Cuneo

We wanted to drive the Italian Riviera, and that meant setting a course past or through Turin and then southwest across the Maritime Alps toward Menton, eastern-most on France's Mediterranean coast. Turin, as we passed by, was shrouded (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk) in the thickest haze I have seen since India. We at first wondered whether it was industrial pollution--Turin is home to Fiat, among other big industries--but encountered the same haze all the way across the mountains, three days later, and all along the Mediterranean. In any case, Vicki was interested in the slow food aspects of Turin, but we decided not to undertake driving downtown in the big city. Instead we stopped at a big Carrefours southwest of town and enjoyed one of our best superhipermercado shopping experiences so far. It was an enormous store, packed with more kinds and varieties of Italian foods than we have seen elsewhere. We stocked up a bit, then headed on to Cuneo, a smaller city on down the road, home to a big square and a big market, and more.

One of Cuneo's many covered arcades

A smidgeon of the square; the food market was over, but the
garment and household goods market was still going strong
in the afternoon sun; the TI lady later told us the garment
market was largely for the French, who came over the
mountains to shop; the garments were of better quality than
we're accustomed to seeing in street markets, but...

Probably not what the French were looking for

Another reason for coming to Cuneo was the Arione Bar
and Confectionary...

This where rum- and liqueur-filled chocolate was invented

Always looking for the liquor/literary connection, we are

Arione interior

Ditto, bar

The originals...a euro each or four for three euros; this is not
slow food, but the more you eat, the slower you will be
moving...

We also peeked inside the big downtown
church

Definitely not Gothic, we decided

Although the Roman centurion Tinker Bell
was interesting

What would Jesus wear? Vicki asked (continuing the
religious thread)

A nice little city, with an interesting downtown

Plus you really have to like a place that lists
all 19 of its libraries on a kiosk outside city
hall