Archive by Author
9 Lives! Posted by Geoff on Sep 28, 2016
It’s hard not to anthropomorphise cats. They’re certainly capable of learning many of our human habits, and frequently display characteristics which are strikingly similar to our own. But although we may endow them with human like qualities, they constantly remind us that they still belong to a world from which we humans have become increasingly…
Black Is Back Posted by Geoff on Sep 27, 2016
An article about Italian fashion? Niente affatto! Mr. Black cares nothing for fashion. He wears the same beautiful golden black coat every day … and night. Mr. Black is, in fact, un piccolo gatto nero a pelo lungo (a small long haired black cat) who came to live with us about a year and a…
E Allora? Posted by Geoff on Sep 22, 2016
Here’s another small collection of words and phrases that we use all the time in Italy, but which are often overlooked in Italian classes or text books. Learning how and where to use them will make your spoken Italian sound much more natural. Allora is such a habitual word that it sometimes seems impossible to…
Italian False Negatives Posted by Geoff on Sep 14, 2016
One of the questions that we are most frequently asked by readers is: ‘why oh why is there a non in the expression finché non or fino a quando non (meaning: until)?’ Ah, the dreaded pleonastic non, enemy of every student of Italian! Well, this is one of those cases in which you just have to…
An Italian Knight’s Tale Posted by Geoff on Sep 12, 2016
Variety, as they say, is the spice of life, and we do endeavour, dear readers, to bring you plenty of it in our articles. That’s why we’re always on the lookout for interesting guest bloggers who are able to share their own personal experiences and passions, and bring you new perspectives on life in Italy…
Eccoci Al Mare! Posted by Geoff on Sep 9, 2016
If you’ve studied Italian in language classes or from books, it can be an unsettling surprise to arrive in Italy and find that colloquial Italian is peppered with words and expressions that no one ever told you about. One such word is ecco. You hear it all the time, but it’s difficult to pin down exactly…
Rebuilding Italy Posted by Geoff on Sep 2, 2016
In my previous blog, La Terra Trema, I looked at some of the long term implications of Italy’s recent disastrous earthquake. I suggested that you tried to read Renzo Piano’s opinion on how Italy should tackle the logistics of rebuilding what has been destroyed and safeguarding that which still stands. Here is my English translation of…