Archive by Author
A trip to Le Cinque Terre Posted by Serena on Oct 11, 2008
Last summer I had the fortune to stay for a few days in Vernazza, one of the five small former fishing villages that form Le Cinque Terre (lit.: The Five Lands) in the Ligurian Riviera di Levante. We stayed in a small apartment on the first floor of an old building located in the harbor…
“Lei” part 2: a brief history Posted by Serena on Oct 2, 2008
Following on from Natasha’s blog, I would like to add a few historical notes. The use of Lei (lit.: She) as a form of respect goes back to the XVII-XVIII century, when it was common not to address somebody important directly, but to use abstract forms such as la Signoria Vostra. E.g. “Cosa pensa la…
Funghi fever Posted by Serena on Oct 1, 2008
I live in an area of Italy particularly famous for porcini mushrooms (boletus), the main ingredients for many Italian dishes. It’s the end of September, the season for wild mushroom hunting and funghi fever is reaching its climax. About two weeks ago we had a big rainfall that was greeted with joy by all the…
Not just the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Posted by Serena on Sep 25, 2008
Not just the Leaning Tower of Pisa! The Leaning Tower of Pisa, or Torre Pendente di Pisa, is set in the beautiful square called Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles), and it really is a miracle if you arrive there early on a cold crispy morning: the green of the grass lawn, the white marble…
Ordering a coffee! Posted by Serena on Sep 25, 2008
Ciao! My name is Serena and I’m the new Italian blogger. I thought I would start with a topic dear to all Italians: il caffe’! We like our coffee very concentrated, like a shot of adrenalin, so do not expect a pint mug, even when you order “un caffè lungo” or “americano”. I can’t start…