Best time to see Turin may be after the Olympics

TURIN, Italy -- Can't find a hotel room in Turin for the Olympics? Worried about getting stuck in traffic on the single-lane road that leads to the games' Alpine hub? Don't want a repeat of the nightmare at the Salt Lake City airport the day after the 2002 Winter Games ended?

Visiting Turin after the Feb. 10 to 26 Olympics may have its advantages.

The 1 million people expected for the games will be gone, making travel, hotel reservations and the city's world-class food and wines much more accessible. Post-Olympic visitors will also enjoy a completely remodeled city.

TURIN TRANSFORMED: Turin's urban overhaul was modeled on Barcelona's, the 1992 Summer Games host. While the sports venues are ready, much of the work won't be completed in time for the Olympics.

A new airport terminal is scheduled to be finished before the games, but only a small section of a $1.16 billion subway will be ready. The rest of the system should be completed by 2008, along with a high-speed train between Turin and Milan that will cut the trip between the two cities from 90 to 40 minutes.

Virtually the entire downtown area is getting a facelift, with piazzas cleaned up and repaved.

Restoration of the old royal residences in Venaria, a 30-minute ride from Turin, should be completed by the end of 2006.

FOOD: It's the surrounding region of Piedmont rather than Turin itself that has a reputation for great food. So for a fine meal, ask where you can eat "Piemontese."

Start your Piemontese feast with bagna cauda, a heated sauce for dipping raw vegetables. Agnolotti, a form of ravioli, is the region's best-known pasta and is a great primo or "first" dish, often served with creamy gorgonzola-based or truffle ("tartufo") sauce.

Most restaurants offer a variety of meat and fish for main courses. Tagliata -- sliced steak -- is a favorite. "Bollito misto," mixed boiled meats, is a regional specialty.

For dessert, "torta nocciola," hazelnut cake, is another local treat. Try a cheese platter, too. Piedmont is home to several high-rated cheeses such as toma, bra, robiola and castelmagno.

Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and Asti wines all come from Piedmont and are world-class. Piedmont is also home to Menabrea, one of the few high-quality Italian beers.

After dinner, sample the local "amaro" (bitter), San Simone. It tastes like cough medicine but is said to help digestion. Up in the mountains, try "Genepy" (Juniper), an Alpine after-dinner drink.