Fine Snow

There haven’t been any real snow days this winter, there was one very fine snowfall last November.

It was actually a mix of rain and snow, visible on site but difficult to capture properly in photos.

Anyway, I tried to take a few photos while walking through the narrow streets of Mercanti.

 Location: Via Mercanti

 

Pouring May

The rainy season is here again, and it looks like it may last until the end of the month.

Last night, the rain was particularly intense.

Location: Via Mercanti

CDP May Theme: Cyclists

There is an organised tour by bicycles in Torino. The idea of a group of cyclists riding their bicycles through the streets of the town is great, but sometimes they can cause some inconvenience to others as they pass through the narrow streets of the older part of town.

I have chosen this photo of cyclist passing under my window for the CDP May theme day.

Please click here to view other entries.

Location: Via Mercanti

Rain Puddles

As usual, after a day or two of rain, puddles of water were left here and there. 

Fortunately. they normally dry up pretty fast.

Location: Via Mercanti

Stranger In The Night

Once in a while, someone decides to dress up in a way to suit the atmosphere of the old, narrow street in Torino.

This photo was taken on the new year night, maybe he was on the way back from a New Year Eve celebration?

Location: Via Mercanti

A Little Break From The Rain

Today the rain has stopped for a while, giving us a little break from getting wet when we are out.

 Of course, there are ponds of water here and there, which are perfect for making certain type of photo.

These photos posted here are shots from last year, but the situation is more or less the same...

Location : Giardini Reali, via Mercanti

Raining Dogs And Cats

Finally the rain arrived, after one night and one day of raining dogs and cats, the temperature reduced from 38 °C to maximum of 19 °C and a minimum of 13 °C.

From the photos, it doesn't seem to be raining heavily, but during the night it was rather violent and throughout the day, it switched between drizzling and pouring.

 

Location : Via Mercanti

Christmas Lights On Small Street

As per the previous years, the small streets around my place are decorated with rows of  simple lights for the Christmas season. Although they are simple, but they do brighten up and bring in lots of atmosphere.

 

They are especially fascinating under the drizzling rain, leading people through the narrow, small streets while doing their windows shopping.

 

 Location : Via Mercanti

 

 

Lock Down The Twenty-Sixth Day

26th day, Saturday. The morning spring sun is warm and very pleasant. Is already April, looking at the almost empty and deserted street, yet can't really feel the joy of Spring.
Time to head to the pharmacy again.

There are two ways to go to the pharmacy from home, both ways are more or less the same distance.

Turn right will head towards the traffic road, which is wider and more straight forward, with bigger shops and has a more urban feel.
Turn left will leads through the narrow and small alleys, the buildings are quaint, shops and restaurants are more characteristic and unique.
Chose to go left.

Restaurants that were usually packed are now closed. Occasionally, one or two person passed by with their dog or with their grocery bags, the only shop which still opened is the bakery.

Out of the alleys, one reaches the Townhall, further down is the IV Marzo square which is surrounded by resturants and bars that are of course now closed. It does seem much larger without the tables and chairs placed outside by the resturants.

The liveliness and noises of the place have been replaced by moodiness and silent.
The heavy door of the cathedral beside the pharmacy is tightly closed.

 Location : via Mercanti/Piazza IV Marzo/Duomo/via XX Settembre

Lock Down The Twenty-Fourth Day

The 24th day, by the way the lock down has been extended till the 13rd of April.
Morning looked out from the balcony, found out that there were 'a lot' of people at the bus stop, a total of about 8, 9 persons. Under usual circumstances, this amount is normal, nowadays, this is the largest amount I have seen in the last 24 days.

Perhaps these are the people who are needed to go to work also during the lock down.

Afternoon, had to go to a pharmacy nearby to get a medicine, since the usual paharmay had no stock and not sure when it will arriave. Luckily, after some searches, found this paharmacy which had the medicine in the afternoon.

Put on jacket, scarf, mask and gloves, filled up the self certication form, ready to head out.
Out on the street with a bit of worry, anxious, panic and a bit disturbed. The empty street does feel weird.

