EU after 12 years (15): Driving in Italy

I have heard that Italians have a bad reputation for driving but I think this is from the view of outsiders. What I mean by that is Italians drive and park the way it seems unacceptable to the residents of other countries but it seems that it works in Italy!

Parking cars in the middle of a street which is used not only by vehicles but also streetcars.

I went from Silvio Berlusconi Airport (Malpensa) all the way to Gruyeres in Switzerland at late night in a very high at the elevation of 2006 m (6581 feet) and then drove back from a different way and reached the same spot without smallest issue but was that out of luck? 

Parking and blocking the pedestrian crosswalk seems to be normal

I think it was not about luck. It mostly was the fact that I was not in a busy urban area or a busy highway. The entire road was not busy at all and of course I didn't drive in any cities. What I noticed though is lack of attention to driving rules in the two Italian major cities that I visited. Why? Because there's no traffic law and there's no enforcement!

Most of the streets do not have posted speed limited signs

I barely saw any speed limit posted in any city and no traffic cop. Drivers drove 60 KPH in busy and narrow roads and no one seemed to be bothered with them! They barely stopped at the pedestrian's crosswalk and they honked a lot, which all is different from their usual calm, relaxed and smiling behaviour! I have nothing more to say and direct your attention to some of the pictures that I have taken during my trip.

(Photo, top: I don't know how this SUV is squeezed between the two but the driver did it! Is that a no-parking sign in the back?!)

EU after 12 years (14): Food Experience in Turin; Berberė Pitza

I had a few recommendation from a young Italian woman who works at the hotel I was staying in Turin. This was one of them: Berbere Pizza. I think this pizzeria (A pitza restaurant, in Italian, I don't know why pitza it's not written pitza when we're writing in English!) has different locations through the City of Turin but the one I tried is their " Central " (Centero) location, close to Piazza San Carlo. 

I think the place has no tables inside due to the size but there're a few outside. This is the case with many food establishments in Italy due to limited space and the other thing is people like to be outside. I do not! Nevertheless I was given a menu which I found has English version as well and I ordered a sort of Pitza with Sausage on it. I probably have to wait only 10, maybe 15 minutes. The Pitza was not very hot but warm enough and the amount of so-called Sausage was too little. I then ordered a Margarita Pitza which is very popular in Italy but has the least amount of ingredients and probably the simplest. It was not bad but the same problem was there: The Pitza didn't come oven hot and generally these two Pitzas (Pizze in Italian as a plural for Pizza) failed to impress. I didn't order any desert and I think they offer that. Before leaving I had a little chat with a very pretty German-Italian young girl who spoke very good English. Very nice girl, polite and respectful. I'm always impressed with this type of young people whether a man or women because there're not many of them around in today's society. 

Barbere failed to impressed for someone like me who was trying Italian food or to be specific Italian Pitza (Pizza Italiana) for the first time. I'm not a fan of sitting outside but as I said it's something very common in Italy and even here in Canada people like to sit outside when they got a chance to enjoy a meal or a beverage. An African drifter came and sat at one of the tables that belonged to the restaurant and I know unless it was very busy, no restaurant staff would tell them to f_ck off but you never know what people, particularly, refugees are up to these day. He sat and ate a sandwich, I think but there has been many stories that people got smacked for no reason on bright daylight. Turin, however, felt safe and I saw nothing the entire time I was there. There was this once demonstration which ended quickly but police and security is present at critical spots in the city. Do I go to Berbere they next time I'm in Turin? I'd rather to try something better. However if you're looking for something that is considered affordable and okay, I think that is the place. By the way why would someone call his restaurant Berbere?! This word is translated to Berber in English which means the indigenous people of North Africa??!! I'm not going to get into the whole history of Berbers! 

(Photo: The only thing that has come from Italy to North America which somehow has resemblance to the actual Pizza Italiana or Italian Pitza is the word Pizza which is written in the same way that is written in Italian! The actual pitza in Italy is completely different from what we are offered here in North America. This was the first pitza that I ordered) 

EU after 12 years (13): The Sketchy Market of Turin

There are lots of refugees in Italy and generally in Europe and their life is completely different from Italians. It's almost the same in Canada but not to that extent. I went to this open market in Turin where the majority of the vendors and shoppers were non-Italian refugees from Africa and Muslim countries.

It is about 15 minutes walk from where all the high-end brands have their shops. In fact the more you walk toward north on Via Milano (Milan Street) you see less and less Italian businesses until you reach Cordo Regina Margheritta and at all four sides of this intersection you see both temporary and permanent shops.

You can by all sorts of merchandise in this market but the only good things are fresh fruit and vegetables and some other type of food. The other things are at Wal-Nasty-Toilet-Mart or Toilet-Dollar-Store quality level. Most of the vendors there don't even speak Italian. I heard mostly Arabic. 

The first time I went there one guy called me towards him and his bunch of buddies and even started walking toward me but I ignored him and nothing happened. I don't know what in me triggered him! I wore a pair of sunglasses which I always wear outdoors and it hides my identity(!), I had a pair of green pants on, which I know was a very bad choice because it looked like soldier's pants and made me like a drifter(!), and a black jacket. Is that suspicious to some refugee who just hang out in a open market with bunch of wannabes?!

The pile of trash after the market is closed

I went inside the building at the northwest corner of the intersection. The building is half empty and the other half has these sort of small bistro and cafe which sell different type of food and they, mostly, seem foreigners with Latin Americans in majority! One would think what a Latin America has to do with Turin??!! I understand the Arabs of the deserts of northern Africa or other poor Africans but coming from counties such as Columbia and Venezuela to Turin looks insane. In fact one young girl with broken English made me understand that she was from Columbia. I don't know about the history of these people and how they get themselves across the ocean to Italy but I think the language could be one factor because apparently Spanish and Italian are quite close in terms of language. Appearance-wise, even I could easily tell a Hispanic from an Italian. I bought some bread with topic and then another type of bread which she thought it was Whole Wheat after I asked her and used for my breakfast. The quality was just okay.

