How to Use Uno in Italian Posted by Serena on Aug 21, 2015
In my last post we looked at the use of the definite article lo and its plural form gli. Today we are going to find out how to use the indefinite article uno (a/an) works. Rules for using uno: 1. when a masculine word begins with the letter ‘s’ followed by another consonant, e.g.: uno…
Lo and Behold! Posted by Serena on Aug 19, 2015
One of the many mysteries of the Italian language is the crazy amount of ways of saying ‘the’. Not content with having il,i,la,le and l’ the Italians just had to come up with lo and gli! Well, ours is not to reason why … but to find out when and how. Rules for using lo/gli…
A Naughty Italian Folk Song! Posted by Geoff on Aug 17, 2015
For the past four days, Serena and myself have been working for the Pro Loco di Pontremoli at Ponticello in Lunigiana, where every year since 1994 la festa degli antichi mestieri is held. To find out more about this enchanting recreation of Italian village life at the beginning of the 20th century take a look…
Italian Stuffed Squirrel Posted by Geoff on Aug 13, 2015
Italian cuisine is, of course, renowned throughout the world. Today’s article, ‘Italian Stuffed Squirrel’, has absolutely nothing to do with Italian cuisine! It begins, in fact, with a cup of tea. The cup of tea that I describe here As we sit sipping the first ‘real’ cup of tea that Donatella had ever made (under my…
A Fresh Summer’s Rain Posted by Serena on Aug 12, 2015
It’s raining! After weeks and weeks of unbearable heat, the rain has finally brought us a breath of new life. It’s like a sudden awakening of the senses that only a master of words such as Gabriele D’Annunzio can render in an authentic way. In his famous poem La Pioggia nel Pineto (The Rain in…
A Nice Cuppa In Piazza Posted by Geoff on Aug 10, 2015
The setting: a sultry evening at the beginning of August, La Piazza di Groppodalosio, a small group of friends and neighbours sit chatting and savouring the first threads of cool air as they make their serpentine way through the overheated village. A small blessing at the end of a long torrid day, one of the…
Non Me Lo Posso Permettere! Posted by Geoff on Aug 6, 2015
Can you afford it? Te lo puoi permettere? Serena and I are not spendaccioni (big spenders), we mostly buy things that are essential to us, with, of course, the occasional indulgence. However, every now and then an expense crops up. For example: in realtà ci servirebbe una nuova macchina, però attualmente non ce la possiamo…