Mazzo (n. m.) a bunch. That’s nice. A nice bunch of flowers for our word for the week. How kind. Well, don’t be too hasty because although this entry does begin with a nice bunch of flowers it ends with brutal and violent death. But for now let’s get back to the flowers – un […]
This June, guests of Hotel Eden Roc can become part of the sailing team for one of the biggest regattas on Lake Maggiore, the 3 ore di Ascona. The hotel will provide an induction course in the form of a two-hour sailing lesson on the Friday in preparation for guests to join the Eden Roc […]
Some 20km around and up to 2km deep in places, the Sacca di Scardovari is one of the wildest areas in the Po Delta and is home to the rare spring snowflake (Leucojum Vernum) flower. You will also see herons, and long-legged buzzards in the cooler months. The Sacca di Scardovari is also well known […]
“This is my photo taken in September 2012 in a village called ‘Trait’ in the Italian Alps in Piedmont, near to Turin. The height of the village is 1700 metres. As we were walking through the meadows and forests this view struck me for two reasons. The first being the orderly fashion of the vegetable […]
Reading Dante: From Here to Eternity Prue Shaw, Liveright, £20 (paperback) Dante Alighieri wrote an epic poem about the afterlife that, 700 years later, is still universally recognised as the greatest work in the history of Italian literature. In this introduction to the Comedy, Shaw not only interprets the text but also explains how it […]
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 […]
Are you starting to think about taking a short holiday on the Italian Lakes? Check out these selected companies for ideas and inspiration… Lake Como Homes Imagine gliding over a shimmering lake with stunning skyline peaks as your back-drop. Now moor up and relax at a lakeside café with a glass of wine, a plate […]
Bill’s Italian Food Bill Granger, HarperCollins, £20 (hardback) This is definitely worth making room for. Filled with easy, everyday recipes to whet your appetite, each page is as colourful as the next. The biggest problem is deciding which meal to make first! Bill Granger, a self-taught cook and international restaurateur, is a firm believer in […]