Italian language learning tip: notice Italian signs
February 05, 2010Learning a new language is a bit like detective work at first. You can memorize the grammar rules and a list of vocabulary and practice your accent, but those things are only useful when implemented in communication. Once you’ve arrived…
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Five Italian words with unsatisfying English equivalents
January 28, 2010If I’m speaking English with someone who I know speaks or understands Italian, I tend to inject the words below into conversation rather than use the English approximation. The Italian version is just better! Have a look at the…
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Do you know the name of this mountain? (and why you should know local names)
October 23, 2009Is it: a) Matterhorn b) Mont Cervin c) Monte Cervino d) all of the above The answer is D. Asking Italians about The Matterhorn – a Swiss mountain also visible from Italy and France – will produce blank…
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Why are there holes in Italian buildings and towers?
October 16, 2009When I worked as a tour guide in Italy, I got this question pretty frequently from travelers who paid attention to architecture. Why are there holes in Italian buildings and towers? The photo below is of the clock tower in…
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Surprising things about Italy
September 09, 2009One of the best things about traveling to a foreign country is that it makes you stop and think about all your own assumptions. Things you’ve taken for granted, assumed were correct, or never really gave much thought to —…
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The 5 Best Things to Do in Italy, Regardless of your Itinerary
August 26, 2009It doesn’t matter whether you’re visiting Rome, Florence, and Venice or whether you’re spending 2 weeks in the countryside; whether you’re going to Italy in the height of summer or the middle of January; or whether you’re museum-hopping or spending…
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Art appreciation in Italy: Prioritize In Situ
July 16, 2009What do the Sistine Chapel, the mosaics in Piazza Armerina or Ravenna, Coreggio’s masterpiece in Parma, and Milan’s Last Supper have in common? The art is all in situ (on site), meaning it was created for a specific place. And lucky for us, it is…
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How to open an Italian Bank Account
April 14, 2009This is Part II of my experience navigating the bureaucracy in Italy after relocating to Milan on a corporate expat assignment, and below I describe how I opened an Italian bank account, got an Italian ID card, and got La Residenza,…
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Navigating the Bureaucracy: How Can I Work Legally in Italy?
March 24, 2009Living in Italy is very different from being a tourist in Italy, in large part because of Italian bureaucracy. I have worked legally in Italy in a couple different jobs: first as a tour guide, and then as an expat….
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Write a blog post for Italy Beyond the Obvious
Would you like to write a blog post to be published on Italy Beyond the Obvious? Read this first.