Two of the Kiwis I've written about them and an Orange which is from Spain and a Pear. I bought the last two from Genoa but didn't have them until I want back to Turin!

I also saw a stand for different types of olives and other fermented food but my plan was to buy those when I got to Genoa. So I didn't buy anything. I didn't buy much in Genoa and missed the stand the next time I was there. One of the guys forces a Kilogram of Kiwis to me for €2 and then I bought one of those big Avocados for a €1 from an Arab woman who didn't seem very satisfied with this transaction and I ended my interaction with this market peacefully and positively. I ate Kiwis for the next 3 days and they were actually very good except for one which was overripened and I had get rid of it.

I'm sure there's other places in Turin that one can get fresh and quality fruits and vegetables. I just didn't spend enough time in the city to find out. You do it, if you're a big fresh fruit fan like I am and Italy is a good producer of them including those fantastic Kiwis, not like Canada that imports them from Australia. In fact the Italian Kiwis were way tastier than the Australian ones. I don't know why. Bigger, juicier and tastier. A combination and sweet and tart, a unique Kiwi taste, of course, but juicier. One might think why I insist on this too much. It simply because I appreciate fresh and wholesome fruit a lot. Something that we don't get enough of it in Canada. 

(Photo, top: You can buy pairs of shoes as low as €2 in this market and all sorts of other quality items in the same price range. Did you notice the flag hanging from one of the windows? I'm against bombing innocent children and generally civilians but hanging a flag does nothing to the crime which was committed to the poor people of Gaza. You are a truly believer of the freedom of Palestine, grab a rifle, leave your vending cart and go fight the war criminals who committed those crimes. The truth is you're all nothing but pretenders. You cannot split from your fancy life in Italy, which now compared with the condition you were in, is like living in a 5-star hotel in Monaco, you freaking phonies!)

EU after 12 years (12): San Carlo Suite

I went over my head and booked an expensive hotel in Turin. It's fully paid now. I mean I paid my credits cards off and I'm happy that I owe them nothing but it was a little bit too much. Do I regret that? No! I just think that if you book a luxury hotel, you rent a vehicle to make your trip easier and then try a few fancy cafe and restaurants, then you would want to buy a few good local products as well. That makes your trip ideal but that will cost a lot. I saved for trip for a long time and I regret why I didn't spend more! Why did I not spend as much as I wanted? The answer is simple: Uncertainty. This is what we all deal with in today's world. How many of us is certain of his employment of the next year? Unless you're a government employee, you can not be sure of that. That is why I wonder what these guys who have worked for my employer, being doing?! They have worked for more than 15, 20, 25 and some even 30 years and still live like a hobo! beat up vehicles, shabby cloths, rick of cigarette, you name it! 

I understand everyone has a different lifestyle but do we not come to this world once and work hard to enjoy what we like? I don't know what these guys are up to but their lives don't impress me. 

The view of Piazza San Carlo from the window of the suite. The Piazza was designed and built in 1688! Can you imagine that. Canada didn't even exist 338 years ago! The riding knight is a guy named Emmanuel Philibert who was the ruler of parts of Italy in Middle Ages. There's a whole lot more to the Piazza (Square) and else but I think it becomes boring for you!  

With that said, I booked this hotel in Turin called San Carlo Suite. Don't ask me why it's not " Suites " because that's what they say as their name. Perhaps this is something Italian. It is located in Piazza San Carlo which is considered one of the main squares of Turin. Here is what you get if you book a room there and I did too. I only state it here because I'm trying to justify the high price that I've paid!

1) If you arrive in Turin by train, it is only 10 minutes walk to the hotel.

2) You have money and want to spend on Italian fashion, there're all sorts of shops in walking distance. I'm not!

3) If you don't have much money and still like to enjoy with minimum spending, there're many businesses around.

4) It is a quiet place. Your good nigh sleep is guaranteed. No vehicles, no nothing.

5)  The hotel provides a Lavazza coffee machine with different type of capsules. That was very helpful to me and I enjoyed it.

6) If you're into cooking, with the grocery stores around, the hotel has all sorts of cooking pots and utensils as well a good size refrigerator to keep your ingredients in there.

7) The hotel is very clean.

8) The hotel is very modern. All the furniture and everything is new and the interior design is just amazing. 

9) You have access to many channels through the TV for the nights you stay in, which for me was all! Although I don't understand a word of Italian(!) so that didn't help much until the last two night that I discovered a channel with only music and I also learnt that I can reach YouTube!

I really liked the design of this mirror. While this was the only light in the bathroom I liked it the most because it helps you to calm at night with not might bright light. You could also adjust the light with the touch button on the bottom of the mirror.

I can say that for the above reasons, staying at San Carlo Suite, despite its high price worth it. Am I going to visit Italy again? Yes. Am I going to Turn again? Very likely. Am I going to stay in San Carlo Suite? Maybe? Why not? The only reason I might not stay in this hotel is I'm a sort of guy who likes to try different things. I would rather to stay at another part of the city to be able to discover other part but this is a great hotel, if you're not too careful with money.

(Photo, top: I stayed at two different rooms of San Carlo Suite. The first one actually was a suite, a big one. The second one was not much smaller and as clean as modern of the first one with a view to Piazza San Carlo. This is the second one upon my arrival with nothing touched yet) 

EU after 12 years (11): Food Experience in Turin; Iginio Massari

Galleria Iginio Massari, is a cafe (of Caffe in Italian) near Piezza San Carlo in Turin and that was the first place I ate in Italy. It was a breakfast. You need to understand that breakfast in Italy has a completely different meaning from what people normally eat in Canada and the US and of course other countries. I don't remember whether I had found the place online or just was walking by and then decided to go in. The man at the counter asked me something in Italian (which happened a lot during my trip) and I told him I didn't speak the language. I ordered a few things and he asked me if I wanted to sit outside. I'm a person who likes quiet and calm. He told me I could go to the basement. Their baking area is in the basement but it is separated from the dining area. So I didn't mind. All those stories that if you don't speak Italian, they pay no attention to you or you have to wait, are all nonsense. It never happened to me, not even once. The food came right away as there was no preparation. The sandwich was fresh and the drizzle of real Olive Oil gave a great aroma. The fast is that all the Olive Oils I have bought in Canada has not had more than probably 30% or less Olive Oil in them because they never had that aroma and the colour. The pastry was very fresh and delicious as well but the size of Italian coffee, of any kind, never satisfied me! That's why I used most of the Lavazza coffee cups that my hotel had provided me, usually, in the mornings! I would buy a small carton of milk from a supermarket and then would add to my morning coffee, usually 2 or three Italian cup size(!), and then would go for my breakfast! 

