Yes, this trip has finally come to an end. Patrice and I were definitely ready to go home (which we safely did last night) and we both think this was one of our best trips ever. Thank you to all the people who helped make it such a success. Also many thanks to all the people who left comments on the blog. I really enjoy hearing from you and staying connected to our friends and family. Here are a series of photos that I found interesting but didn’t get a chance to send them during the trip. They are in no particular order.
Your restauarant server wants to make sure that you know that Europe is no different than the USA. See this copy of one of our dinner checks.
The most common clothing attire I saw on the trip was the NY Yankee baseball cap. I guess they didn’t hear that the Astros eliminated the Yankees from the playoffs 4-0. See below, one of many.
And if you want to buy a Yankee cap they are easy to find.
In Milan, the Galleria had lots of high-end stores. See below.
After all your shopping at the Milan Galleria, you can stop for some fine dining at this location.
We saw a few of these strange devices on the streets of Bologna. No one used them and I am not sure what they are used for.
We saw this boat with an odd name in Venice. Acqua is the Italian word for water. I think you can figure out the rest.
Chocolate Lentils? That is my idea of fiber. See below.
When you gotta go, this is the place to go if you are in the Marco Polo airport in Venice. While you are at it please pick up after yourself. See below.
In Madrid, we saw signs of the USA and Canada. First, we saw little hot dogs from Nebraska. I didn’t realize Nebraska was a hot dog Mecca. See below.
I know you can see Tim Horton’s all over Canada but it looks like they are also attacking Madrid.
Looking to connect with George Washington? Try Budapest. See below.
Budapest had this very unique piece of art in a park (see below). It is also an ecological tool since it encourages people to put their plastic bottle caps inside. See the hole on the right side.
How about a taste of NYC while you are in Budapest? See below.
Did you know that Moses was a techie? See below,
In German the word for jewelry is Schmuck. I know a lot of guys who would say anyone who spends a lot of money on jewelry can be described with the same word. See below.
If you are homesick for Venice Beach in Los Angeles, just get on a tram in Vienna.
But lastly, this is my favorite memory of the trip.
For our last night in Bologna, we had a very special dinner at Antica Osteria Romagnola (Via Rialto, 13a, 40124 Bologna BO). This place was recommended by our friend, Dominic, who had also recommended Donatello where we dined the previous night, and had a fantastic meal.
AOR appeared to be more of a restaurant for locals rather than tourists. First of all, Google maps said we had arrived when we were in a dark alley without any sign of a restaurant. Luckily we had the good sense to walk around the corner and realized we were previously behind the place. We were seated in a relatively small room with 5 other parties, all of whom were speaking Italian. Our server greeted us and immediately started talking in Italian. When we identified ourselves as being ignorant of his language he said he would try to tell us about the menu with the little English that he spoke. He then proceeded to tell us all the specials of the day in PERFECT English. We ordered the suckling pig for two which he told us cooks for 8 hours at a low temperature and then at a high temperature just before serving to warm the meat and make the skin crispy. Eight hours is a long time to wait for your meal but lucky for us they started the process long before our arrival. While we waited he suggested an appetizer to satisfy our hunger (Hunger? Something we haven’t experienced since we landed in Milan). The appetizer contained marinated tomatoes, Carmelized onions in balsamic vinegar, chickpeas (of all places you would think they would call them garbanzo beans in Italy) in a spicy marinade, black olives, and a mixture made with tomato, bread, and basil (a recipe from Tuscany). We also received bread, a spread made with ricotta and cream, and mortadella (“Not baloney!” according to our server.)
From front to back Tomato Mixture, Black Olives, Chick Peas, Carmelized Onions, Marinated Tomatoes. To the right of the platter is the ricotta/cream and to the left is the Mortadella (Not Baloney!).
I enjoyed watching the server cut the mortadella which he did repeatedly. The slicing machine was purchased in 1927 and the restaurant opened in the 1600s. The video of the server slicing the mortadella can be found here. https://youtu.be/tlfGqmifPLk
For the main course, Patrice and I shared the Suckling Pig for two. The server brought us the platter and then handed us a canister of sauce saying, “This is what makes the magic happen”. Segovia, Spain is supposed to be the home for this dish but nothing I have eaten in Segovia compared with what we had at AOR.
Suckling pig with a canister of sauce in the background.
