Turin

Basic civilization skills like parallel parking seem to have atrophied by living in smaller places. Turin is not a megapolis, yet it does feel more chaotic than our previous tiny village. Local drivers, up the ante too, with an aversion to staying inside their lanes. We leave the car on the other side of the River Po (real name). Under a 16th-century church, built on top of a hill. From its terrace, you can get a good overview of Turin. Mole Antonelliana pierces through the baroque buildings of the historic center. River Po frames the city from the South, while the Alps provide a permanent towering backdrop. In the winter it should be super atmospheric when everything is covered in snow. You can still see glimpses of snowy peaks far in the distance, even in July. Down in the valley though, the city is slowly roasting under the summer heat and our pistachio ice creams melt in a heartbeat.