Nuvola/Nube (n.f.) Cloud. Bargain: two Words for the Week for the price of one! You may think. But it’s not really. It’s more like one and a half. As we’ll see… Here the Italian words are very different from the English one. ‘Cloud’ is Old English – and is actually related to ‘clod’, as in […]
Category: Learn Italian
Italian Word for the Week: Carnevale
Carnevale (n.m.) Carnival The tradition of Carnevale has never truly been part of the Protestant tradition, but its history in the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is ancient and rich – the Venice Carnival has been going strong since 1268, except notably for a few years at the end of the 18th century when the […]
Learn Italian in Italy
You can’t beat a course in Italy to learn Italian. These schools are tried an tested by Italia! AbbeySchool CiaoItaly – Turin www.ciaoitaly-turin.com Situated in an early 20th-century building in the heart of the Crocetta district, one of Turin’s most elegant areas and just a short walk from the Polytechnic, AbbeySchool CiaoItaly specialises in […]
Italian Life: Drinking Culture
Sebastian Cresswell-Turner looks British drinking habits compared to the Italians, and why the Brit pub culture can never quite translate across the water… Alcohol As a general rule, the Italians disapprove of British drinking habits. “I just couldn’t believe how much they all drank,” said an Italian friend of mine who was at Cambridge […]
Euro Woes: Supporting the Italian lira
When the countries of Europe embraced the euro they sacrificed part of their identities – Mario Matassa ponders the much-loved lira, and the growing number of Italians who are beginning to support its return… Dolore Euro Più di un semplice valore monetario, una moneta può avere un’anima? Qualunque sia il clima economico, non potrei mai […]
Family-owned Businesses: A Restaurant Venture
Italy?s independent businesses are at the heart of its culture, and the lack of chain stores is part of its charm. Mario Matassa embarks on a restaurant venture of his own and joins the ranks of family-owned businesses? Diversit? L?Italia ? un paese legato alla piccole imprese a conduzione familiare e sto per entrare nelle […]
Opening a Restaurant in Italy
Mario Matassa tells us about his hectic few weeks opening his very own restaurant, and how he decided to embark on this rather ambitious project at the same time as moving house with his family? Stress Si dice che un trasloco ? una delle cose pi? stressanti della vita. Ho la tendenza a rendere la […]