Monday, 26th June 2023

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The News

Up at 4:30am, washed, dressed and out of the hotel before 5:30.  We're off to Bella Italia.

And that's when Jan noticed that she had left her tablets behind as well!  Anyone would think we are getting older.  Whilst missing a day or two would not cause Jan problems, 10 days would be going into the unknown.  A plan was needed.

We stopped off at McD's for a naughty breakfast and ate it in St. Pancras station before a gentle stroll to the meeting place on the top level where we met our tour guide Mama Duck (because we all trot along behind like ducklings).  Then it was down to join the excitement of the queue for passport control.

Jan rang the non-emergency doctors, our doctor and our eldest all before we got on the Eurostar to Paris.  We were directed by the steward to the wrong coach and therefore sat in the wrong seats.  This lead to a discussion with the people whose seats we had usurped.  Fortunately,they were nice people who worked out what the problem was (us) and we then went to the correct carriage.  A light breakfast and two hours later we were in Paris.

Mama Duck marshalled us all off the train and onto the coach to take us to Gare de Lyon ... only to find she was a ducking short.  Some phone calls and five minutes later a contrite ducking was back with the pack.  Apparently, there had been someone with a similar top to our Mama Duck ...

The trip across the northern part of Paris was uneventful for us but looked "interesting" for the poor coach driver.  But we made it.  We were marshalled to the meeting point for the train leaving to Turin.  Mama Duck then showed Jan the pharmacy in the station and she was able to get her missing tablets.  Panic over.

We had brought lunch with us after the problems of getting fed last year.  The wait passed quickly, then it was off to the €1 loos where we met the nice people we had sat opposite on the Eurostar.  Everyone met on time at the meeting point and the long trek to our end of the train.

The journey to Milan passed through a flat part of France before getting into the pretty section which skirts the Alps.

We arrived in Turin at 20:30.  Whilst it was quite a long journey, it seemed to pass quite quickly.  Many dozed, many read and some chatted the journey away.  The scenic last couple of hours had a positive effect as well.  It certainly made a change.

There was a short coach ride to the Lingotto hotel where we dumped our bags in our rooms before eating.  The meal was superb!  We had ordered from a menu sent in advance.  Jan had the pea soup and I worried the lasagne for starters.  The pork, fried potatoes and spinach was delicious.  The fruit salad was fresh and tasty too.  Then it was off to sleep in an air conditioned room to sleep on huge comfy beds.

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Weather: Warm enough to walk in shirt sleeves at 5am in London.   Paris .  24°C   Turin 32°C

Steps: Jan ~8,000   Andy 7,975