May 2 - 16, 2026 - Miscellanous from Italy

Miscellanous from Italy

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.  

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.

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 itself, enjoy gelato and much more.  Love it! 

May 14 - 16, 2026 - Venice - more photos

Venice

May 14 - 16, 2026 - Venice

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.

May 13, 2026 - Bologna

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.)"