It was only after a few tries that I realized that different colours of milk carton have different amount of fat because they were barely they were put next together in the cooler. Here is a hotel cup of Espresso with a pink milk that I had bought from a local small grocery store the night before

It is important to mention that a breakfast like this could cost up to €15, which equals to approximately $23. That is not a breakfast that the average Italian eats. It is for certain people and while I don't know the average salary in the country, I'm sure that there're many places that offer less expensive breakfast, including the Italian version of McDonald's and many other cafes but I wanted to try different places at different levels and for me who barely eats out when I'm in Canada and his daily meal is probably one of the least expensive ones in the entire country, trying places like this is not so hard. I will certainly go to this place again in my next Italian trip if I end up in Turin.

(Photo, top: My first breakfast in Italy in Iginio Massari in Turin in Piemont province or as the Italian says Regino Piemonte) 

EU after 12 years (10): The Italian Unification History Museum

I didn't know much about the history of Italy rather than the Second European War part (that some call it the Second World War!) but then I asked myself how can you fit the history of a country like Italy in one museum and how many hours would you need to review that, if you did?! That's not Canada! 

I went to Italian Unification History Museum regardless of that while I was tired. If you really like to learn in a museum visit, rather than just spending time simply because you're there, you need enough breaks in between or having enough rest the day before. I had neither.

There's another issue with history museums: Kids group are brought in by schools to do project and teach them while looking at maps, objects and old documents. I had all the above issues in a day that the museum was not actually very busy. In fact this museum was less crowded than the Egyptian, perhaps for the reasons I explained in the post for that museum. 

I didn't realized whether this was a replica of the house of the representatives or an actual one considering the museum is located in an old building

One of the names that you repeatedly see in the museum and in the cities, streets are named after him, is Garibaldi. There's also a park in British Columbia,  named after him(!) which I used to visit when I lived in that province some 20 years ago. The reason why he is so recognized in Italy is he contributed a lot to the unification of the country. He was being displayed at the latest stage of the museum. I think I need to see it the next time I'm in Turin! One of the things that I didn't know before visiting this museum was the fact that Napoleon occupied Italy and ruled it for a very long time. The museum presents many old documents about that time and how he was defeated and then sent to St. Helena Island.

Overall if you're interested in the history of Italy and Europe, you're going to enjoy this museum but there's a lot to digest and require attention and you need to be rested. I'm planning to go there again as part of my second Italian trip!

(Photo, top: There're lost of paintings, statutes, artifacts and caricatures about Napoleon in the museum including this one that shows he's thrown in a trash bin!)

EU after 12 years (9): The Gaza Supporters of Turin

Italy is synonymous with fashion, opera, dancing, art, history, great food, cinema, stars and all the glamour that a country can offer and everything pleasant that one would go to this country to see. However Europe, and Italy included, I've read, and seen to some extent, have changed a lot in the past 10 years or so. First it was the Syrian Civil War which poured millions into Europe and then the constant crossing of asylum seekers from Africa, war-torn or economically devastated countries to Europe. I will write about many refugees that I saw in Italy in a separate post but as you might have heard, the support for Gaza has been overwhelming in many European cities. 
I saw lots of graffiti and the so-called Palestine flags, if we agree that was and still is a country, in some neighbourhoods in Turin. I think it was my second day in that city when I noticed demonstrators in Piazza San Carlo and then in Via Antonio Bertola (Via in Italian means street). The funny thing is that the number of riot police squad members and the officers escorting this group was more than the marchers! 

Anti-riot police in full gear was following the small group of demonstrators. 

It's no doubt that all the Arabs who live in Italy and some Africans are supporters of Gaza but the fact is demonstrations in a country too far away from the conflict zone results in nothing. I condemn the Oct.07 attacks on civilians but then when Israeli forces started killing the civilians, particularly the innocent kids, women and elderly and their Prime Minister was charged with War Crimes, my eyes got open. However, I still do not believe chanting slogans, waving flags and writing graffiti solves any problem. If any of those people who got engaged with riot police, threw rocks at them and burnt garbage cans and car, left Europe, got a weapon and stood against Israeli occupants, the story would have been different but none of them would like to live their 5-star hotel(!) in the slums of any European city because they have reached there from absolute zero! People are free to express themselves but that does not give them to calm their anger by damaging public or private property.
As per the demonstrators of Palestine or Gaza on that specific day in Turin, I can say that they were majority teenagers who simply wanted to walk the streets, smoke and laugh instead of sitting in a classroom and listen to their teachers and that's pathetic but I think that's cultural. I remember when i was their age, more than %98 of my classmate either were planning their future in colleges or as it was the war time, thinking of going to the front to stop the enemy, not walking and blocking the streets and shouting meaningless slogans! 

Graffiti on the wall in Sep.20 street in Turin in English!

Nevertheless this short demonstration did not result in any damage. Stratta, the cafe next to my hotel, closed just for a few minutes, just in case some of this hot shits is motivated to throw a rock or something at their store and then everything went back to normal. However, demonstrations, looting and clashes occurred in the next few days in some European cities including Milan as a result of price hike. I didn't have to witness any.

(Photo, top: This small group of teenagers, mostly, I don't know who were directing them were marching in Turin, I guess on the second day of my arrival. They were not more than 35 to 40! I know bigger rallies had taken place but I'd be embarrassed to be seen among this small group on the streets. You can see their banner and flag. I took this picture from too far away because I was not sure what the reaction would be)

EU after 12 years (8): Muzeo de Egizio (The Egyptian Museum)

It is said that the Egyptian Museum in Turin is the biggest Egyptian museum outside Egypt. That was not the only reason I decided to see it though but here are a few things about this museum:

1) I realized that if you really want to see the majority of the displayed objects and read, learn and listen (as there are explanations through an App in English) and that's not what most of the visitors do, you need to have enough rest the day before and assign enough time. I spent nearly 03:30, if I'm not exaggerating and despite many things I saw and learnt, I think it was not enough.

