Istanbul - May 3, 2026
We used stopover program offered by the Turkish Airlines. I picked the Grand Yavuz hotel in Sultanahmet, known as the heart of old Constantinople. Walking inside and around the Bazaar was a joyful experience. There are gold shops, sweets and spices shops, Turkish lamp shops, all kind of shops. Buying ice cream here was very fun. The seller played tricks with the ice cream and its cone. Everytime I thought I got a hold to the cone, then, it disappeared. We laughed a lot and I got hungry when finally got a hold on to it. Buying fresh little short of coffee here was very fun too. The seller heated the coffee using sand. Pistachio coffee was delicious. Turkish delights and Turkish teas were very delicious too. The shops around the Bazaar are like the shops over Pahurat in Thailand. They sold both retail and wholesale goods. The shoe district was the whole strip of shoes shops. We visited the ancient site of Basicila Cistern and The Blue Mosque, which are very beautiful. Women must also have a hair covering. Hotel rooms use perfume with very strong scent. Ducky had to open the window to get rid of the smell. It was good that it gradually faded. Turkish people seem to drink tea regularly. The tea vendor will walk to deliver the tea and deliver the snacks using a tray. The used tea cup and snack dishes are brought back to wash. No need for disposable cups or plates or plastic bags. I like the idea.
Rome - May 4 - 8, 2026
Rome is very beautiful. Walking everywhere is like being in Roman times. The old buildings have statues, columns, and beautiful balconies from BC to the present. In Rome, we vsited the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, Vatican Museum, and St. Peter's Square. In Rome, putting on high heels is quite a challenge. The heels can easily get stuck in between the 12 cm x 12 cm stones used to pave the walk ways. This iconic paved ways also are not friendly for luggage wheels.
"The iconic cobblestones that pave the streets of Rome are called sampietrini (sometimes spelled sanpietrini).
The Origin of the Name: They are named after St. Peter's Square (Piazza San Pietro), because the stones were first used there in the late 16th century to make it easier for heavy papal carriages to roll through the square smoothly.
The Material: They are hand-cut, pyramid-shaped blocks made from black basalt, a volcanic rock. Most of it was historically quarried from the volcanic areas near the Alban Hills just southeast of Rome.
How They Are Laid: Unlike modern paving, traditional sampietrini aren't cemented down. Instead, artisans wedge them tightly into a loose bed of sand and river gravel. This allows the ground to "breathe," flex, and absorb water during heavy rains."
Amalfi - May 5, 2026
Amalfi is a coastal town in the Salerno district, take a high-speed train from Rome to Salerno for about an hour, and then take a boat to Amalfi and Positano.
Amalfi builds houses on overlapping hills. It looks very beautiful. Here people grow gigantic lemons with very thick skins, and lemon skins are used to make cups of Lemon Sorbet ice cream. One order for 15 euro!!! The lemons are used to make lemoncello as well. We really enjoyed the beautiful coastal, the boat rides, seafood with pasta, ravioli, lemon sorbet, lemoncello, and the visit to the ancient sites there.
"The most famous and dominant church on the Amalfi Coast is the Amalfi Cathedral, known locally as the Duomo di Amalfi or Cattedrale di Sant'Andrea (Cathedral of Saint Andrew).
The Basilica of the Crucifix (Basilica del Crocifisso): This is the oldest part of the complex, dating back to the 9th century. Built on the ruins of an even older 6th-century early Christian church, it now serves as the Diocesan Museum and houses beautiful historic treasures.
The Cathedral of St. Andrew: Built right next to the older basilica in 987, this main church features a stunning, dramatic 19th-century Norman-Arab-Byzantine facade with brilliant gold mosaics."
Florence - May 8 - 11, 2026
Florence is also very beautiful and magnificent. We visited Uffizi. 70% of the artworks in the Uffizi are about Mary, Madonna, or Jesus. There are also the works by famous artists during the Renaissance (15th, 16th Century) such as Botticelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael. At Accademia Gallery, we met David. David is much taller and bigger than what I used to see in the pictures. The Leonado Da Vinci Interactive Museum visit was added to our trip along the way. The museum is full of prototypes of Da Vinci's designs. It was so cool and fun to visit the meseum. Da Vinci was very genius indeed. I also love the unforgettable view of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo. It is a MUST visit when going to Florence.
