by Dianne Hales | Sep 28, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, history, Italian, Italian language, Italy, learning Italian, Thanksgiving, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Excerpted from Salento by 5: Friendship, Food, Music and Travel Within the Heel of Italy’s Boot Olives have been cultivated throughout the Mediterranean for thousands of years, even before written language was invented. In Salento, where I live in the far south...
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 | Aug 31, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Sayings and expressions, Tuscany, Web/Tech, Weblogs
In the ancient Roman calendar, the year began in March. September, the seventh month, took its name from the Latin septem. During this pivotal month, the hours of sunlight diminish and those of darkness increase. As an Italian proverb puts it, in settembre, la notte...
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...
