Grand Torino

Once again, I've come away from a big Italian city absolutely buzzing. Turin is ace. And to think, I nearly didn't come. I checked the weather and the forecast looked somewhat apocalyptic, so I very nearly bailed - wandering aimlessly round an industrial city when you're soaked hardly ever leaves a positive memory. Still, the weather was alright - a few sunny showers - and even if it hadn't been there were more than enough museums to fill a weekend and enough porticos to get between the museums without ruining your hair.

Turin was a hotchpotch of a city. It reminded me variously of Hamburg, Antwerp, Valencia, Buenos Aires, Lisbon, Seville and just about every other city I've been to. Except, strangely, other Italian cities. It seemed more French than Italian. But then I guess that's what happens when that Napoleon replaces your walls with leafy Boulevards.

Visited the Duomo to not see the Turin shroud. Slightly disappointed that the supporting information didn't point out that it's a medieval fake. Still, never let the truth get in the way of a good yarn / faith / pilgrim exploitation opportunity.

I felt morally obliged to go to the Egyptian Museum, given its reputation. For my money it's better than the Cairo one. What it's lacking in Tutankhamun trinkets it more than makes up for by better information, a more coherent narrative and, erm, well, just being in Italy.

Ate local food at an authentic looking trattoria in a pretty street. Was a bit dissapointed. It was over rich and under flavoured. I may as well have just eaten a block of butter. Is that what all Piemonte food is like, or was I just unlucky?

Last night I had another coincidental right place / right time thing. It was Turin's Fiesta of Music: twenty odd stages around Quadrilatero showcasing music in all its forms. I saw jazz, bebop, choral, beat poetry, rock, Bjork-esque experimentation and an Italian lady singing Teddy Picker (without resorting to patriotic clichés, I reckon you'd be hard pushed to find a more English song than Teddy Picker). Great night, great city.

Bauhaus (in the Middle of our Street)

Turns out that my gut reaction to Tel Aviv - that it's just a tatty Abu Dhabi - was a little bit harsh. That said, the promenade backed by chain hotels was a whole heap more resorty than I was expecting. Not certain why, a city that claims some of the best city beaches in the world is bound to feel resorty, right?

Spent a little bit more time exploring away from the beaches today, went to the Bauhaus districts to check out the White City architecture. Some of the trees lining the boulevards are incredible - there's so many of them and they all look like their insides are falling out. Stunning.

And most amazing of all is that all these leafy boulevards lead to a central square that makes Coventry look pretty. City Hall is truly monstrous.

Anyway, heading home now. Made it through the interrogation and swabbing at border control, so have just about completed this Middle Eastern adventure.  Any surprises? Yep. If there's one thing that Indiana Jones taught me it's that they don't have Js in the Middle East - how comes just about every city I went to began with J? Jerusalem, Jaffa, Jericho, Jarash, J-tastic.