Archive for January, 2011
Mimì La Gatta – part 3 – La mia Ava Posted by Serena on Jan 30, 2011
Sono figlia unica di una figlia unica di una gatta genovese. Lei stessa era discendente di una gatta cacciaratti portoghese, che è arrivata dal di là della ‘Grande Acqua’ su un veliero a tre alberi. I am the only daughter of the only daughter of a cat from Genoa. She herself was the descendent of…
Bastaaaaaaaaaaa NON NE POSSIAMO PIÙ!!!!!!!!! Posted by Serena on Jan 27, 2011
If you have followed my blog for a while you will be aware that I tend to avoid writing about Italian politics. La politica (politics) in Italy has long been dominated by scandal and corruption, but just lately, with the ‘Rubygate’ affair (I hope you’ve been following the news, if not, make a start here…
La Conta Posted by Serena on Jan 24, 2011
A few evenings ago, while having dinner with my friends Annalisa e Claudio, the conversation moved onto the topic of the traditional games which we used to play as children such as nascondino (hide-and-seek), chiapparello (catch/tag), mosca cieca (blind man’s buff), girotondo (ring-a-ring-o’-roses), etc. We all agreed that the fun was not limited to the…
Mimì La Gatta – part 2 – La Fuga Posted by Serena on Jan 21, 2011
Here is part 2 of Mimì La Gatta’s biography as dictated to us by Mimì herself. You can find part 1 here: https://blogs.transparent.com/Mimì La Gatta La notte era calda, un po’ afosa, con una falce di luna appena visibile tra le silhouette degli abeti che si rizzavano come frecce lungo il crinale. Avevo deciso…
Finocchi Gratinati Posted by Serena on Jan 18, 2011
We are in the middle of winter here in Italy, and one of my favorite vegetables at this time of the year is il finocchio (‘bulb’ or ‘Florentine fennel’). We divide fennel bulbs into two categories: if the bulbs are round and compact, they are called finocchi maschi (male fennel) and are best eaten raw…
In Posted by Serena on Jan 15, 2011
‘In’ is one of those Italian words that seems like a gift from the gods for English speaking students of ‘La Bella Lingua’. Finally a word that is exactly the same in Italian as it is in English! … or is it? In = in There are certainly cases in which the two words coincide…
Gli Spauracchi Posted by Serena on Jan 12, 2011
Most of us, when we were children, had our own spauracchi. Often they lived under the bed or down in the cellar. Mine used to hang out in a dark corner of the landing that I had to pass whenever I needed to go to the bathroom during the night. Every culture has its spauracchi…