After dinner, we asked the server if we could see the dessert menu. He told us “I am the dessert menu” after which he rattled off about 6 dessert descriptions. They all sounded wonderful but we opted to top off the night with “Apple Pie with a scoop of ice cream”. Here is the picture and you will have to tell me where is the pie. All I see is some cake.
Apple pie?
This morning we headed to Venice by private car but first a stop at the Ferrari museum. Apparently, a tour of the factory is only given to car owners so we had to settle for the museum. It has been said that Italian sports cars are magnets for hot women. So if you are looking for a hottie consider buying one of these.
1987 Ferarri F40. Zero to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds. American-made Tesla Model 3 does it in 3.1 seconds)
I have to confess that it was my Italian sports car that got Patrice interested in going out with me. Here is a picture of my beauty.
1974 Fiat 128 sedan.
I never knew the 0-60 mph time for my Fiat because at 55 mph it would start vibrating as if it was about to collapse. I kept the car for 5 dangerous years. When I finally sold the car we celebrated by going out to the Palm restaurant in Beverly Hills. We almost spent all the proceeds from the sale of the car on that dinner. We saw Kareem Abdul Jabbar there that night. Do you think he would mention seeing us that night on his blog?
The Ferrari museum tour was interesting but I think I disappointed our guide when she asked if I was interested in Formula 1 and I replied, “No my wife breastfed all our children”. She showed us a lot of beautiful cars and talked about the various champion drivers from Ferrari. Unfortunately, I only remembered one of them. When she mentioned Nikki Lauda I asked “Wasn’t he the poor soul who had an accident and was burned beyond recognition?” She didn’t seem pleased.
Nikki Lauda before.Nikki Lauda after.
After the tour, we were given two “Fan Experiences”. First, we got to drive a Ferrari simulation. It was very hard for me to get this old body in and out of the simulator but it was a lot of fun driving close to 200 km/h. I didn’t even get hurt when I drove off the track and almost crashed into the grandstand. I didn’t get hurt but I did get nauseous. Virtual reality rides are not my thing.
Patrice getting ready to ride and showing off her souvenir Ferrari hat.Robert learning how to operate the simulator and showing off his bald head.
The other fan experience was to change a Ferrari tire. Patrice jumped right in and whipped that tire off and with a little help from me (very little) she got that tire back on. The drill used to loosen and tighten the nut was incredibly loud and I hate painfully loud noises. The guide asked if I wanted to change a tire and I told him, “No thank you, that it why I have AAA”.
We are at the hotel in Venezia (Venice) but I will give you an update tomorrow.
Last night we had a wonderful dinner at Ristorante Donatello (Via Augusto Righi, 8, 40126 Bologna BO) at the suggestion of our friend Dominic. We had a luscious meal and a very interesting experience.
Patrice tried to order the “Three Pastas”, a dish that allows you to choose three different kinds of pasta to enjoy. The waiter informed us that this was an order for a minimum of 3 people so we had to choose something else. While waiting for our meals another couple was seated next to us and they too tried to order the “Three Pastas” selection and were given the same advice. We joked if they had been a little earlier we could have ordered it together. They further considered their choices and then the wife said, “He will eat two portions and we will have the “Three Pastas”. Sure enough, the three pastas came out and they proceeded to down the whole thing. Next, the waiter brought them a large meat and potato dish and they devoured most (but not all) of that. We were done with our meal but I had to wonder if they ordered anything else. We thought we were overdoing it by ordering an appetizer to share and two entrees. Their 4 entrees (and possibly more) put us to shame.
Our appetizer (mortadella) which we enjoyed but didn’t finish.Tagliatelle ragú which Patrice could not finish.Our waiter said the veal was Donatello’s signature dish. It was great but too much for me to finish.
As you can see we were overmatched by these 3 reasonably sized dishes. Our new friends were in a league of their own.
Just in case we didn’t have enough food yesterday we arranged to have a cooking lesson today. Pietro, our guide and instructor, met us at the hotel at 9:00 and escorted us to the local market. He had all sorts of interesting information to pass along. The market was quite a scene with hanging meats and a variety of cheeses to choose from. We bought the necessary ingredients and then headed to the cooking school.
Choose your pork.
Pietro then taught us the ins and outs of making pasta. It was fascinating. After the lesson was completed we got to enjoy the fruits of our labor, I mean we got to enjoy the pasta of our labor. The meal was delicious and Pietro said we did an excellent job of producing the pasta ……… for beginners.