There was no queue at the paharmacy, earlier on, a man with white mask had just stepped out from the paharmacy. He walked past me, both of us moved a bit to maintain a certain distance. We exchanged glance, with not much concern.
Out from the pharmacy, headed toward the main road, a girl was standing beside the traffic light, waiting to be indicated when she could cross the empty, carless road.

Opposite under the arcade, the only shop opened for business was the one selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Two women were queuing up for their turns.
Does fear make people more obedient to rules, or is it during a crisi, people feels more responsible?

Location : Via Mercanti/Via Pietro Micca/Piazza Solferino

Lock Down The Seventeenth Day

The 17th day, thanks to the Siberian winds, we are back to winter again. Some areas wre snowing yesterday, in Turin there was just some fine rains.

 
It was sunny in the morning when I went to buy some breads, later in the afternoon, the sky begun to turn dim.

The bread shop was within 200 meters from home, it was the only shop opened in the whole street. When I reached there, there was a guy waiting outside and a woman doing her purchase inside the shop, so I waited outside a distance away from the guy.

There was a police car at the corner of the street, but the police just sat in the car and didn't bother anyone.

Confined at home for days and nothing seems to happened, all cosy and quiet, yet the report on the news  reminds us that there is a storm outside, an invisible harm that we have to fight against with patience.

Location : Via Mercanti

Lock Down Sixth Day

Sunday, the sixth day of the lock down, there was not the usual crowd coming to the center for breakfast and then a pleasant walk.

The street was just as empty as yesterday and the day before  and before....

Near to the main door of my block, a homeless guy was sitting there alone. No mask, just a pair of rubber gloves. A homeless guy sitting alone under the empty arcade.
Left him some coins, let hope it helps.

We are advised to stay home and go out as little as possible, but for the homeless like him, where should they go?

Remember last night, while was out for a short walk, the street was quiet and almost empty.
Then we saw an acquaintance sitting on the steps of the entrance to a restaurant. The restaurant was closed of course. So he was sitting there alone looking at the empty piazza.
He was almost pleasantly surprised to see us, then he asked us about the supermarket. We told him what he wanted to know and we greeted him and left.
He went back to the same spot and sat down again alone.
Does the current situation makes lonely people even more lonely?

Before lunch, saw a row of police cars passed by the street, perhaps it was the time to change shift.

 Location : Via Pietro Micca/via Garibaldi/via Mercanti

Lock Down Fourth Day

A message received visually in the afternoon on the street : Whatever the game, let the joy win.

Morning at about 1030 am, looked down from the balcony to the street below. Few people, a man was waiting at the bus stop on the right side; the bus stop on the left, two women were sending messages with their cellphone, both were standing, at a distance apart.
Ocassionally, one or two cars passed by unhurriedly.

Went down to the other apartment around the corner to have some works done. The street was rather quiet, nobody was waiting at the traffic light by the street. Just the four traffic lights standing there facing each other.

On the pedestrain street, restaurants and shops on both sides were closed. A woman was playing ball with a little boy and a woman with mask passed swiftly with her head down. 

The janitor was not working, she will be off till god knows when....
From the windows of the apartment, 2 - 3 people can be seen queuing up orderly outside of the entrance of the supermarket, waiting for their turns. Each maintined a distance of approximately one meter between them.
A distance away, a woman was taking a selfie with her cellphone, with her gloves and mask on.

Near evening, got to buy something at another supermarket, but there was a long queue at the entrance. Not worth to queue up for an hour just for an item.
There was another branch of the same supermarket just further down on the other street, so went there to try my luck.
No one was queuing up at the entrance, no one was inside the supermarket, just a chinese girl at the cashier and a guy working inside the store.

The cheerful chinese girl informed us politely that we couldn't go in together or we could if we kept at least a distance of a meter between us all the time. She worried that there might be policemen checking on them. No problem, we are not siamese twin. She was content.

So, the two supermarkets of the same company, just few distance apart, one was with long queue waiting at the entrance and the other one with nobody.

Location : Via Pietro Micca/Via Monte Di Pietà/Via Mercanti/Via Milano