Archive by Author
L’Italia in Cinque Parole Posted by Serena on May 9, 2010
Cari Lettori, molto spesso noi Italiani ci chiediamo: ‘come vedono noi e il nostro Paese gli stranieri? che figura facciamo? quali sono le caratteristiche che ci distiguono?’ Dunque, vi voglio chiedere un po’ di aiuto. Vorrei che sceglieste cinque parole chiave o brevi frasi che secondo voi meglio descrivono l’Italia! Dear Readers, very often, us…
Quanti Bei Fiori! Posted by Serena on May 5, 2010
After months of living in an almost monochromatic winter world, the tapestry of colors that nature has woven around us is almost overwhelming. Living, as we do, in the virtually unspoiled landscape of Lunigiana it is always such a joy and privilege to witness la rinascita della natura dopo il suo lungo riposo (the rebirth…
La Scapigliata Posted by Serena on May 2, 2010
Last week here in Italy was ‘Settimana dei Beni Culturali’, an annual event that offers everyone free admission to all national galleries and museums. This year we decided to go to Parma, which is just an hour up the road from us, and to visit, amongst other things, La Galleria Nazionale which is housed in…
Mattina o Mattino? Posted by Serena on Apr 29, 2010
A couple of weeks ago I was asked to explain the difference between the words mattina and mattino, which both mean "morning" in English. The two words are often interchangeable, although mattino (masculine singular) is less common than mattina (feminine singular). Here are a few examples in which either word may be used: era una…
Santa Zita da Lucca Posted by Serena on Apr 26, 2010
Every year on the 27th of April Lucca celebrates the life of its most beloved patron saint, Santa Zita, with a spectacular floral tribute. For the occasion, Piazza dell’Anfiteatro (an oval shaped medieval piazza built over the remains of the Roman amphitheatre) hosts a flower market, where azaleas and rhododendrons, with their incredible shades of…
Ce La Fai? Posted by Serena on Apr 23, 2010
Farcela is a very commonly used idiomatic expression which means ‘to manage’ [to do something], or ‘to succeed’. It is composed of the verb fare (to make/to do) and the pronouns ‘ce’ and ‘la’. It can be used on its own, e.g. ce la fai? (can you manage?), or it can be followed by the…
Polvere Vulcanica Posted by Serena on Apr 20, 2010
There’s something missing in the clear blue skies above our house today, what could it be? Sì, le scie degli aerei! (Yes, aircraft vapor trails!) Thanks to la polvere vulcanica (volcanic dust), and what now seems to have been an over reaction on behalf of the aviation authorities, we are temporarily able to enjoy i…