these days…he’s never looked left or right since I spotted him, never even looked inside the restaurant where I told them I was, just wandered around the outdoor patio in front of the restaurant holding a phone to his head. Finally, I get up, ask the other guy inside the tent section to watch my computer, and run over and ask, if he’s the guy? Sure enough he is. He lets Giulia know he’s found me and we go over to my table and I finish my beer and snack. All’s well that ends well. In my head I’m laughing my ass off since he walked right by me without even looking at the restaurant. It gives me something to chide him about over the next 15 minutes as he walks me up to their 6th floor (I think it was 6th floor…it was way up high) apartment. I also pointed out the discrepancy between what’s written on the buzzer label and what they said it should say in their ad. Kids these days. There were bunches of keys and lots of sequences and rules to remember that he explains and for whatever reason, I had no trouble at all with that while I stayed there. Then he runs off to an appointment and I wander back down to street level. I knew from my research that we were very near the center of Turin, and within walking distance of nearly every site I wanted to visit. Armed with my hosts instructions, I head off in the direction of the city’s main square. A few blocks walk from the apartment and I’m there. This is Italy’s largest outdoor farmers market. When it’s open. You can see all the stuff used to make the market stalls there lying on the square grounds. There’s also the trolley tracks and then in the background that old dark grey building is one of the old train stations from during WWII. Now it’s mostly a flea market place. That whitish two story building on the right is the meat market.
Then looking in the other direction from the square is a restoration going on. There’s a nice bank there on the left. Then if you go down that alleyway where the trolley is sitting, there are many small businesses.
Then I went back to the bar and had dinner and a couple beers, then on to the apartment. Here’s the view from the balcony. There’s a small square down below, where you can park a car, but I understand it’s fairly expensive and most people use public transit.
Turn around and this is the kitchen, dining, living room. Very small, true, but has everything you need. 
And here’s my room. This my host’s room of course, but the extra income from visitors like me helps defray costs of living downtown Turin. I honestly thought that they went next door to sleep they were so quiet! I didn’t realize for 2 nights that they were sleeping on that futon in the kitchen. Hah! What great hosts.
And meeting Giulia was a treat. It was pretty obvious from the start that she was an artist. Or should have been. She just had that ‘artistic’ vibe about her. I like her and Marco both right off and tried to behave so as not be a disappointment. I’d booked 3 nights here and as soon as I wandered in the door I wasn’t sure that would be enough time.
They gave me a really neat map of Turin, indicating where all the touristy things were and how to get to them, had put a chocolate on my pillow and showed me how things worked in the apartment as well as where I could store my food in the nice big refer.
The first night there was filled by getting to know this nice Italian couple and finding out a few things about the area so I could find my way around the next few days. The complimentary map was a big help.
Next time we visit the largest Egyptian Museum outside of Egypt. Stay tuned!