Travels with Jo and Wendy

Very sadly this was out last live show for Eurovision, the jury show which takes place the night before the final. But before that we went to the National Museum of Cinema which is a good museum housed in an extraordinary building. The building started as a synagogue but even before completion it was too expensive and was finished by the city who have used it ever since. It has the most amazing dome you can travel to in a shaftless lift. Jo was a little scared, bless her. The exhibition was OK, a little messy but good. The signage was terrible and occasionally I found myself wandering hopelessly in the same area, desperate for an exit or a cafe. An all too common experience in Italy I have found. Back to the arena and very excited for the final. Sheldon sang the best we have heard, and it was a very strong final. It was a great atmosphere despite not being televised. (Last 2 not my photos)

It was a busy Eurovision day with two shows, the family matineeand the live semi final, but we also had time to visit the Egyptian museum which was an excellent reminder that plundering lesser nations isn't just for the British. Torino has the biggest Egyptian museum outside of Egypt and while it is extensive, it is also a bit overwhelming too. We then quickly dashed go the arena for the family show. This is like dress rehersal for those not into Eurovision. Sheldon gave a pitch perfect yet meandering performance so room for improvement. Home again to get changed into our Aussie supporter gear and back to the arena. Met lots of Aussirs and others and had plenty of pictures taken, some by media so if you saw us, yay! Eurovision fans are the best, and we had some great chats, including a facinating comparison between French and Australian geopolitical influences post WW11, I kid you not. Sheldon was much more on point which was a relief and made it through to the final. I...

We were up early to find Torino does not really get up until much later. Fortunately our hosts had provided us with some sweet buns we could have for breakfast. We navigated the public transport system and found our way to the Royal Palace ( Palazzo Reale di Torino). This was the home of the dukes of Savoy in the 17th and 18th century and was unsurprisingly lush. The Savoys were also keen collectors so there was an impressive armour display and some good art along with some pretty awful stuff.  The most outstanding part was the impressive Chapel of the Holy Shroud, where the shroudd of Turin is held. This is not on display but the chapel and in particular the dome is complex and sublime. Even more impressively the chapel was severely damaged by fire in 1997 and only reopened in 2018 after a phenomenal restoration effort. We had a bite of more expensive sandwiches and then went to the main markets in Torino for fresh bread, prociutto, bressaola and cheese and strawberries to keep us...

Today was mostly a travel day with a live Eurovision semi final thrown in just to add extra stress. Fortunately it all went pretty smoothly despite a late plane which I must say is due to Jo's excellent planning. We flew from Heathrow to Milan, then caught the fast train to Torino and walked with our wheeled bags to our Air bnb. We started at 5.30am and had to be at the venue for Eurovision at 8.30pm for a 9pm start so a very long day! Our apartment was great, very large, central and comfortable. We found it hard to adjust to restaurants not opening until 8pm and also found it hard to find places for lunch or even groceries at first, but that had a lot to do with the quiet area we were in, and our Eurovision commitments. After a small rest and change of clothes we caught the tram to Pala Alpitour, the Eurovision venue. We were a little concerned about the security but they were very efficient and we had time to buy some super expensive sandwiches for dinner. Our seats were great an...

We drove back to London to return their city car and to get prepared for a big, early morning getting to Turin and the first semi final of Eurovision. We stopped at Henley-on-Thames which is a very pretty town, especially at the moment as there was lots of bunting for the upcoming platinum anniversary of the Queen's rule. We then stopped at Henley to see a lock which had been in a Midsomer Murder episode as well as Rosemary and Thyme (sad middle ages ladies that we are). The lock was in use so we were able to see how it worked. Then a quick stop at Windsor which was quite disappointing and hilly. Very touristy but not much to see. Jo had a disappointing cream tea while I enjoyed a Victorian sponge.

We could have gone to watch the final showjumping phase at Badminton, but just didn't have the heart, so we took a day trip to Cardiff.  Wales is lovely, the roads are way better. The water tasted nicer, the food was less expensive. We loved Cardiff and would live there in a heartbeat if we had to live in the UK. We visited the first castle of this trip and walked up many stairs. The castle at Cardiff has an odd assortment of buildings from Roman walls, and old keep and a Victorian fully medieval home. This was amazing and we had the best tour. I couldn't take any photos unfortunately. The rooms were lavish.