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Una Risata Per Zio Luciano Posted by Serena on Jun 9, 2017
Last Thursday, our lovely Zio Luciano passed away at the age of 85. Luciano had lived a very interesting life working for the Italian Consulate in various parts of the world including Benghazi, Zurich and Berlin before retiring to La Spezia. He loved a good chat, and was knowledgeable on many subjects, particularly history. We…
At The Greengrocer’s In Italy Posted by Serena on Jun 7, 2017
Today we are going to do some shopping at il fruttivendolo (the greengrocer’s). I hope you find the vocabulary useful. Buona lettura! Giovanna (una donna solare, chiacchierona e scherzosa): “Chi servo?” Giovanna (a radiant, chatty and humorous lady): “Who’s next?” Serena: “Tocca a me! Allora … mi serve un chilo di patate” Serena: “It’s my…
La Bruschetta Posted by Serena on May 31, 2017
La bruschetta (pronounced broosketta) is an old peasant recipe which makes use of pane raffermo (left over bread). In the old days it could easily be preprepared during a short break whilst out working in the fields. Nowadays, it’s a popular Italian antipasto, the ‘nibble’ of choice to go with one’s aperitivo. The generic name…
The Mystery Of The Castle Skeleton Posted by Serena on May 30, 2017
Here’s our English translation of last week’s article Il Mistero Dello Scheletro Del Castello: Castello dell’Aquila a Gragnola, in Lunigiana. Arrampicato su uno sperone di roccia, controlla una vista spettacolare a 360 gradi in questo paesaggio così drammatico e di importante passaggio per le armate e il commercio da nord a sud. Castello dell’Aquila (The…
Il Mistero Dello Scheletro Del Castello Posted by Serena on May 26, 2017
Castello dell’Aquila a Gragnola, in Lunigiana. Arrampicato su uno sperone di roccia, controlla una vista spettacolare a 360 gradi in questo paesaggio così drammatico e di importante passaggio per le armate e il commercio da nord a sud. Uno scheletro di uomo coperto da un cumulo di terra e sassi, viene scoperto in un angolo…
I Trovatelli – La Storia Di Nina Posted by Serena on May 17, 2017
A few months ago I wrote a couple of blogs about how we found each member of our feline family. Well now we have a new entry: Nina, a beautiful sweet female cat, who was one of the village strays for several years until she came to us for help. Here’s her story: Nina è…
A Poem For Mother’s Day Posted by Serena on May 12, 2017
In Italy, on the second Sunday of May, we celebrate la Festa della Mamma (Mother’s Day). This is a fairly new festival, having been ‘imported’ into Italy from America after the Second World War. I’ve found a very appropriate poem for the occasion by Edmondo De Amicis (1846-1908) for his mother. It’s called Se Fossi…