How to survive the Italian summer
As summer kicks in and the temperatures soar, do you know how to survive the Italian summer?
Category: Life in Italy
Dolce Far Nulla: The sweetness of doing nothing
This phrase sums up a lot about Italian mentality. It’s more than a mentality, it’s a movement (or lack of should I say). And it’s one that has become part of my very soul. Hence my lack of activity for such a long time on […]
Italian Birthdays: a How to guide
As I get ready to blow out yet another candle this week (yes it’s my birthday and all presents are gratefully received) I thought I’d write about some of the differences (or similarities perhaps) that you will encounter when celebrating Italian birthdays. Like virtually everything here there are some social rules that you should know about if you’re planning on moving to Italy and so here is my ‘How to guide’ to ensure that the only surprise you get is your presents. Buon compleanno a me! (more…)
A guide to granita
I have fond memories of spending my childhood scoffing slush puppies in London, which for those of you not familiar, are cups full of vibrant, chemically-coloured ice and E-numbers, which tasted nowhere near the fruits they were supposed to represent. Fast forward twenty years and […]
Caffè culture: a guide to Italian coffee
A while back I was sat in a bar at 9am destroying a chocolate croissant (In case you’re worried about why I was in a bar at that time of the morning don’t worry that’s the Italian word for café). While contemplating my addiction to sweet, […]
The Curse of the Malocchio
The first few months of my beautiful bambina’s life was quite tough on everyone, as I imagine most first time parents would admit. She suffered from colic and spent a large part of most days screaming her little lungs out as me and my husband sang every song we knew, danced, recreated techniques demonstrated in “miracle” videos and pleaded with her to stay calm. It was during this time that I first heard of the curse of the malocchio. (more…)
