Today our house in Bologna is filled with the smell of cooking. You notice it in particular as you come in from outside. It’s hard to resist filling your lungs and going ‘Yum! What are we eating?’ First on the gas ring this morning was my largest pot, three-quarter filled with cold water, to which […]
Archives for December 2015
Come to Italy… to get a tattoo?
Our latest Italian Conversation, number 37 of 60, is set in a tattoo parlor. Well… I suppose that COULD come in handy if you visit Italy. After all, tatto parlors seem to be one sector of the local economy which has done well during the ‘crisi’. Listen to today’s conversation View all the conversations in […]
The OnlineItalianClub.com January Sale Has Started!
As I mentioned yesterday, our ‘January Sale’ has started, hence this brief extra message. Use coupon code januarysale2016 to get a reduction of 16% on ANYTHING in our online shop. For example: 10 x 30 minute online Italian lessons, normally €150, with the coupon just €126 Italian easy readers, normally €9.99, reduced to €8.39 Our best-selling […]
New Listening, Your Reviews Needed, & ‘January Sale’ Begins!
Isn’t it funny how being on holiday can mean being even busier than usual? And there was me thinking I’d be able to get so much more done in this period… Anyway, I have three things to tell you. We’ll do them in reverse order, like the start of a race, or the countdown to […]
‘Buon Natale’, Cigarette Dialogue & 20% Offer Reminder
Here’s wishing a ‘Buon Natale’ to all four thousand or so members of our Online Italian Club. Wherever you are in the world, have a fantastic day today! Whether that will or won’t include studying Italian is, of course, quite up to you. But looking at the website’s stats a minute ago I could see […]
Last day at work or school? Maybe this will help.
It’s the last day of school here in Bologna, so my kids dragged themselves out of bed with a little more enthusiasm than usual. If you work, it might also be your last day in the office before the winter break. But that does mean there’s a danger that things may drag. Plus there’s a risk […]
Panetteria conversation and ‘the experiential economy’
Italy still being in part a cash economy, when I’m queuing at the bank to deposit fees paid by students arriving to start courses at our Italian school, I often bump into the young guy who owns the ‘panetteria’ (bread shop) on the corner. Dressed in his white baker’s outfit, complete with purple plastic clogs, he’s […]
Shopping dialogue, e-book offer reminder and more articles
Today’s Italian dialogue with transcript is set at the greengrocer’s, that is to say ‘fruttivendolo’ in Italian. Here’s the link: Shopping, Fruttivendolo As usual, I’ll remind you that all of the conversations in our present series are linked to from the Italian Conversations homepage. Another reminder regards our latest Italian easy reader publication, ‘Nuovo Cinema […]
Learn Italian Articles, New Conversation, & E-Book Reminder!
I’ve lots to tell you today. First of all, you might be interested to know that our Italian school in Bologna is running its popular annual promotion in this period. If you’re planning to study Italian in Italy at any point over the next twelve months, here’s how to save 20% on your course. Poi, […]
Fresh Today: Fish Shop Dialogue & New Italian Easy Reader!
I’ve always had trouble with the word ‘pescheria‘ (fishmonger’s), which seems to get mixed up in my head with ‘pesche‘ (peaches). That said, ‘pescivendolo‘ (fishmonger) is a lovely word which, with it’s coherent sequence of vowels and memorable stress pattern, rolls delightfully around my mouth! Yup, unlike that ‘pesche’, ‘pesci’, ‘pescheria’ mess, ‘pescivendolo’ is fun to […]
