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A Flat Tyre Posted by Serena on Dec 3, 2013
Yesterday morning we were going to buy some milk from the supermarket, and as Geoff was parking the car next to the curb, he touched it with the edge of the tyre. We heard a scraping noise and then the car started going down on one side. “****!!!” said Geoff angrily. So he parked the…
Il Bargnolino di Ines Posted by Serena on Nov 29, 2013
As I promised in my last post, today I’m going to reveal to you Ines’ secret recipe for il Bargnolino. Bargnolino is our local name (Valdantena near Pontremoli) for Prugnolino, a liqueur made with le bacche di prugnolo = blackthorn berries or sloes. The Latin name for prugnolo (the accent is on the first ‘o’…
A Casa di Ines Posted by Serena on Nov 26, 2013
Finalmente una bellissima giornata di sole dopo tanta tanta pioggia! “Andiamo a fare una passeggiata?” ha suggerito Geoff. “Certo, e senza perdere un minuto di tempo” gli ho risposto io. E così, in quattro e quattr’otto abbiamo fatto colazione, sfamato tutti i gatti, infilato gli scarponi, e siamo usciti a goderci il sole. Abbiamo attraversato…
Unravelling the Chinese Italian Instructions Posted by Serena on Nov 22, 2013
I guess we’ve all stared in frustrated confusion or amusement at the badly translated instructions that arrive with our latest ‘made in China’ acquisition. A few days ago Geoff bought a tactical torch for his airsoft rifle from the Chinese stall on the market here in Pontremoli. It’s well made, well presented, and with a…
Shooting the Saints Posted by Serena on Nov 15, 2013
Lunedì sera sono andata con Geoff a giocare ad Airsoft. Era la prima volta in vita mia! Airsoft, o meglio, come dicono qui in Italia, Softair, è l’ultima passione di Geoff, e ha cominciato a contagiare anche me. Ho iniziato sparando al bersaglio sull’orto tanto per provare: ebbene sì, sono una discreta tiratrice. Così, dopo…
Da or Per? Posted by Serena on Nov 12, 2013
I recently received the following comment from a reader: “I think the two prepositions da and per, when they have the same meaning, is a source of confusion since there isn’t a rule to go by. A future blog would be much appreciated on this.” Yes, it’s true that this is a tricky subject, so…
November Sunlight Posted by Serena on Nov 5, 2013
After days and days of torrential rain, this morning we finally woke up to a beautiful sunny sky! So, to make the most of it, we decided to go out for a walk. The autumn trees stood out against the clear blue sky, and the mountain streams roared, loaded with rain water. As we were…