by Dianne Hales | Dec 21, 2021 | books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, creche, food, Food and Drink, Italian, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Religion, Rome, saints, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Most families in Italy begin celebrating il Natale on the evening of December 24 (la vigilia di Natale) with a big dinner. Because Christmas Eve is a vigilia di magro (a day of abstinence on which the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of meat), the centerpiece...
by Dianne Hales | Dec 7, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, food, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, Religion, saints, Sayings and expressions, Sicily, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
In the dark of December parts of Italy light up to celebrate a saint whose name derives from the Latin lux or lucis for light (luce in Italian). Lucia was a young girl who lived in Siracusa on the island of Sicily in the third century. According to various legends,...
by Dianne Hales | Sep 21, 2021 | autumn, Books, books on Italy, food, Food and Drink, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs, wine
\ In Italy every season— la primavera (spring), l’estate (summer), l’autunno (autumn), l’inverno (winter) — has a different feel and focus. L’autunno is when farmers reap what they have sown. The harvest (il raccolto or la messe) has already passed for many fruits,...
by Dianne Hales | Sep 7, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, cooking, culture, food, Food and Drink, Italian, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Modena, Sayings and expressions, Web/Tech, Weblogs
A guest post by Andrea Gelfoso Eating Italian food in Italy made me cry. The first time I had pizza during our year in Modena, tears ran onto the perfectly crisp crust. I’m a vegetarian, so vegetables rule. Pizza offered toppings from all over the produce...
by Dianne Hales | Feb 16, 2021 | amore, Books, books on Italy, cookbooks, culture, food, Food and Drink, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italy, Language, learning Italian, love in Italy, Roman history, Romance, Rome, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
I went to Rome this week. I savored local specialties like spaghetti alla carbonara and saltimbocca alla romana. I strolled through the lively markets of Testaccio and Campo de’ Fiori. I garnered tips on cooking pasta al dente (it should resist the tooth—but the tooth...
by Dianne Hales | Feb 2, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, Carnevale, food, Food and Drink, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Venice, Web/Tech, Weblogs
This year the Venice Carnevale will be different. “Traditional, emotional, digital,” its organizers promise—and available to everyone everywhere via social media channels and virtual rooms (including one for the Best Mask Contest). Click here to find out more...
