Archive for September, 2011
Passato Prossimo – Le Soluzioni Posted by Serena on Sep 30, 2011
Here are the solutions and translations for Wednesday’s exercise about the Passato Prossimo. I have also given an explanation of how to conjugate the key verbs used in the passato prossimo 1. Lo scorso fine settimana io e Geoff siamo andati a Siena, una delle nostre gite preferite. Per prima cosa abbiamo passeggiato per il…
Passato Prossimo: un Ripasso Posted by Serena on Sep 28, 2011
In a recent blog I looked at the difference in use between the two most common types of past tenses: Passato Prossimo (Present Perfect) and Imperfetto (Imperfect tense). Today I’m going to focus on the Passato Prossimo with a little exercise. Fill in the gaps in the following two short paragraphs with the correct form…
Il Croccante Posted by Serena on Sep 26, 2011
In my last blog about the Antichi Mestieri there was a photo of il banco dei dolci, which showed a cook making il croccante (literally: the crunchy). A couple of days ago, per puro caso (by sheer chance), I came across this recipe. If you want to have a go at making il croccante at…
La Vespa Killer Posted by Serena on Sep 23, 2011
No, it’s not an assassin who rides a scooter but a Chinese wasp that is causing widespread destruction to the Italian chestnut woods. Here is an excerpt from a recent newspaper article: Una vespa killer cinese distrugge i castagneti. Ora sta arrivando il suo parassita antagonista. Si chiama ‘Dryocosmus Kuriphilus’, ma nei boschi della Lunigiana…
I Mestieri nel Borgo – part 2 Posted by Serena on Sep 21, 2011
I Mestieri nel Borgo, rievocazione storica della vita quotidiana di una piccola comunità contadina della Lunigiana = Trades in the village, historic re-enactment of the daily life of a small peasant farmer community in Lunigiana. Let’s continue our photo documentary of this year’s festival in Ponticello, Lunigiana: 1. La Cottura nei Testi – 1 = …
I Pastori di Gabriele d’Annunzio Posted by Serena on Sep 20, 2011
Yesterday it rained and rained all day and all night. This morning there is a new freshness in the air, and with it the feeling that the summer is drawing to an end. The seasonal change reminds me of a poem by Gabriele d’Annunzio entitled I Pastori (The Shepherds). Gabriele d’Annunzio was born in Pescara…
I Mestieri nel Borgo – part 1 Posted by Serena on Sep 16, 2011
Every August in the little borgo of Ponticello in northern Tuscany, a fascinating and picturesque festival is held: I Mestieri nel Borgo, rievocazione storica della vita quotidiana di una piccola comunità contadina della Lunigiana = Trades in the village, historic re-enactment of the daily life of a small peasant farmer community in Lunigiana. This year…