In the blog category Columns about Italy you will find the contributions of our columnists. The Italy columns on This is Italy are mostly written by people who themselves live in Italy or have spent some time there. From their love for Italy, they let us know what strikes them about the Italian culture. Of course, a critical note is also not shunned. Want to write your own Italy column? Please contact the editors of This is Italy. Your contribution is certainly welcome!
When you think of an Italian woman, you probably think of La Mamma, standing behind the kitchen counter at home, making pasta for her eleven children. Or perhaps you think of the scantily clad veline; young and attractive showgirls on Italian television. But of course, the Italian woman is more than just […] More
"Paul? Who's Paul?" we asked our table companion during the annual village lunch on the bar terrace. We didn't understand who he meant; we'd never heard of a man named Paul, even though our little hamlet has no more than a few dozen inhabitants. Was Paul a recluse who never went outside? "Pierpaul!" was the […] More
November isn't the best month to visit Sardinia, but we're going anyway. After a few cooler days, the mercury rises above 20 degrees Celsius, and we're basking in the sunshine. That's lucky, because that temperature isn't usual in Sardinia at this time of year either. Unlike […] More
Lately, I've been having frequent problems with the mail in the Netherlands, and I'm not the only one. Packages don't arrive when promised, end up with "the neighbors" without anyone knowing who, or are returned to sender as "undeliverable." In other words: poorly functioning mail delivery isn't the preserve of […] More
Over the past few months, my newsfeed has been filled with reports of women murdered by their (ex-)partners. And as often happens when something is in the news, everyone had something to say: according to some, women provoke it themselves, others, there's not enough help from the authorities, and again […] More
