Easter In Italy Posted by Geoff on Apr 14, 2017
In Italian we say: ‘Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi’ (Christmas with your family, Easter with whoever you like). Nevertheless, Domenica di Pasqua (Easter Sunday) is usually spent with the family, engaged in the traditional act of stuffing oneself with food, and then regretting it … Da Mangiare c’è … Traditional Easter fare consists…
La Margherita di Trilussa Posted by Serena on Apr 13, 2017
“M’ama … non m’ama” (“he/she loves me … he/she loves me not”). In the innocence of our youth we pulled petals one by one from le margherite (daisies) hoping to discover whether the object of our heart’s desires truly loved us or not. Do today’s kids still do that, or do they now have an…
Congiuntivo o Infinito? Posted by Serena on Apr 10, 2017
When learning Italian, students are taught that verbs expressing desires, wishes, worries, doubts, opinions, and beliefs are followed by the subjunctive. If this is the case, then why do we say “spero di finire questo lavoro entro stasera” (“I hope to finish this job by this evening” infinitive) instead of “spero che io finisca questo…
Romeo, Romeo, Perché Sei Tu Romeo? Posted by Geoff on Apr 7, 2017
If Shakespeare rewrote his Romeo and Juliet in 2017 …. (inspired by a visit to La Casa di Giulietta in Verona) …. Romeo: She speaks. O, speak again, bright angel, for thou art As glorious to this night, being o’er my head, As is a winged messenger of heaven … Juliet: Romeo, Romeo, wherefore moveth…
Aspettare or Aspettarsi? Posted by Serena on Apr 5, 2017
“Ma quello che ci aspettava non era quello che ci aspettavamo” (“But that which awaited us wasn’t what we expected”) wrote Geoff at the end of his post about Verona. Confusing? In fact, that line contains two easily confused forms: aspettare and aspettarsi So, what is the difference between them? Let’s have a look at…
A Visit To Verona Posted by Geoff on Apr 3, 2017
Here’s our English translation of last Friday’s blog Una Visita A Verona Serena: Dove vuoi andare per prima cosa? Geoff: A me piacerebbe vedere l’Arena, e quella porta Romana che abbiamo intravisto ieri dalla macchina. Serena: Allora andiamoci subito prima che arrivino i turisti! Geoff: La direzione la sai? Serena: Suppergiù, ce l’hai quella mappa?…
Una Visita A Verona Posted by Geoff on Mar 31, 2017
Here we are in Verona! We’ve come to meet up with Serena’s school-friends from a lifetime ago when she lived in Benghazi, Libya. Sunday morning, we get up early, and take the opportunity to explore the town on our own … Serena: Dove vuoi andare per prima cosa? Geoff: A me piacerebbe vedere l’Arena, e…