2) I don't think the museums allow beverages or simply water but that would've help to do the visit much easier.

3) This museum despite being great and organized had a very little gift shop. There was a cafe as well. I checked both and nothing was much appealing to me. 

4) Be patient as people just take a few pictures and selfies and pass quickly. Download the app and listen, more than once and take your desired picture when everyone is left. 

Videos show locals helping the team of archeologists in their discoveries and ask for donation was shown on a screen

The museum has a lot to offer and I personally learnt a lot. It definitely worth whatever the admission is. I was dead tired after that and wasn't able to do much. I think I went somewhere with not much intent and then on my way back I got something for supper and that was the day! I remember a few years ago Egyptians asked a European museum to return their objects and I don't remember how it was settled but here as said earlier, thousands of objects are on display which were all found and analyzed by Italian archeologists decades ago and they seem not going back to Egypt. In fact one of the reasons many visit this museum is that they believe it saved them from the trip to the country, the heat and the filth that they would face there! 

(Photo, top: One of the many coffins on display in Muze de Egizio with full description which I don't have it here!)

The Defeat of the Alberta Sewer Rats

I don't know if I have participated in the recent Alberta referendum, if I was in Canada, or not, although I have received the documents, simply because I hate staying in lines but I think I could've probably voted in advance. It doesn't matter now because the referendum is all gone and the rats are back to their stinking holes. A majority of %79.4 of the voters which were %70.4 of the people eligible to participate, voted against separation. There's this talk that these nasty sewer rats were being supported by some American House reps or other politicians at other levels. Trumpet Guy's people. He is the one who has started a trade war and wanted to annex Canada! 

If you look around the world and read history, you will see that in every separation attempt there's a foreign government who benefits from that. An example of that is former Yugoslavia which is now divided to 7 freaking countries, each smaller than Alberta and struggling for their basic needs! The Khalistan Separatist Movement which has lots of advocates in Canada is being supported by Pakistan and perhaps other countries and secret services who benefit from a weaker India. Turkey and Azerbaijan were backing some separatists in the Provinces of Azerbaijan in Iran. The situation in under control. The former USSR did the same to that province of Iran, decades ago. They also took other parts from Iran to make it weaker. 

The examples and their detailed stories can fill out a book. The point is the gnawing rats are out there and use every opportunity to carry on with their filthy separatism mindset and hand out everything to the Americans and benefit from being good servants to them. 

(Photo: A separatism supporting board south of Calgary near the town of Okotoks. I wonder what they all do with these board? Burning as fuel?!)

EU after 12 years (7): Food Experience in Turin; Stratta

One thing you need to know when you're in Italy is that food, or perhaps I should say good food, is expensive. This is a general fact that good food is expensive but Italy has a higher level. You can go to Wal-Nasty-Mart (or Hideous-Mart, your choice) and get all sorts of packaged food and cheap, nearly rotten fruits for less money or spend a little more and get a better quality. It's a bit different in Italy now that the economy is bad everywhere and people are demonstrating in Italy and France and setting fire on trash cans and everything! There was a time that I was struggling a bit as well and that was back in 2008 when I had a very low-paid job but I survived but I never understood how breaking the windows or throwing rocks at riot police could help! Nevertheless here are a few food examples of Torino's food sources:

1) Stratta: This is a small pastry and chocolate shop in the famous Piazza San Carlo area, next to the hotel I was staying. The term Piazza in Italian (should not be confused with Pizza!) means public square that is very common in Turin and I assume other Italian cities. There's where the locals and the tourists hang out. They drink, eat, socialize, enjoy the weather or a cigarette(!) or listening to live music, etc. The hotel I was staying at had a sample chocolate for me and it tasted amazing but considering the general public, it is considered an expensive place. I had breakfast, and when I say breakfast you need to understand that Italian breakfast is completely different from North American breakfast, twice there and I think it cost something like €12! What was the breakfast you might ask: A cup of coffee, a small piece of pasty and a small Ham sandwich. This, compare to the breakfast served in Canada (or the US) is a very small portion for the price but that's how Italians eat and I think that's why there's no obesity there! 

A shot of different chocolates and candies inside the store

Stratta has a little space in front of the shop that you can sit to enjoy your coffee but nothing indoor. I didn't buy any candy or chocolate because it would have been ruined on the way back but should have tried as much as I could. You do. I'm sure you won't regret. 

(Photo, top: My first meal or breakfast in Turin consisted of a small cup of Cappuccino, the size that is usually served in Italy, give or take, a very fresh and delicious Pistachio pastry which I don't know what its called and an Italian style Ham and Cheese Sandwich. A small shot of water usually accompanies the coffee. The funny thing I thought that number 17 written on the bottom left corner of the receipt was the total cost while in fact it is the table number! The receipts, as you can see do not reflect the individual item's cost when it is printed but I think it was some €12 or even more!)

EU after 12 years (6): Returning to Malpensa (Italy)

I had my breakfast for the last time in Hotel De Gruyeres in the morning of Wed. the14th. I had already packed. I paid my bill, said good bye and went for the vehicle. The three-night stay with breakfast cost me CHF 540 equal to $322.54 per night (Canadian dollars). Now if you look at some luxury hotels in the country, you will have something to compare but I'm not here for that! 

My destination was a tourist office in Montreux with the hope that I can find the former Iranian diplomat and prominent politician Ardeshir Zahedi's residence named Villa Les Roses but when I reached the address, without paying attention to the fact that whether it was the correct address or not or were they open, I drove by because there was absolutely no spot to park. I didn't want to be late for the car return and I knew I had about 3 hours drive ahead of me and being daylight and a sunny beautiful day didn't give me much confidence. The only thing I did was stopping at the side of Lake Geneva for a few minutes. Montreux, despite its beauty, has attracted many tourists and that is what I dislike. If I go back for the hike that I've already written about it or any other hike and finding the villa, I will make sure I get he hell out of the place that now is one of the targets for the damn, and loud Oriental tourists! 

