I Nostri Buoni Propositi per il 2015 Posted by Serena on Jan 1, 2015
Every New Year’s Day when I was a child my parents made me and my brothers write i buoni propositi per l’anno nuovo (our New Year’s resolutions). My buoni propositi were always the same, seeing that I had failed miserably to stick to them during the previous year: 1. prometto che sarò più ubbidiente e…
L’INVERNO DI VIVALDI Posted by Geoff on Dec 30, 2014
It’s hard to find a more appropriate theme for winter than Inverno from Vivaldi’s Le Quattro Stagioni. Vivaldi took inspiration for his Four Seasons from four Sonnets, apparently written by himself. Each of the four sonnets is expressed in by a corresponding movement of the concerto: La Primavera, L’Estate, L’Autunno, and L’inverno. Here’s the sonnet…
E’ Arrivato Babbo Natale Posted by Serena on Dec 26, 2014
Da bambina avevo paura di Babbo Natale! Mi piaceva scrivere la letterina di Natale a Babbo Natale, mi piaceva l’attesa, mi piaceva ricevere i regali da lui, mi piaceva tantissimo vedere Babbo Natale da lontano, ma avevo il terrore di avvicinarmi a lui per prendere i regali. Quell’omone grande e grosso vestito in modo così…
Natale in Tempo di Crisi Posted by Geoff on Dec 22, 2014
The serious economic crisis that Italy is undergoing is making itself felt this Christmas, and it seems that people are beginning to think more carefully about how they spend their money. But perhaps that’s not a bad thing. Let’s face it, Christmas has become a confusing and, in my opinion, obscene mish mash of religious…
Top Italian Internet Searches 2014 Posted by Geoff on Dec 16, 2014
Every year trillions of searches are carried out on the internet. Google Trends analyses samples of these searches and tells us which of them are currently the most common. If you want to know more, follow this link: A Year In Search 2014. So, what have we been searching for, and do the results tell…
The New Born Baby Posted by Serena on Dec 15, 2014
L’arrivo di un bebè è sempre una gioia, sia per i neo-genitori che per parenti e amici (the arrival of a baby is always a moment of joy, both for the new parents and for friends and relatives). In Italy it’s a common practice to announce the birth of a baby by hanging a big…
La Mia Cinquecento Posted by Serena on Dec 11, 2014
Story by Serena with introduction by Geoff I love hearing stories from Serena’s childhood, they’re always amusing and she recounts them so beautifully. “Share them with our readers”, I try to persuade her. But she’s shy. Well, I really nagged her about this one, “come on, write it in Italian, it really brings it to…