Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Il Croccante Posted by Serena on Sep 26, 2011
In my last blog about the Antichi Mestieri there was a photo of il banco dei dolci, which showed a cook making il croccante (literally: the crunchy). A couple of days ago, per puro caso (by sheer chance), I came across this recipe. If you want to have a go at making il croccante at…
La Vespa Killer Posted by Serena on Sep 23, 2011
No, it’s not an assassin who rides a scooter but a Chinese wasp that is causing widespread destruction to the Italian chestnut woods. Here is an excerpt from a recent newspaper article: Una vespa killer cinese distrugge i castagneti. Ora sta arrivando il suo parassita antagonista. Si chiama ‘Dryocosmus Kuriphilus’, ma nei boschi della Lunigiana…
I Pastori di Gabriele d’Annunzio Posted by Serena on Sep 20, 2011
Yesterday it rained and rained all day and all night. This morning there is a new freshness in the air, and with it the feeling that the summer is drawing to an end. The seasonal change reminds me of a poem by Gabriele d’Annunzio entitled I Pastori (The Shepherds). Gabriele d’Annunzio was born in Pescara…
La Bella Gigogin Posted by Serena on Aug 17, 2011
It’s summer, time for open air events once again. A few evenings ago we went to a free concert in Piazza della Repubblica here in Pontremoli to see our favourite choir perform : Il Coro degli Alpini Monte Sillara di Bagnone, whom I wrote about last year in: il coro degli Alpini. At the end…
Fabrizio De André – Giovanna d’Arco Posted by Serena on Aug 5, 2011
(N.B. for the not too computer literate: clicking on the blue text below will take you to a web page or video) Fabrizio De André – (born: Genova, 18 febbraio 1940 – passed away: Milano, 11 gennaio 1999) was one of our most important and revered cantautori italiani (Italian singer songwriters). I recently heard for…
Angelino Posted by Serena on Jul 24, 2011
When we were children my mother taught us a little bed time prayer dedicated to l’Angelo Custode (the Guardian Angel), which went like this: Angelino bellino bellino, vieni e stammi sempre vicino, fammi buono come sei tu, e poi portami da Gesù. Beautiful beautiful little angel, come and stay always by my side, make me…
La Cicala Posted by Serena on Jun 29, 2011
It’s official, summer is here. The announcement was made a few days ago by la cicala (the cicada). Throughout the hot days of summer and into the autumn il frinio, the monotonous strident song of the cicala can nearly always be heard somewhere in the background. It’s a sound that I’ve always taken for granted…