We had a nice dinner at "Il Santa Maria Ristorante Steakhouse". Ducky ordered Chianti steak 8.5 euro per 100 grams. They picked a gigantic 1.2 kilograms for us. This meal costed 225 euros. LoL It was delicious and not to chewy for me. We enjoyed the meal and the experience. The leftover feeded us as the following day lunch.
Tuscany - May 10, 2026
Tuscany wine tasting day was quite a relaxing day. We had to walk under the rain a bit to the meeting point bus location but after that, the weather was getting better and better. I love seeing the endless vineyards stretching to the horizon. At the first winery, Montecchio, the estate uses self made clay pots to ferment the wine. It is so unique. Each year they produce about 30,000 bottles and only see them directly from the estate. We tried their 4 varities with cheese, and bread dipped with olive. We picked the nicest bottle to bring along to the castle for friends to try. At the second winery, Casa Emma, we tried their wine varietes and the 6 olive oil varieties. We learned about Chianti wine blending rules.
"The Location Rules (The Boundaries)
You can't just grow grapes anywhere in Tuscany and call it Chianti.
Chianti Classico - is the historic heartland. It is the specific, original zone between Florence and Siena. Wines from this premium zone are easily identified by the famous Gallo Nero (Black Rooster) symbol printed on the neck of the bottle or the label.
Standard Chianti - comes from a much larger, broader territory surrounding that central historic core."
"The Grape Blend Rules
Chianti is never made from just any grape; it relies heavily on Tuscany’s signature red grape, Sangiovese.
Standard Chianti DOCG: Must contain at least 70% Sangiovese grapes. The remaining 30% can be local red grapes (like Canaiolo) or international ones (like Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot). It can even include up to 10% white grapes.
Chianti Classico DOCG: Must contain at least 80% Sangiovese grapes. The remaining 20% can only be red grapes. White grapes are strictly banned here. Some Classico wines are made with 100% Sangiovese."
Verona - May 11, 2026
Veron has an arena like the Colosseum in Rome, but smaller. The arena was used in the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics. The flooring of the walkway in Verona has been made of marbles, very beautiful but also can be slippery when raining. We stopped by Juliat's house but it was closed and seemed to need tickets to go in. So, I could only peak at the Juliat's balcony and the bronze statue of her. We walked over to Piazza delle Erbe where we could see Torre dei Lamberti, the medieval bell tower. There was also a market at the piazza selling lots of souvenirs. We also walked over to the Verona ancient walls and the bridge across the Adige river. We walked back to the train station. Verona is a very cute town.
Here are some facts from Verona.
"The Bronze Statue of Juliet: Standing right beneath the balcony is a bronze statue of Juliet (a replica of the 1969 original by sculptor Nereo Costantini). A popular local tradition says that rubbing Juliet’s right breast will bring you good luck in finding true love. Because of this, you’ll notice the bronze on her right side is polished completely bright and shiny by millions of hands!"
Villabartolomea - May 11 - 14, 2026
Villabartolomea is not the main tourist attraction in Italy, but there are castles dating back to the 16th century, the Renaissance period. Rather than being tourist attraction, it is more attractive to couples looking for a unique and memorable wedding venue. Kevin and Amber celebrated their 30th annivesary by renting a castle there. They invited us, Alex, the nephew, Kari and Jerry, Kim and Greg, Kari's sister and brother-in-law to join and celebrated with them at the castle. So we had the opportunity to stay at the castle! The castle has been well maintained and standing beautifully just like in the Renaissance time. The garden next to the pool had big trees lining up through the walk way. It was a very beautiful view. One evening, everyone put on fancy dress and we had a chef cook dinner for us at the castle. I enjoyed charcuterie and the tasty dessert. Lasagna was fine, a little too runny. It was a joyful experience to stay at the ancient castle for 3 nights.
Balogna - May 13, 2026
Our Castle team did a Food tour in Bologna. We took the local Trainitalia train about 2 hours from Villabartolomea to Balogna. It was fun. We got to see how Tortellini was made and we got to taste Tortellini in cheese soup made of "rind". We tasted cured meats, cheese with aged balsamic, lasagna, and pasta with meat sauce. We walked through the fresh market, through the town to see towers and at least a leaning tower, and through the piazza with the Fountain of Neptune. We bought lots of food like cured meat and aged cheese from Bruno e Franco. The tour ended with yummy Gelato. We had a great time that day and our bellies were still filled up with yummy from Bologna during our casual dinner at the castle that day.