I encountered a group of Swiss soldiers before leaving the country and took this picture from the two of them. It's interesting that Switzerland has always considered neutral yet they always practice getting involved! 

My journey was continued until Google Maps directed me to a station that the drivers who did not want to go through Simplon Pass, would load their cars and by paying a fee, would skip the drive. The lady who was the attendant there told me that I had the option of just simply take the pass and encouraged me to do so since it was a nice a sunny day and I did. I just had to be very careful not to be misdirected by the damn Google Maps and when I got on the road and started driving up, I realized why nobody wanted to drive the road and I already had driven it in late night and pitch dark! It was very steep and very narrow. I only saw a couple of bikers on the road. One was carrying some groceries(!) and the other one whom I asked about the road was just enjoying his bike ride. I once stopped at a sort of cafe (or as it's said in Italian caffe!) to make sure whether I was on the right path. I didn't stop for coffee or lunch. I was stopped at what used to be a border control by a police officer. It was the same spot that I had passed without seeing a single soul three nights earlier. The officer checked my passport, the truck and after asking a few questions let me go. My next stop, rather a few times that I pulled over to take pictures was at a tool booth and I don't know whether it was the same one that I had passed that night or not but it seems this time I did not have to pay! I guess the attendant on the intercom asked me something and I told them that I was driving a rental. 

This sign which says that speed is controlled electronically in Italian was seen repeatedly on the roads in Italy!

Finding Parking #2 to return the rental to Enterprise in Malpensa was not very difficult but I went the wrong way once and everything went as planned. I got a train ticket for Turin (or Torino in Italian) or I thought it was a ticket for that destination and got in. It was only after 2 stops that I realized I was going to Milan instead! I asked the conductor, if he really was the conductor what I had done, while we were stopping at the third stop and he said I would have no other choice by going to Milan to by a ticket for Turin! That's what I did! This, again, resulted in reaching the destination, Turin's Porta Nuova station at dark! Fortunately the distance between the hotel and the station is only 10 minutes and by the instructions I had received I was able to check into my hotel, San Carlo Suite. 

(Photo, top: I took this picture from Ganter Bridge in Simplon Pass before driving over it. The construction of the 150 meters height bridge started in 1970 and finished in 1980! Remember that I still was in Switzerland)

EU after 12 years (5): Le Moleson

One of my goals during my trip to Switzerland was hiking Rochers de Naye near Montreux where you can see the entire town and look over Lake Geneva (Lac Leman) and part of France. It didn't materialize! Why? The answer is simple: The hotel I was staying at in Gruyeres is nearly 40 minutes from the trailhead but breakfast was part of the deal! So considering that was my main or perhaps I can say the only meal of the day since there was not many businesses around and I was too lazy to go anywhere, I decided to switch to a closer hike named Le Moleson. 

Le Moleson is approached, at least from two different sides. The side that you get the cabin and go up and the side that you can hike up. It is a little shorter than Rochers De Naye but it still is a good exercise and the views are really nice from the top. In fact you can get 360° from summit and also the observation deck of the cabin. There's a good restaurant with good food on the top as well but I only go a 1.5, if I remember correctly, bottle of water for nearly €8.5! 

I went down for the breakfasts as usual, I think around 08:00 and breakfast was very good at Hotel De Gruyeres. The staff were great and the variety was considerable but don't think of the sort of breakfast that you see in American and Canadian hotels. Small portions but tasty and quite interesting. I tried not eat too much to attract attention! I already stuck out like a sore thumb, despite the fact that there were not many guests. The staff did not speak a word of English but I made them understand although there was not much to talk about! 

Part of the breakfast buffet at Hotel Des Gruyeres. So colourful and so delicious! 

I didn't want to make the hike miserable by hauling too much up, besides it was a very short one, So dressed, went down to the car, set up the map and drove to the trailhead. The road was so narrow, after I left the village (or town, if you like to call it!) that if a car came from the opposite direction you would have to pull to the shoulder to the right as much as you could to let the other car by and in fact this happened one. That is why big cars are not seen in rural Swiss area. In one case I tried to ask the driver of an old car about the trailhead to make sure Google Maps was not misdirecting me by saying Le Moleson, repeatedly! He seemed to understand but he pointed at the opposite direction! I think he thought I was going up the gondola. I ignored the French speaking Swiss(!) and continued until I saw a few cars parked! There I was! 

The area looked is incredibly beautiful and despite being a cloudy day, the hike was not bad. In fact it prevent sunburnt. I tried not to get lost and after a while I reached what looked like a restaurant. I always try to be seem to be interested. The guy said something about making soap and pointed at a menu while cutting something like vegetables! I realized I wouldn't get anything regarding the route from him, so said goodbye and told him I'd be back. Then there was this cabin station. There was a crew lady who showed me the path and gave me a map which was not very helpful because the route numbers on the map were not found on the ground. I then simply followed my route finding skills and went the wrong way twice which wasted a total of perhaps half an hour at the most. I then checked a couple of people including a pretty young Swiss girl named Geraldine (she's not going to read this!) who wanted me to join her in her community sort of festival on Sun. but I told her that I was heading back to Italy. 

The view from the summit, or to be correct the view from one side. I think this is looking southeast

The entire hike takes nearly 2 hours to the top and probably 1 hour of a little longer on the way back down and there you have nice views as I said earlier. I first went to the restaurant and the observation desk and then to the actual summit. There's nothing special about going down but multiple stops to take pictures. I also met a Swiss old lady with her little dog who told me with her thick French accent that she was 73 and was trying to reach the top and then going back down using the cabin but I never saw her on the top. I hope she's okay wherever she is. I admire someone at that age. Short hike but worth the effort and time.

