This morning as I got ready, I didn’t think I would need it so, I didn’t bother putting it in my bag. (I usually keep it in my purse but, I cleaned it out and never put it back in) Today was going to be just a relaxing day for me and Carlo. We decided to have lunch downtown and go to the National Cinema Museum located at the Mole Antonelliana. I went out early this morning to run some errands and met Carlo at Piazza Castello at 11:30am.

As Carlo and I sat in Piazza Castello, we were surrounded by High School kids celebrating their last day of school. I think there were probably about 50 kids…. playing in the fountains. When I say playing.. I really do mean playing… splashing, pushing each other into the water, carrying other kids into the fountains etc…. This went on for about 1 hour. It was at this time that I realized that I should have asked Carlo to make sure and bring the camera.

As we ate our Panini and watched the people of Torino enjoy the summer heat, we started to hear shouts and clapping. It was a bride and groom and their photographer taking pictures in the Piazza. The High School kids stopped everything and applauded while shouting “AUGURI!!”

For dessert, Carlo and I had taken some cookies from home to snack on after lunch. Carlo had a different idea. He asked me if I would buy him a small gelato. We went to a gelateria on Via Palazzo di Citta’. We had seen it several times and finally decided to try it. It was sooo good and so creamy that we have agreed to make that a regular spot for us. We both had Vanilla (made with Madagascar vanilla beans) and Fondente all’arancia (Dark chocolate with candied oranges). As always, I like to take pictures of the gelateria we try out so we can remember the location and what we had.

After countless times of going to the Mole, we finally went to the museum. It was so much fun but it was also very exhausting. We were there for 2 hours looking at all of the cool stuff they have. We would have been there longer if there was an exhibition and if we read everything. The museum starts by explaining how our eyes see light, then into still frames, shadow plays, magic lanterns, cameras then movies. Once you finish the history of film section, then you watch a 3 minute video showing clips of silent films. Afterwards, you’re taken on an elevator to the 2nd part of the museum. This is where they have movie posters and old movie memorabilia. It was so cool to see contracts from Studios to starts like James Stewart and Orson Welles, a lawsuit notice to Charlie Chaplin, and costume sketches for Rita Hayworth. Our tour ended by laying on lounge chairs and watching old movie clips like Fellini’s 8 1/2 & La Dolce Vita.

After the Mole, we started to make our way back to the metro by walking down Via Garibaldi. We took a side street so that Carlo could buy a book at a Church bookstore. As we turned the corner, we saw a wedding party posing in front of the church. There were multi colored streamers on the steps of the church, and also a very familiar scene…..UMBRELLAS!! It was raining off and on all afternoon.

The entire day, Carlo kept asking me where the camera was. It made me so sad to see all of this fun stuff and not have my camera so that y’all could share in our joy. (and so Carlo could keep asking the big question…..”Can you do this in the Death Valley?????”)