More stories about Italy
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8.9 k views
in Italian food, RecipesNot too difficult, but very tasty: the Italian Christmas menu of 2023
Once again this year we are going for a 3-course Christmas menu that is easy to prepare without detracting from the taste! If you like to spend a little longer in the kitchen, you can, for example, make your own fresh tagliatelle instead of buying it. This is also a very nice […] More
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Driving to southern Italy with an electric car is not possible, is it?
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This Is Italy updated
We receive a lot of questions from people who are considering driving to Italy with their electric car. Is that possible? What about charging points along the way? And if you have to be a little further in Italy than in the north? That is why we asked experts in this field to share their experiences. Speaking is […] More
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199 views
in Columns, Italian languageFrom A0 to C2: on an equal footing with the Italians (part 10)
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Lottie Lomme
This is the final part in a series about how it took me 20 years to become a certified Italian teacher. In part 9 you could read how I passed my C2 exam, which taught me how to speak and write better than many Italians themselves. Italian didactics My language school went well in 2018 and 2019. I […] More
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294 views
in ProductsThe best Italian Christmas wines of 2023
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Niels van Laatum updated
Help, the holidays are coming! The idea alone can be stressful for some. Where do we celebrate it, on what day and with whom, what do we eat and what wine is good? No stress. Well, a little less. I'll help you with the last and perhaps most important thing: the wine. Around Christmas […] More
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Cremona – city of violin makers – in 8 highlights
The city of Cremona is just an hour and a half drive from Milan (also by train) and is definitely worth a day trip if you are interested in historical sites and… violins. Cremona is the birthplace of Stradivarius, the Guarnieris and Amati and is still a city of violin makers (and lute makers). […] More
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231 views
in Columns, Italian languageFrom A0 to C2: better blogging and starting my language school (part 9)
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Lottie Lomme updated
This is the 9th part of a 10-part series about how it took me 20 years to become a certified Italian teacher. In part 8 you could read about my early years as an Italian teacher, how Italian kept me going in difficult times and why the bond with another country […] More
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in Italian language, RemarkableNotable words and expressions in Italian (part 3)
Sometimes when you live in Italy you suddenly come across an expression that makes you think: Huh? How strange. What's up with that? Here is the 3rd part with another 5 striking language phenomena. 1. Decaf In the evening after dinner I always order a decaf as they call decaffeinated coffee here. I always look [...] More
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538 views
in RemarkableNeed an Italy surprise for Sinterklaas? Here are some fun ideas!
Yes, it's that time of year again! Have you drawn the ticket of an Italophile? Oh, what now? Here are a few ideas for tasty, atmospheric and mediagenic Italy surprises for you. Surprise for the home cook An Italophile naturally loves pizza. With a self-made pizza oven you cannot [...] More
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529 views
in Italian food, RecipesRecipe: lentil soup
Lentil soup, known in Italian as zuppa di lenticchie, is a popular dish in Italy. It is known in various regions and is eaten all year round, but mainly in the colder months. It is a simple and nutritious dish that fits well with the Italian culinary tradition of using [...] More
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808 views
in Italian languageFalse friends in the Italian language
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Willemijn Lindeboom updated
Everyone knows a few words that are very similar but mean something completely different in one language than in another. So-called 'false friends' also abound in Italian! I have highlighted a few of them. Accidenti! From English, accidenti is very similar to accident. In Italian say […] More
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467 views
in Campania, regions, Travel tipsPaestum: these are the magical sights
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Aart Heering updated
The best preserved Greek temples are not found in Greece, but in southern Italy, the ancient Magna Graecia. The most famous are those of Sicily, with the Temple Valley of Agrigento, the remains of Selinunte and the beautiful temple of Segesta. But at least as important is Paestum, 40 kilometers south of Salerno in Campania where temples […] More
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1.4 k views
in Italian language, RemarkableNotable words and expressions in Italian (part 2)
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Steve Smulders updated
Sometimes when you live in Italy you suddenly come across an expression that makes you think: Huh? How strange. What's up with that? Here is the 2nd part with another 5 striking language phenomena. 1. Palinsesto The rare time that I want to know what is showing on one of the Rai TV channels (the […] More
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271 views
in Columns, Italian languageFrom A0 to C2: from blogging to teaching (part 8)
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Lottie Lomme updated
This is the 8th part of a 10-part series about how it took me 20 years to become a certified Italian teacher. In part 7 you could read how I deepened my knowledge of Italian at B2 level in Utrecht and obtained my teaching diploma for history. This blog is about the C1 level. […] More
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in LevenGreetings from the Boot part 11: Jolanda and Alessandro in Lastra a Signa, Tuscany
'The olive picking starts in 2 weeks. We have the orchard with 3 families together, otherwise it would not be possible.' For Jolanda it is the most normal thing in the world. There is also a vineyard, but the harvest this year was terrible. 'After picking we put some tables outside and we all eat together.' Relax back […] More
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in Travel tips, Rome, CitiesThe Area Sacra – 'sacred zone' – of ancient Rome is now open to the public
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Aart Heering
The 'Area Sacra', in the heart of Rome, a stone's throw from Piazza Venezia and Piazza Navona, is best known for the cat colony that is traditionally maintained there by animal-friendly older ladies, known as the gattare. Cat colony The cats wandering through the ruins – there are currently 93 of them – are still a valuable object […] More
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2.2 k views
in Italian language, RemarkableNotable words and expressions in Italian (part 1)
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Steve Smulders updated
Sometimes when you live in Italy you suddenly come across an expression that makes you think: Huh? How strange. What's up with that? In the acclaimed TV program 'Even tot hier', Niels van der Laan and Jeroen Woe provide the explanation in the 1-minute song. Below are also brief explanations for some language riddles and we begin […] More
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in Italy news, regions, Travel tips, TuscanyTuscany is on Lonely Planet's list of best destinations for 2024
Every year, 'travel guide' Lonely Planet announces the top destinations of its own editors and this year there is a well-known one on the list and that is the Italian region of Tuscany. The editors say: Nowhere else does one celebrate the quiet life or embody the 'dolce vita' as in Tuscany. Whether you want new walking routes [...] More
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House hunting in Italy: the move (part 3)
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Maarten van Erd updated
"The windows aren't very big, are they." Franco looks up and I look with him. No, the windows are not that big, I measured them. "The ones over there are the biggest." I point to the third floor. You can read part 2 of this 3-part series here. "Let's take a look inside." Together […] More
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266 views
in Columns, Italian languageFrom A0 to C2: experiencing Italian culture (part 7)
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Lottie Lomme updated
This is the 7th part of a 10-part series about how it took me 20 years to become a certified Italian teacher. In part 6 you could read what my 2 months in the Eternal City were like and how I graduated for my bachelor's degree in Language and Cultural Studies in Utrecht. In this blog you can […] More
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in Italy newsNew record low in Italian birth rates
In 2022, just over 393.000 children were born in Italy, marking a 1,7% drop from the previous year and resulting in a new record low in the birth rate, ISTAT (the Italian statistics agency) reported yesterday. The downward trend also seems to continue in 2023: according to preliminary data […] More