Esslingen am Neckar

Enjoy local food

[Apr. 2025] We went to Esslingen am Neckar from Stuttgart, Germany, where we were staying. Recently, we’ve always been travelling on a whim, but this time I did a little preparation and made notes on…

Stuttgart

Seeking Schweinshaxe

[Apr. 2025] As soon as we arrived in Stuttgart, Germany, we got off the train and headed to a restaurant called Paulaner am alten Postplatz. When we got there, it was a wooden restaurant that…

Lombardy

Gratin in Pavia

[April 2025] A married couple we’re friends with came from London, so we spent two nights touring around the areas close to our home in Northern Italy. We were allowed to plan the itinerary, so we…

Lombardy

Castiglione Olona and the Alpini

[Mar. 2025] This winter in Northern Italy was full of rainy days, which made me gloomy. We had just moved from gloomy England to Italy, where everyone think it has bright sunshine. So, on occasional…

Veneto

Squid eggs, octopus innards, etc.

[Nov. 2024] On Pellestrina, an island in the Veneto region of Italy, we walked around looking for a restaurant that we had been told was supposed to be open. This time, instead of going along the…

Veneto

Enjoyed the local dishes

[Nov. 2024] On the second day in Chioggia, Veneto, Italy, we made a reservation at a restaurant. Usually lunch is our main meal, but since it was Monday, we couldn’t find a good restaurant that…

Emilia Romagna

Restaurant and winery in Castell’Arquato

[Nov. 2024] On the day we went to Castell’Arquato, a historic and beautiful town in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, we made a reservation at a restaurant called Ristorante del Voltone. If you want to have lunch on…

Ischia

We found a cheap restaurant

[July 2024] We returned to Forio, where we were staying, from the Aragonese Castle, the most popular tourist spot on the island of Ischia in southern Italy, for lunch. I had thought from lunch the…

Gjirokaster

Traditional Coffee Brewing

[Apr. 2024] The last place we visited in Gjirokaster, an old town in Albania, was a shop that demonstrated how to make traditional coffee. A kilim was laid on the ground, and on top of…