out of the bubble

Last night I finally got out of my Olympic bubble... I met up with an Italian friend who took me to the Old City area downtown. It was good to get away from my usual work and sleep sections of town, and gave me a great feel for what else is out there in Torino. We mostly walked around the their equivalent to rodeo drive, which includes some great old architecture and neon light displays. That area is also surrounded by several old piazzas that were cool to see (including one where they are setting up the 'Today' show set). There's a lot of last-minute work being done everywhere to get things finished for the games. I definitely hope to get down there more to explore on my own, but it was a great starting point for escaping the typical work, sleep, work, sleep mode I've been in.