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At The Dentist in Italy Posted by Serena on Oct 14, 2016
In this weeks blockbuster blog, our hero, Geoff, demonstrates immense courage in the face of a ferocious Italian dentist. Based on a true story! The characters: Geoff, the dentist, and the secretary The setting: a private dental surgery in Italy Segretaria: “Buongiorno, come posso esservi utile?” Secretary: “Good morning, how can I help you?” Geoff…
I Navigli Di Milano Posted by Serena on Oct 6, 2016
Last weekend I went to Milano for the first time in over twenty years to meet up with a group of long lost friends from my African childhood (thank you Facebook!). My friends and I spent most of our time reminiscing over the past, and didn’t have much time for sight seeing. We did, however, manage…
Pure Italiano Posted by Serena on Oct 4, 2016
Were you expecting a blog about 100% pure Italian? Actually, the Italian word pure has nothing to do with the English word ‘pure’. pronunciation The Italian word pure is pronounced pooray, with the accent on the first syllable (poo-). The placing of the accent is particularly important because if it falls on the second syllable…
My Mother And The Italian Sculptor Posted by Serena on Sep 30, 2016
I recently wrote a couple of posts about my mother’s encounters with famous Italians. The first was Beniamino Gigli, the operatic tenor, then was Mario Tobino, psychiatric doctor cum writer. Well, those two were just casual meetings, but there was another famous person in my mother’s life, with whom she shared a proper friendship, in…
Rita’s Home Made Nutella Posted by Serena on Sep 23, 2016
In my last post I recounted how my father, un vero gentiluomo all’antica, was given a jar of home made chocolate cream by my friend Rita in return for un baciamano (a kiss on the hand). Today I’m going to give you Rita’s recipe for home made Nutella. Have a go at making it and…
A Special Italian Kiss On The Hand Posted by Serena on Sep 20, 2016
It’s September, and, as usual at this time of year, our aia (stone patio) is completely covered with hazelnuts that have fallen from the noccioli (hazelnut trees). Beautiful plump tasty nocciole (hazelnuts), just perfect for making a delicious chocolate spread … if you’re not Geoff, who is allergic to them! The mouthwatering thought of home…
Amazing Bebe Posted by Serena on Sep 19, 2016
Meet Bebe (Beatrice) Vio, a truly amazing person. When she was 11 years old she contracted meningitis, which left her with all four limbs amputated and her face and body severely scarred. Now, aged 19, she’s the campionessa mondiale paralimpica di fioretto (world wheelchair fencing champion). Bebe’s story … in her own words: Sono una…