Senza Tè Posted by Geoff on May 8, 2014
Music can be a great consolation in our darkest hours. Many times over the years, when I’ve felt close to desperation music has kept me sane. And so, it was to music that I turned this morning when I pried open the lid of my late grandmother’s tea caddy to discover that I only had…
Oh No … Not Ne! Posted by Geoff on May 7, 2014
Yes, it’s time to take another look at that annoying little two letter word that makes even the toughest students of Italian tremble at the knees: ne. Ne has a variety of mysterious uses, but the most common is a means of saying ‘of it’, ‘of them’. Used correctly, it will make you sound like…
Italian Herbs and Spices Posted by Serena on May 5, 2014
Italy is famous for its amazing cuisine, one of the most notable aspects of which is the simplicity of the recipes. Wonderful fresh ingredients, blessed by the Mediterranean sun, are combined in inventive ways, and flavoured with a range of traditional herbs and spices. Let’s find out what the most common of these spezie ed…
The Secret of The Mona Lisa Finally Revealed Posted by Geoff on May 2, 2014
In March this year an astonishing document was uncovered during the restoration of a small pen and ink sketch by Leonardo da Vinci. The document, which seems to have been used to reinforce the back of the sketch, turned out to be a newspaper article written in 1507 and containing an interview with Da Vinci…
A Brief History of the Italian Railways Posted by Serena on Apr 29, 2014
There are many ways to explore the beauties of the Italian landscape, but surely one of the most romantic and evocative must be by steam train. Treno Natura, a romantic journey through the heart of Tuscany by steam train I’ve just read a brief history of the Italian railways, which I raced through in un…
Grammar and Vocabulary – Brain Fritters Posted by Geoff on Apr 28, 2014
As promised, here is the grammar and vocabulary analysis of last week’s (disgusting) Brain Fritters post. Quando ero bambina non ero vegetariana, tutt’altro ed anzi la carne mi piaceva molto, con l’eccezione del pollo, che detestavo perché lo trovavo troppo stopposo. A casa mia non mangiavamo solo fettine di filetto e bistecche, ma tutto quanto…
Brain Fritters Posted by Serena on Apr 25, 2014
In my last blog I mentioned my mother’s famous fried brains recipe. Well today, not only am I going to share her culinary secrets but I’m also going to really fry your brains by writing in Italian … without an English translation. If you find yourself struggling, or I use vocabulary and grammatical constructions that…