Archive for 'Uncategorized'
Il Referendum Posted by Serena on Jun 23, 2011
On the 12th and 13th of June the Italian people were called to vote in a popular referendum which required them to make decisions about three important issues: 1. Energia Nucleare (Nuclear Energy). In a previous referendum held in 1987 following the Chernobyl disaster, Italians voted to shut down our three existing nuclear plants, and…
Le Lucertole Italiane Posted by Serena on Jun 11, 2011
In my last blog “I Serpenti Italiani” we had a look at the most common snakes that you are likely to see here in Italy. Let’s continue with our reptile theme and find out about le più comuni delle lucertole italiane (the most common Italian lizards). The two lizards that you will see most often…
I Serpenti Italiani Posted by Serena on Jun 8, 2011
In my recent blog “I Serpenti che Arrivano dal Cielo” I wrote about the popular urban myth concerning snakes being dropped from helicopters into the Italian countryside. We do, of course, have lots of snakes in Italy, but the mass of tourists who visit Venezia, Roma, Firenze and so on, are very unlikely to see…
Il Pino Solitario Posted by Serena on May 27, 2011
Recently we went to visit my cousin who lives in Santa Margherita Ligure, near Genova. As it was a nice day, we decided to go out for a walk after lunch. My cousin suggested we walked to Portofino, 6 km away along the beautiful Ligurian coast. On our way to Portofino we passed uno scoglio…
Albicocche al Marsala Posted by Serena on May 24, 2011
Going to the greengrocer at this time of year is a feast for the eyes and dolori per il portafoglio (pains for the wallet). Summer fruits such as fragole (strawberries), ciliege (cherries), albicocche (apricots), nespole (medlars), pesche (peaches) and meloni (melons), are just coming into season, but they are still very expensive. Last week I…
Carsulae e la via Flaminia Posted by Serena on May 6, 2011
When I visit an ancient site I like to let my imagination wander and to ‘feel’ the history. I find this much harder, or even impossible to do amongst hoards of tourists, so I prefer to find lesser know places, such as the ruins of the Roman town known as Carsulae near Terni in Umbria…
Facciamo gli Erbi Posted by Serena on Apr 28, 2011
At this time of year nature is suddenly waking up. Every day is greener, and l’erba nell’orto cresce a vista d’occhio (the grass in the vegetable garden grows before your eyes), much to the desperation of my husband Geoff who has to cut it! However, it gives me a lot of pleasure to see the…