As we were driving back to Italy from England last week it seemed that just about everyone else on the road was heading in the same direction … south, towards the sun. German, Dutch, Belgian, French cars, bulging with holiday luggage, with bikes and surf boards strapped to the roof. Frazzled parents adorned in optimistic holiday attire with their bored sweaty children chanting from the back seat in their respective languages “are we there yet” … pazienza!

I suppose that we feel kind of privileged. They’re all escaping from their homes, searching for a couple of weeks in paradise … we, on the other hand, are heading home. And as we wind our way down from the Passo del San Bernardino we begin to feel a change, the smells and sounds of a Mediterranean summer stretch their enticing fingers towards us, caress us, and help us endure the long journey.

So, now that I’ve whet your appetites, here’s un po’ di vocabolario per le vacanze (a bit of vocabulary for the holidays):

andare in vacanza = to go on holiday/on vacation

dove andate in vacanza quest’anno? = where are you going on holiday this year?

andiamo in Belgio per una settimana  = we’re going to Belgium for a week

vado in vacanza all’inizio di agosto = I’m going on vacation at the beginning of August

dove sei andata in vacanza? = where did you (singular fem. familiar) go on holiday?

prendiamo tre settimane di vacanze a luglio = we’re taking three weeks holiday in July

fare una crociera = to go on a cruise

Giovanni ed Anna stanno facendo una crociera nelle isole dell’Egeo = Giovanni and Anna are on a cruise to the Aegean islands

Annalisa, dove sei stata di bello in vacanza? = Annalisa, have you been on holiday somewhere nice?

sono stata in campeggio in Sardegna per due settimane = I went camping in Sardinia for two weeks

fare la villeggiatura = to go on holiday

I miei genitori sono a fare la villeggiatura in montagna per prendere un po’ di fresco = my parents are spending their holiday in the mountains to get a bit of fresh air

abbiamo prenotato un agriturismo in Maremma = We’ve booked a holiday farm in Maremma

vogliamo affittare una casa all’Isola d’Elba = we want to rent a house on the Island of Elba

Giovanna e Mario vanno in Umbria con la roulotte = Giovanna and Mario are going to Umbria with their caravan

andare in aereo a = to fly to

andiamo in aereo a Barcellona e poi lì affitteremo una macchina per una settimana = we’re flying too Barcelona and then we’ll hire a car for a week

il volo = the flight

qual è il numero del volo per Londra Stansted? = what is the flight number for London Stansted? 

More holiday vocabulary to follow in part 2