Bobby “Flay” Reiss mixing the pasta dough.Squeezing the potato needed for the gnocchi. A small portion of the pasta we made.Our answer to Bobby Flay and Julia Child beaming over our creations.
If you are going to be in Bologna and would like to learn how to make pasta contact Barbara Zaccagni at Il Salotto di Penelope by calling +39 348 8713781 or find them through Trip Advisor or their website (https://ilsalottodipenelope.it/en/home-2/). Tomorrow we leave Bologna and head for Venice. On the way we are going to visit Ferrari and see if we can get a deal on a new car.
Last night we had a wonderful meal at Ristorante da Nello al Montegrappa (Via Monte Grappa, 2/b, 40121 Bologna BO) at the recommendation of our tour company (CIU Travel, info@ciutravel.com. www.ciutravel.com). When the hotel staff called for a reservation they were told the restaurant was all booked for the night. Patrice and I took a chance and decided to go at the time of the opening (7 pm or as they like to say here, 1900) hoping that someone did not show up for their reservation and we could be seated. Upon arrival, we saw about 15 people ahead of us on line and we started to discuss other options. When the person doing the seating (I hate to call him the Maitre D’ because he looked like he was about 12) got to us he asked if we had a reservation. When we told him no, he said, “I have a table for you but you must leave by 8:45”. We told him, “We are Americans, we will be done by 8”. We had a great time since the restaurant service and food were excellent.
Patrice ordered pasta tagliatelle ragu. I had the tagliatelle bolognese.
Today we had a new tour guide; she was by far the best we have had on this trip. She was very relaxed about our start time. We needed to get out of the hotel by 10 because some repairs were going to be done beginning at that time. First, we headed over to the University of Bologna which was founded in 1088 and is the oldest University in the Western Hemisphere. It beats my alma mater (USC founded in 1880) by about 800 years. You would think they would have a better football team by now, wouldn’t you? The campus was lovely with lots of young people roaming around. I was surprised by the number of young people smoking on campus. The main attraction at the University was the on-campus museum but unfortunately, it is closed on Mondays. I started thinking I need to email the agency and tell them I was unhappy with the guide but I decided to reserve judgment for a bit longer.
Next, we headed to the Bologna canals. Bologna, like Venice, had a series of canals but many years ago they were covered in order to make the city easier to navigate. The canals are still visible in certain areas. Check out this picture of the canal from a nearby street.
Part of what is left of the Bologna canal system.
Next, we were off to a separate part of the University campus where they were housing the “Anatomical theater”. We had to wait in line for quite a while and all we saw was a large amphitheater with a dissection table in the middle. The wall sculptures were very impressive but unfortunately, the theater brought back the memory of too many intense study sessions from my medical school days to be very enjoyable. If you want to see the theater check out this video. https://youtu.be/rIXj0lo8hoQ
Next, we went to the Pompeii exhibit where we saw a series of frescos from the 1st century AD. This was extremely interesting but I was having a tough time because all this walking and standing made my lower back start to ache. I mentioned the discomfort I was having and our guide started to massage my lower back. Oh my, did that feel good. Here is one of the pictures from the exhibit, entitled “The Athlete”.
I don’t know what you think but he doesn’t look very athletic to me.
Next, we were off to grab a bite of lunch and finally, we went to the Salaborsa where you can see part of the old canal system. There isn’t any water in this location but the matrix is preserved and was very interesting to see.
View of part of the remnant of the canals as seen from Salaborsa
Our tour for the day was done and our guide gave me a big hug, one more deep massage of my low back, and a kiss. She told me she hoped I had as much fun as she did today.
Here is a picture of me with our guide at the canal. Isn’t she lovely?
Elizabeth, Monica, Valentina, and Giuli, you were great but Patrice is my favorite.
Yesterday we arrived at the home of Italian pasta, Bologna. We have eaten at a restaurant in Los Angeles that boasts that their pasta is flown in daily from Bologna. So last night we were very anxious to sample the pasta in the world’s capital for the signature Italian food. Yes, we had dinner at a restaurant just steps from the hotel and ate ……….. pizza. Our waiter seemed overworked and not so thrilled to see us but he warmed up very quickly when we started to speak Spanish instead of English.
I didn’t eat the whole thing. I had some help from Patrice.