(Photo, top: Le Moleson from the last cabin station before reaching the top. The route that hikers should take is seen on the bottom of the picture going right)

EU after 12 years (4): H. R. Giger in Gruyeres

I had three goals in mind when I was planning for Switzerland. Driving at night, the way I explained in a post earlier, was certainly not one of them! Here are (or to be correct, were!) the three:

First, going to the H. R. Giger Museum and possibly pay my respect to him by visiting his grave, in Gruyeres. Secondly doing a hike near the town of Montreux, or specifically hiking Rochers de Naye and finally seeing Villa Les Roses in that town. The hike of the little mountain near the town of Montreux was changed to the hike of Le Moleson in Gruyeres but I was not able to see the Villa of the Roses. 

Giger's simple yet greatly designed tombstone in the nearby church cemetery. The museum has placed a small card in French and English asking not to put anything on the stone.

Hans Ruedi Giger was a Swiss artist behind the design of the most terrifying monster of the science-fiction world, the Alien. I wanted to go to the museum for the past 2 years when I accidentally realized the museum located in this small village of Switzerland. The question that I could not have found the answer for is why he ended up in Gruyeres while he was from the town of Chur which is 300 km away and he passed in Zurich which is 185 Km always! 

The museum is great and unique and definitely worth watching. It's small and located in an old building in the village. It doesn't require much time to see all of the objects on display, perhaps a little more than 1 hour. I saw families with little kids in the museum, perhaps because they felt obligated to do something and since this is one of a very few limited things that the families can do in the village, they were doing it. The museum has a store but I didn't buy anything or perhaps I should say I didn't find anything to purchase that fits a guy like me! I don't wear caps and hoodies and I certainly don't were short sleeve T-shirts! Rings and jewelries are out of question but a nice jacket would have been considered but I'm happy that I had the excuse to avoid spending Swiss Franks on some merchandise! 

I took a stroll down the village after that. This is the place that you don't see visitors and tourists. A very nice a clean village with big houses and grassland with cows and also deer! I went down to a main road and came back up. There's a castle or fort on the top of the village which you need to pay admission to get and that's how it's supposed to be but having paid for the museum, I skipped that and instead went to nearby church with a small and very clean and beautiful cemetery attached to it. That is where H. R. Giger is rested. I asked the museum guy and he told me with his strong accent where I would find the grave. I first didn't want to enter the cemetery because it is fenced but then I said what's the worst that could happen? I will tell whoever questions me what I'm looking for. I started looking at the tombstone and here he was, away from everyone, at the corner with a small shrub of Tomatoes grown on his grave: H. R. Giger! No photo, nothing else. Just his name and the days he was born and passed. It was much easier than how I found the two Japanese artists two years earlier. I, first wanted to take a couple of tomatoes and taste them but I thought I should leave them there! 

A Xenomorph model hanging from the museum's ceiling

The next day I tried the bar. It's actually a very small bar with not more than, I would say, maybe, a total of 10 tables and a counter, of course. The design is amazing. I ordered a couple of very simple things because I'm generally, not all the times, afraid of spending money! I was just there to be there and be able to take a couple of pictures. I asked one of the girls about the ownership of the bar and she said that his wife owned it which means his second wife but the girl, herself looked like Giger! Here's a picture of here tell a couple of kids the get away from the counter. 

My bill was about CHF 18 or something, I can't remember but she agreed to get €18 which was in my favour, I told her. She grabbed the money and put them in a sort of wallet or purse! I now regret that I didn't buy anything from the museum just for the sake of buying something and didn't order more in the bar but that's how I am. I don't do things and then later regret them! The thing is I would like to visit Switzerland again so perhaps I will stop by and do what I wanted to do next time! 

(Photo, top: One of many portraits of Giger on display in the museum)

EU after 12 years (3): The Irony of Simplon Pass

I had planned to go to the town of Gruyeres since I purchased my air fare for Malpensa and despite the fact that I reached the airport in the last afternoon and spent nearly one hour or perhaps even longer, I went with the rental car and headed north by simply following Google Maps. I, in fact, should have spent a little time with the vehicle, a Puma Ford, to know its features and get familiar with them but I wanted to hit the highway to use the most of the remaining daylight! I was in such a hurry that I didn't think of Android Auto and was simply looking at the small screen of the mobile phone, first, until something happened and the map popped up on the vehicle's screen. It was easier to follow but driving 290 km after a whole day without sleep, in a road that I had never driven, at night is not much fun. I called myself stupid several times one the road! 

It became dark soon and the only good thing was the fact that the road was not very busy and there were no semi-truck but it was pitch dark. I was trying to focus on the road and not fall asleep. There were many towns and communities that I could simply use an exit to get to them for a little rest and probably some beverages and food but I kept driving. The other thing I realized was the small parking spots at the side of the highway which were all had been shown by using a sign like a deep plate putting vertically, upwards! I stopped at one or two to stretch and get sleep out of my system.

Then another challenge was encountered: A automatic toll booth! I stopped at the bar and I couldn't figure out how to work it because every damn instruction was in Italian. Then I ran to the next line, luckily there was not any vehicle behind me, and tried to ask the guy. They, of course, were surprised and didn't even want to roll the window down but they were told me that he rental place should have given me a card! I ran back to the vehicle and pushed the " Assist " button and someone said something in Italian! I think I got them to speak English but what happened next was that I put my credit card in and without entering the pin, the machine spat it out after a few second, printed me a receipt and the arm went up! I sighed and got myself back to the road.

The beauty of the Simplon Pass area when I drove up almost to the highest point, still in Switzerland and before going down to reach Italian border 

There were multiple spots on the road which all have been marked with signs and cones indicating construction was taking place and there were a lot of tunnels and at least, if I remember correctly, a couple of lights which one direction had to wait for the other to pass and then they could continue. Then the map directed me to a very steep road which looked like it was blocked. There was a guy nearby where it seemed to be a business of some sort. I tried to ask him how I can go to Lausanne, although i was not going there but I thought naming Gruyeres might not be such a good idea since the small village might not be known to all Italians. The guy didn't speak any English but he pointed at the direction and later I realized what that blocked road meant! It was the train (and that was what he was saying, I understood his Italian but couldn't figure out what does a train have to do with my trip) which you could use to avoid Simplon Pass's all dangerous, up and down, snake-like road! 

