Has it really been 13 days since my last post? It feels like I just posted it. Gracious! And I think I’m handling this seclusion rather well. . . I was talking to my mother who is around 80 years old and who cherishes her freedom. At her living facility near a beach in Los […]
Tag: living in Italy
Living in Northern Italy during the Coronavirus “Plague”
I jest when I say “The Plague” because the Coronavirus is nothing like the plague. That is an important distinction. It is NOT a death curse, but it can be for some. Many people are concerned about me and the situation here. Why does Italy have sooo many cases? Is it safe to travel there? […]
Language Learning – It takes a village
It used to be easy being a language learner in a country where the language is spoken. Pre-internet (yes, I’m dating myself) there was no opportunity to chat daily with friends back home, stream movies, download music, and have a translator on demand – unless the translator was a human you were involved with romantically. […]
The conspicuous lack of salads, Or, Why are there so few and uninteresting side salad options?
A few weeks ago my North American friend and I were talking about how there seems to be lack of fresh vegetables menu options in Italy. She had mentioned it was true in Croatia as well. We were commenting on how veggie-only dishes are all overcooked, bland vegetables. Also, if a restaurant offer salads, they […]
Cultural Differences – US American vs Russian (and others)
One of the objectives in coming to Italy was to understand the differences between our national cultures. Despite that being incredibly successful and far from being that simple, I have stumbled on other cultural differences that are interesting and, at times, concerning to me. Allow me to explain . . . As many of you […]
Sardagna, Frazione di Trento
I recently moved to the region north of Veneto, to Trentino Alto Adige (or Trentino Süd Tyrol). The region has two principal cities, Bolzano, further north, and Trento. This post focuses on a wee village just 3 minutes up from Trento by cable car, called Sardagna. The town isn’t visible from Trento, but elements of […]
Vino Sfuso – Wine Filling Station
I had been in Italy at least a year and a half before I discovered that there are wine stores similar to our growler* (beer) refill pubs. (*if you are a non-American native speaker of English, a growler is a large, refillable container – 64oz or bigger – of beer). You bring in a liter […]