"Three T’s of Bologna are a classic Italian phrase that highlights the three things that define the city's unique history, food, and culture:
Torri (Towers): A tribute to Bologna's incredible medieval skyline. In the 12th century, wealthy families built over 100 stone towers as status symbols and fortresses. (There might be about 20 left today from about 180 back then.) Today, the famous "Two Towers" (Asinelli and Garisenda) still lean dramatically over the city center.
Tortellini: The city's legendary ring-shaped egg pasta. Legend says the shape was inspired by the goddess Venus's belly button. They are traditionally stuffed with pork loin, prosciutto, mortadella, and parmesan, and served swimming in a rich meat broth.
Torrone (Nougat): The official third "T" stands for this traditional sweet, crunchy honey-and-nut nougat candy that is loved throughout the region.
The Local Twist: If you ask a Bologna local, they will cheekily tell you that the third "T" actually stands for Tette (the Italian word for breasts)—a bit of famous local slang celebrating the warm, passionate, and welcoming nature of the city's people! (or the Tette of the sea nymphs or mermaids riding dolphins at the Fountain of Neptune, located right in the main square.)"
Venice - May 14 - 16, 2026
The most beautiful Venice! "Venice was built on a lake with soft soil, by hammering millions of water-resistant wooden poles (such as oak and pine) into the clay layer beneath the muddy floor through a petrification process that reduces oxygen to the wood from decaying. This technique began in the 5th century to escape the threat of war, by building a pile foundation that supported the stone building on top."
Cicchetti are Venice’s version of tapas—small, bite-sized savory snacks served in traditional local wine bars called bàcari. I would like to call it Venice's sushi. Cicchetti with salmon on top reminded me with Sushi. I really enjoyed trying varieties of Cicchetti's toppings.
We went to I Musici Veneziani's concert that played Vivaldi's Four Seasons.
Vivaldi was born and raised in Venice in the late 17th century during the Baroque period. After the concert ended, we had a very serene walk going over bridges passing over the canals back to the hotel. Midway, we climbed over the Ponte di Rialto (Rialto bridge) to look over the Grand Canal at night. Stunning views! The night scenary of Venice was gorgeous. St. Mark's Basilica or Church of Gold is another Masterpiece in Venice. Seeing the basilla from outside is already beautiful and we would regret if we did not get to see the inside. The walls, columns and floors are made of very beautifull marbles. The ceiling and domes are decorated with small pieces of colored stones to depict the story of God.
Miscellanous
The toilet in Italy can be dirty, smelly, and most of the time, no toilet seat. If you can practice squatting over the toilet, it will help with hygiene. Also, several toilets ran out of paper. Carrying toilet paper with you everywhere is a MUST. The toilet at the best tourist attraction I have ever entered was at the Il Santa Maria Steak restaurant in Florence. It is still incomparable to Japan's.
The first time we ordered coffee, we only got a tiny little bitty cup. I expected to get a normal size cup and was surprised to see that. I learned from Ducky that coffee usual means espresso and macchiato is espresso with a mark of milk on top. Since then, cappuccino with 1/3 of milk and 1/3 of milky foam in 6-once cup became my best friend. Cappuccino is to drink until 11:00 am. and espresso is to drink all day, in Italy.
Food and daily supplies are very expensive in Italy. Maybe because we were staying in tourist attractions. The food in Italy, like Pasta, Pizza, Steak, and more is both pleasant and passive. First meal in Rome at a reatuarant closed to our Airbnb was the most disappointing. Carbonara was only salty and salty. The fried cod with sauce was like being scooped out of a tray that had been made since the morning. But after that, most meals were quite pleasant like the first pizza in Florence, the gigantic Chianti steak in Florence, Bologna food, and the Venice's Cicchetti.
Gelato in Italy is very delicious, I like the Pistachio and Nocciola (Hazelnut) flavors.
When buying, you have to buy at the store where they close the ice cream container with the lid, not at the store where you can see ice cream mountained in various colors. By closing the container with the lid, the ice cream less react with Oxygen helping the flavors to last hence the ice cream tastes much better.
In conclusion, Istanbul and Italy had been yet another FUN trip for us. I had a great time. I got to see new stuff, learn history of those ancient towns and sites in Istanbul and Italy, taste the food at the origin of the food, enjoy gelato and much more. Love it!
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