Tag: living in Italy

US vs Italy – a series of comparisons Part II: TRANSPORTATION

From last time . . .  As I try to come to grips of the possibility of returning to the States, I have started considering more intently on the cultural differences, good and bad, between the two countries. For those of you reading this who have never been to the States, or have only been […]

US vs Italy – a series of comparisons Part I: FOOD

As I try to come to grips of the possibility of returning to the States, I have started considering more intently on the cultural differences, good and bad, between the two countries. For those of you reading this who have never been to the States, or have only been to one or two cities, the […]

Day 65+/- of my Italian Covid-19 experience; all the feels

I hadn’t actually absorbed the fact that I haven’t left the village for over two months. It really hasn’t been that bad for me. Saying that, loneliness set in with the ease of the lockdown. But why? And what are things like “out there” in Italy, outside of the village? Let’s break this down in […]

CoVid-19 Lockdown: Day 26 (give or take)

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 […]

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 […]