Final impressions of Turin

Above is the view from our room window in the hotel: an office building. This is an exemplar of the style of the north side of the city above the lateral Corso Victor Emmanuel II which seems to bisect it. On this north side there are wide straight long avenues almost all of which run at right angles and conclude at each end in a pleasing vista. Below is a view south to the railway station from one of many large piazzas which are another of its distinctive characteristics.

Even the few narrow alleys own a vista.

The buildings are grand in a style reminiscent of 19th century Paris.

The morning market situated at the top of the city is larger than that of Melbourne's Queen Vic as regards fruit and veg and the produce shows how significant the influence of Italian market gardeners has been for Melbourne. These markets are like each other and unlike French markets. The market has extensive meat and deli stalls for whose cuts of meat and small goods similar comparisons and distinctions apply. There was no fresh fish market.
The populace seems substantially moncultural, with only one or two Chinese restaurants and a McDonalds to leaven the North Italian fare. However we saw numerous young black men- presumably not from North Africa- but relatively few people identifiable as muslim by their attire. There is a prominent Waldensian church near the main station:

The tallest building in town dominating the skyline and defining the cityscape in a similar way to the Eiffel Tower of Paris was intended to become a synagogue, but the Jewish community withdrew from the project and built elsewhere. We did not identify any current Jewish community presence in the city.

( Google image)
We found the traffic well behaved and considerate of pedestrians, who also on the whole observed the traffic lights. Likewise the people are polite and helpful. Turin and Piedmont would seem very liveable, especially if you like chocolate.

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