I continued the road and then encounter a spot which from what I had seen in the map looked like border control but there was no guard, stop sign or even a car. I asked a person, who was sitting in his car, where the border crossing was and he said that was it and added that Switzerland's was 5 minutes drive from there, meaning that there was a sort of no-man zone in between! 

No activity was seen at the other border control and I continued without having to stop but it was then when the damn telephone and consequently the man started playing a game: It lost the connection! I was in a way lucky that I found myself near a Shell gas station. I pulled into the parking. It was shortly past 22:00. I noticed a bunch of people and the store seemed open. It appeared that there were a group of Filipina ladies who travelled with a guide and the store was closed. They somehow just had accessed to the facilities. I don't know if it was open or they had somebody opened it for them. I asked one of them how long it was to Switzerland one of them who spoke English very well said that we were already in Switzerland! I explained to her the problem I had with my phone and handed it to her to see if she could figure the problem out. She realized the Roaming feature was not on and that saved my life! I thanked the group and I wish I had gotten some sort of contact from her because she seems a very nice girl. If anyone reading this happen to be at that Shell gas station in Switzerland on Kantonsstrasse, 30, Steg, please send me a message. I really would like to thank the Filipina girl group for their kindness. 

I still had more than an hour too go and I was dead tired. Then there was a McDonald's on the way which I stopped for but they were close as well. I think it was around 12:25 which I reached the hotel. It was, again, pitch dark and I couldn't even read the hotel sign clearly. The sign says Hotel De Gruyeres but I was so dead tired that it was so dark that I read it Hotel Christmas! Then I walked around a little bit and I realized there was nothing else there but a number of cars. I then took a set of stairs and went up toward the sign where I was able to see it clearly and closely. I found the entrance and went through the unlocked door. I then went to the reception desk and found an envelope with my name on it as it had been promised to me when I told them I would be late due to my flight's change. I got back to the car, grabbed my gear and went into my room or as they call it in French speaking part of Switzerland where Gruyeres is a part of it, chamber!

This is how I drove through Simplon Pass, which unlike its name it was not simple at all. I read that Simplon is a German term and since other languages, French and Italian, are also spoken in the region, everyone has a different but somehow similar name for it! This pass would definitely unpassable during winter months or at least part of it would be. That is why the train service is available but I don't know about the details as I have no freaking plan to drive it even in a nice and sunny day because I already did that and that was on my way back! 

(Photo: I stopped at this resting spot near the exit to the town of Villadossola in Italy for a few minutes. there were still more than 3 hours of drive)

EU after 12 years (2): Arrival at MXP, Forget about the Travel Advisory

I was a little shocked to know that Malpensa Airport is actually named after the former Italian Prime Minister, when I just came back from the trip and no one ever, even once, referred to that! Silvio Berlusconi (Perhaps one of a few Italian names that could be easily, quickly and correctly pronounced by foreigners!) was a controversial figure in modern Italy, perhaps after Benito Mussolini. There was even a movie made about him a few years ago but I haven't seen it. He died in 2023 in Milan at the age of 86. 
Nevertheless, let's talk about Malpensa Airport (MXP) and how you can easily manage your trip's first steps. Stage one: Ignore everything that you have read in the Government of Canada Travel Advisory website!
I regularly check the Government of Canada Travel Advisory website to see what the situation looks like before I plan for my trips. This time ignoring that resulted in a huge amount of time and money saving! I planned to drive to Gruyeres in Switzerland from Malpensa, a nearly 290 Km (180 m.) drive, (which you will see how crazy it went in another post!), the website tells you to have an IDP which stands for International Driving Permit, as well as a notarized or official translation of your Operator's License. Here's how I handled them: I was quite tired, frustrated with all the damn cost(!) and exhausted from work. So I said to myself: I'm going to take the train and make it to Gruyeres in 05:30 hours instead of 03:30. I'm not going to spend any more money on photographs (for the IDP), the IDP processing fee itself, the translation and of course going to all these places! 
Here's what happened instead: I reached MXP around 17:30, you can easily find out by looking at the Timeline in Google Maps on your phone, if you have a Pixel or any other Android based mobile phone and I don't know about Apple but I do know that law enforcement agencies use the devise to catch the lying criminal and I love that(!), and I went to Passport Control. It took nearly 3 minutes. No line, no questions. Only looking at the passport and obtaining the finger prints of the right hand, electronically and I guess taking a photo. I then went to a SIM Card booth and bought one with 2 GB data available which would work in Switzerland (which will be the subject of a topic later!). I think it was €38, if I'm not mistaken. Then I headed toward Enterprise which is located on the lower floor. The people happily considered my reservation despite the fact that more than 7 hours, I think, had passed the original time that I was supposed to get the vehicle. The young girl, who was very nice and polite and helpful did not ask anything about IDP or the translation of the freaking O. License! She probably didn't even know what it was! Finding the parking was a challenge at first but I asked one of the guides and he directed me there. There, in the lot, I was given a standard, hybrid, hatchback, Puma Ford! What an unusual combination of featured but it worked. I think by the time I left the airport it was almost 18:45, not too far from sunset, in a country that I had never driven in, toward the destination that I would have to cross a border and I solely depend on Google Maps! I didn't get any food or beverages, considering I had eaten both at YYC and the plane. I just followed the map and tried to get myself familiar with the features of the Puma! 

