Firstly, well done those of you who took the time to have a go at my indovinello (quiz) despite the technical difficulties of links not working correctly.

Here are the correct answers:

1. which word describes the strident noise made by the cicala?

Answer: Il frinire is the characteristic screeching sound produced by cicadas

2. who or what are ‘The Priest Stranglers’?

Answer: Strozzapreti (Priest Strangler) are a type of gnocchi made with ricotta and spinach.

3. when and where might you see the following warning sign ‘Obbligo di catene a bordo’?

Answer: ‘Obbligo di catene a bordo’ means that it is obligatory to carry snow chains in your vehicle. You would see this sign on the autostrada (motorway/highway) during the winter months when there is snow, or a strong possibility of it.

4. how would you write ‘forty third anniversary’ in Italian?

Answer: Quarantatreesimo anniversario

5. finish this funny proverb ‘chi canta a tavola ……………………….’

Answer:  ‘chi canta a tavola e fischia a letto, è matto perfetto’ (whoever sings at the dinner table and whistles in bed, is perfectly crazy)

6. what was ‘Il Bollettino della Vittoria’?

Answer:  At the conclusion of the Battle of Vittorio Veneto, which ended WWI in Italy, Armando Vittorio Diaz issued Il Bollettino della Vittoria (The Victory Bulletin) as a final address to the Army and the Nation.

7. how would you say in Italian ‘I was afraid that Michele wouldn’t be able to get to the station on time’?

Answer: Avevo paura che Michele non ce la facesse ad arrivare alla stazione in tempo

8. what is the preferred diet of Euscorpius?

Answer: Euscorpius is the species of scorpion that inhabits the Italian peninsula and it eats mainly zanzare, mosche, e scarafaggi (mosquitoes, flies, and cockroaches) which it catches with its chele (claws).

9. what was the Giro d’Italia competitor Luigi Malabrocca famous for?

Answer: Malabrocca was famous for winning the ‘Maglia Nera’ which was awarded from 1946 until 1951 to the competitor who arrived last in the Giro d’Italia!

10. now write in Italian ‘If I had studied all of Serena’s blogs carefully I would have known all the answers’

Answer: ‘Se avessi studiato attentamente tutti i blog di Serena avrei saputo tutte le risposte’