Archive for December, 2017
From Sestri To Punta Manara – Part 2 Posted by Geoff on Dec 29, 2017
It’s cosy in the little bar looking out over la Baia Del Silenzio, and the cappuccino is hot and creamy, just right! We’ve forgiven Claudio, who suggested that we came here (see part 1), and are ready for a good walk up the rocky hillside that beckons from the other side of the bay. If…
From Sestri To Punta Manara – Part 1. Posted by Geoff on Dec 27, 2017
It’s the day before Christmas Eve, and we’re in our favourite Pontremoli bar with some friends. “Allora ragazzi, cosa fate per la vigilia?” asks Claudio, the barman. Serena and I have a long standing tradition of going for a walk and having a picnic somewhere beautiful on Christmas day. But this year hanno messo brutto…
A Letter To Babbo Natale Posted by Serena on Dec 22, 2017
When we were children, we used to write la letterina di Natale in the days running up to Christmas. We’d give our letters to mum and dad, who would (so we believed) post them on to Babbo Natale. In our letters we’d tell Santa what good little boys and girls we’d been, how well we’d…
Bianco Natale Posted by Geoff on Dec 20, 2017
Yes dear readers, here it is: The Inevitable Festive Blog! I have to admit that we’re not particularly interested in Christmas. We’re not religious, have no children, and don’t care to fill our lives with useless cianfrusaglie, so it simply doesn’t mean much to us. What’s more, we have no TV and live in a…
How To Use Accents In Italian Posted by Geoff on Dec 18, 2017
Spelling in Italian is simple: once you know the basic rules you’ll be able to read a word and pronounce it with a fair amount of accuracy. Knowing where to put the accent, however, is not always so straightforward. Let’s have a look at the rules for using accents in Italian. All words have accents…
Speaking Italian … More Or Less Posted by Geoff on Dec 15, 2017
“Parli l’italiano?” (Do you speak Italian?), “Più o meno” (More or less). I guess that ‘più o meno’ is a reply that many of us might give to the question ‘parli l’italiano?’, vero? Well it’s probably one of the expressions that most students of Italian learn fairly early on. Because just for once in this…
Fiocchi Di Neve Posted by Serena on Dec 13, 2017
Domenica la prima neve è caduta in paese rinnovando l’incantesimo di un mondo fatato ricoperto di un soffice manto bianco. Mi è tornata in mente una delicata poesia di Umberto Saba, che descrive la magia dell’arrivo della neve. L’immagine che Umberto Saba presenta della nevicata mi ricorda la mia fanciullezza. Beh, ad essere sinceri io…