(Photo: The Puma is seen here which was parked at the first hotel's spot. I think this is specifically designed for Europe as I have not seen any in Canada or the US)

EU after 12 Years (1): LHR instead of MXP

I have this habit that never say to anyone where I'm going when I leave the city or the country for a trip. It has been with me for 3 decades, at least. Why? The answer is simple: First of all I don't want people to know where I'm going until I reach there, do whatever I had planned and come back in one piece. Secondly I don't want my family to worry. This recent trip's change proved me right.
I was scheduled to go to Montreal and then to Malpensa near Milan for my European trip just three Saturdays back but the flight got cancelled and I went to Heathrow and from there flew to Malpensa! The delay was nearly 8 hours but it is way better than re-booking everything. My only worry was missing the rental car and the hotel in Gruyeres, Switzerland.
I was relaxing in my kitchen as I had hours until my early afternoon flight when the message on the phone, from the airliner, indicated that there would be half an hour delay to the flight. Fine! I said to myself. It was not much longer that I received another message: The flight had been cancelled due to a technical problem or something. It was stated that I could either fly at night or book another flight! 
Book another flight?! Are you kidding me?! I booked this damn flight more than six freaking months to avoid any high price or last minute seat selection. I'm not going to go through that sh*t again or anything even easier that requires me to sit at the desk for another even 15 minutes to browse around the scheduled flights! I agreed to fly at night, I think it was 20:00 or a little sometime after that. 
The boarding and everything went smoothly but here is my problem: I can't sleep on the damn planes! Therefore when I reached Heathrow I felt like a zombie(!) and here what else I can tell you, Heathrow DOES NOT make every journey better, unlike what they say as their motto! 
I had been to the damn airport only twice before and this time was the last time and that was not my choice. It's overcrowded with the least amount of guidance and help available and there's not even a spot to sit for a few minutes unless you're going to one of the establishments for food or drink and what if you're neither hungry nor thirsty and you just had enough on the plane? You have to force yourself to eat or drink yourself to be able to relax for a few minutes, although the meaning of relaxing changes here because there's no relaxing in an overcrowded and noisy place! 
I don't know how long my layover was but happily it was not too long. The other thing is I realized that you can't get a damn SIM Card in the airport or at least it's what I was told by a guy who worked in a tech shop!! This is really stupid and ridiculous at the same time. Does that mean that many tourists do not arrive at Heathrow?! Do they have to go to the city to get a card of that nature? What's the damn deal?! A quick search on the web shows there are several stores in the airport but the piece of shit, ugly, nasty guy in the store told me I would not be able to buy any. 
The other thing is Heathrow is filled with East Indian (both Muslim and non-Muslim, as far as I could tell) and lots of Arabs with long robes and head covers working as screening or all the other businesses. I guess that's the case in the UK these days. The guys who are very pious and restricted Muslims beg Christians to go to their countries to have a better life! The irony of that! This is a long discussion which will have to be waited for later.
The flight to Malpensa was quite smooth. I think not more than 75% of the seats were full. Some British guys and some Italians who like peasants! The British Airways plane looked run down. It was a short trip, about two hours and it was a pleasant day in terms of meteorological events! The stewardesses gave a small McVitie cookie and perhaps some water, If i remember clearly but hot beverages were only available for purchase! The good thing came at the end: Donation! Something that I had not experienced on any flight. I didn't get much of it mostly because it was not loud enough for me to hear and of course the strong British accent but one of the stewardesses walked from the front to the end with bag and the poor lady got nothing. I think the UK has distanced itself from its glorious days that the Sun does set on its territory. With all the refugees coming crossing the English Channel, all the Arabs who despise the UK like poison and all the Pakistani and Hindu and Punjabi, not to mention the Africans, Afghans and Iranians, who knows what the future of the US would look like? Is that not the reason Dinosaur (an older cousin who resides in the UK since mid. 1980), wants to move out? I don't know and I don't care. We're not in speaking terms. He has been married to a really disgusting and nasty bitch. Nevertheless, that was how I got myself to Malpensa, one of the two airports of Milan (Milano in Italian), where I guess most of the international flights land.  

(Photo: The plane is taxing passing a row of British Airways plane in Heathrow, before taking off for Malpensa)

A simple Calculation for EVs

The price of gasoline went up again yesterday and remained the same today! It was after a sharp drop. That is why it's called roller coaster. With that in mind, I thought I do a little, simple calculation to see how the ones who drive an EV, enjoy it. However, I need to mention the concept of battery depreciation, something that EV owners cannot close their eyes to it.

My story is a little bit different. I drive a Hybrid-Electric which has less dependency on the charge. I have been able to charge it at work, most of the time, free of charge. I haven't heard anything from HR but I guess when I hear it would be the day that they ask me to leave and never come back! 

Apart from that I wanted to do a little calculation to how it actually looks. The data is based on Toyota App. This system record all the details: Where the charging took place, the date, the hours and most importantly, the amount of energy extracted in Kwh. Here is an example:

The Battery was at 0% and went up to 89% in less than 9 hours, or to be exact 8 h. and 57 m. and 19 sec.! Keep in mind that it is a small battery. Not like Tesla's. It extracted 9.167 kwh of energy. This amount of energy combined with just a few drop of gasoline is enough for a reliable and enjoyable drive of nearly 70 km (43 miles). It will cost $0.104900 x 9.167 = $0.96! 

Solar Panels installed in the first solar plant within the limits of City of Calgary in the southeastern quadrant. These panels last up to 30 years and generate convert nearly, if remember correctly, only 26% of the sunlight to alternative current. Inverters then are used to convert the current the DC and make it suitable for the public use

It seems pretty attractive to have an EV. Does it not? Especially now that the prices are coming down but you also have to remember that many of these cars are simply Compliance Vehicles meaning that they just are a cheap copy of the originals big brand luxury EVs and the pathetic companies have to make them to be able to comply with the governments' rules which mandates them not to make internal combustion vehicles after a certain year.

It is said that if you drive them well, perhaps meaning not accelerating suddenly, do not expose them to extreme cold or heat and consider some other factors, they will last up to 10 years. What do you need to do after that? You must consider the battery changed or the vehicle is only good as a carriage which needs a couple of good horses! All the money that you have saved in the past 10 years now is going to be spent on a new battery! What have you gotten, then? Just comfort and the joy of driving the EV. The question is was it worth it? You also can buy solar panels and make your charging free after a few years but as these panels normally last 30 years. The final verdict is buy a good EV, if you can afford it. Enjoy driving it, enjoy its luxury and then who knows what happens in 10 years?! 

(Photo, top: The Toyota App gives you lots of options as well as interesting data about your vehicle)