Today we had a three-hour walking tour with our guide, Giulia (aka Julia). Like all our guides she was fantastic. We got to see the cathedral (What is a town in Europe without a huge, ostentatious cathedral surrounded by people struggling to make a living?) and a variety of religious artifacts dating back over 800 years. Imagine seeing places built in the 12th century and still standing. Structures that had to endure two world wars and numerous natural disasters and remain erect. Why is it, that in Los Angeles something 50 years old is considered a “tear down”?
Yes, they have some extremely old buildings here but I still need to ask if anyone has studied structural engineering in this country? We all know about the leaning tower of Pisa, well this place has two buildings that lean. See the photo below and I swear to you I was holding the camera straight.
Two leaning towers in Bologna. Simply known as Le Due Torri (The Two Towers).
The staff at this hotel (Hotel Touring; Via dè Mattuiani, 1/2, 40124 Bologna BO) is fantastic. Everyone has been very cheerful and gracious as you would expect at any high-end hotel. Their hearts have been huge even if the room (especially the bathroom and shower) have not. We wanted to make reservations for dinner the next few nights and Patrice thought it best if we go to the front desk to ask for help. I told her I would go in case the lovely Elena was working. I mean I wanted to go so the lovely Patrice didn’t need to be bothered. Patrice wanted to go in case “the handsome Marco” was there so we both went. When we arrived Elena wasn’t there but the also very lovely Giulia (not our guide, Giulia) was on duty. She was very helpful and while we were waiting, Marco arrived. I said “Buon giorno, Marco”. He then said hello and asked me my name which I told him and then he looked at my wife and he said, “Buon giorno, Patrice”. Hmmmmmm. By the way, my laptop wants to change giorno to groin! Hmmmm again.
The beautiful Giulia and handsome Marco (Giulia is on the left).
One thing of interest I have noted during our short time in Italy is the numerous people I see wearing clothes emblazoned with either LA or Los Angeles. If so many Italians think Los Angeles is a great place. I think I will plan a trip there very soon.
We arose early this morning to meet our driver (ironically named Roberto) for our 90-minute drive to Parma. There we were taken to a cheese factory to learn how to make cheese. This was very timely because Patrice and I are thinking of buying some farmland in Wisconsin and producing cheese during our twilight years. It took me a while to catch on but we went to Parma for cheese making because of Parmesan cheese. Apparently, the city is also known for its ham. Hmmm ham and cheese, I wonder if anyone has ever tried to combine them? Maybe a sandwich?
The tour of the cheese factory was amazing. We got to see the large vats in which all the ingredients (milk and the enzyme rennet is all there is). Watch this video and observe the cheese makers touching the cheese with their hands. These people apparently never ever touch any of their body parts and wash their hands at least once a week. Remember this video the next time you decide to eat any cheese. https://youtube.com/shorts/FJKDdt_KgBE
After the cheese balls are made the master cheese cutter “cuts the cheese”. When I was 12 years old that sentence would have cracked me up. Patrice can attest that when I just wrote this section I couldn’t stop laughing. I guess I still am a 12-year-old at heart. Speaking of saying funny things on my blog, my friend, Mike, might be getting blocked from the blog site. He has once again broken the blog rule prohibiting anyone from being funnier than me. Please see his comment about The Last Supper, it made me laugh out loud.
Back to the guy cutting the cheese (I am embarrassed to admit it but I am still giggling). After that, they put the cheese in molds and bathed it in salt water to help preserve the product. The cheese needs to be flipped on a regular basis in order to make sure that the salt is distributed evenly. Watch this video where our spectacular guide Elizabeth demonstrates how the cheese is flipped. https://youtube.com/shorts/LEvhZVHkTfI
The cheese is stored for a minimum of 12 months prior to being sold. We were told that the cheese can remain like this forever without the need for refrigeration. This is what they look like prior to being further sliced for distribution.
Big cheese.Lots of cheese
Prior to entering the cheese factory, they try to prevent you from taking photos by making you dress up like total geeks in front of the cheese. Obviously, they didn’t know how dedicated I am to my blog followers, see below.
Who looks more like a geek? I think I win easily.
After the cheese factory, we went to a place where they make balsamic vinegar. This was informative but since we didn’t see any of the actual work it was not as interesting. We then went to a prosciutto-making factory. It too was closed but we did get to see the hams in their various stages of aging.
After the final tour, we were treated to a lunch of (you guessed it) prosciutto and cheese. Very yummy indeed. Everyone had a great time at lunch except for the pigs.
After lunch, we were driven to Bologna. We are going to chill for a while. See you tomorrow.
Robert Reiss Travel Blog and Other Ramblings 