Travel advisory

Buondì.

Walking around the lake in our local park this morning, in the drizzle (Tripadvisor has some nice photos, if you’re curious), I came across – not the usual street gang of aggressive geese, who were nowhere to be seen – but a stork!

Picture a turkey-sized bird, but with long spindly legs, an elegant neck, and a vicious-looking beak like a pair of yellow rifle bayonets. Definitely a stork.

It was balanced on the fence around the lake, observing the muddy water with interest. The lake has fish in it, huge great things, up to a meter long I’d guess. People ignore the signs and bombard them with stale bread, crackers, or corn. There are ninja turtles, too, ducks of various kinds, masses of hungry pigeons, and even families of chickens!

You probably heard that parts of northern Italy, in particular Emilia Romagna, where I live, have had an adverse weather event, cioè an awful lot of rain. Thanks to everyone who emailed to check we were OK.

Bologna had some flooding. Various small rivers run under the medieval downtown, and one in particular escaped its subterranean course to surge out onto one of the principal roads into and out of the city, turning it into a canal.

Water levels everywhere were higher, and those living near rivers, canals, lakes and so on risked being flooded. Anyone foolish enough to venture into a cellar at the precise moment their local watercourse was breaking its banks, risked their lives. Many people had to be rescued.

But in Bologna, from what I could see, the primary problem was with road and rail. Underpasses temporarily filled up with water. Trains to and from the south-east were halted (because the zone around Faenza was badly hit), and the interstate/motorway was closed.

State schools, libraries and so on were closed for several days as a precaution, but broadly-speaking, in the city, life went on as normal. It rained a lot, it was cold and grey, but then it often is in the spring.

Students at our Italian school carried on with their lessons, while lamenting that they’d only brought summer clothing. People called to ask if we were still open, if it was safe for them to come next week, if they’d be able to get here.

Well of course. It’s fine. Don’t worry! Bologna has been here for thousands of years, as the Roman era ruins and medieval towers attest.

Just in my brief quarter of a century, we’ve had earthquakes (no significant damage, but scary) and, erm.. Covid 19. Other than that, it’s pretty safe.

Know that the summer tends to be very hot and humid. While winter days are bright and sunny or cold and gloomy, depending on your luck.

The best times to visit are the spring (my favourite season) and fall. April, May and early June are mostly nice, as are September and October.

When it rains here, in those months and generally, it tends to rain a lot! Tipo, non-stop for twenty-four hours or so, rather than the constant showers that people in Britain must endure.

But it’s soon over, and then the sun comes out!

The Imola Grand Prix was cancelled, did you hear? Imola is down near the worst hit zone, and the logistical strain of all those motor-racing teams, along with an estimated two hundred thousand spectators, would have been unwise.

But Bruce Springsteen played to a crowd of fifty thousand in Ferrara the other night, so there was that. Despite being Born in the USA, Bruce is huge in Bologna.

Talking of music, Monday coming, we’ll be publishing the final ebook in our series of ‘easy readers’ based on operas.

This one is Rossini’s ‘Il barbiere di Siviglia’, and seems like a less-depressing tale than the last few.

So, if the sun doesn’t come out over the weekend, I might find a moment to watch the opera online.

A lunedì!

P.S. Final Reminder – 3 Half-Price Easy Readers from 2017

Here’s a final reminder about this week’s half-price ebook offer, on three titles we published in 2017. It ends on Sunday 21st May 2023.

The three ebooks below range from intermediate to upper-intermediate/advanced. Check the FREE sample chapters to be sure the level and format is right for you.

Colombo e il mare Oceano (B1/B2)

September 1492, Atlantic Ocean: Christopher Columbus is wrestling with his fear of failure and ruin. After months at sea, there’s still no sign of land. Captains and crew are growing desperate!

This challenging easy reader ebook is an excellent way for intermediate-advanced students of Italian to consolidate their knowledge of grammar rules, learn new words and, above all, build reading and listening skills!

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 8 chapters to read and listen to
• Comprehension questions to check your understanding
• Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
• Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy Colombo e il mare Oceano just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog

Leonardo in riva all’Adda (B2)

“Everyone knows that Leonardo is a genius, and one who’ll turn his hand to just about anything, from diplomacy to organising a royal wedding celebration.

But you know the trouble with geniuses? They’re easily distracted!

If we entrust him with something important – like creating the biggest horse the world has ever seen – we’re going to have to keep a close eye on him…”

Join Leonardo, who’s just arrived at the court of Ludovico il Moro, Duke of Milan, bearing a gift from his patrons in Florence. As yet, he has no idea he’ll be Lombardy for longer than just a brief visit…

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online at soundcloud.com)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 8 chapters to read and listen to
• Comprehension questions to check your understanding
• Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
• Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy Leonardo in riva all’Adda just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog

Michelangelo e il Mosè (B2/C1)

Forty years from initial commissioning to completion, Michelangelo’s Moses “rests with one arm on the tables, and with the other holds his long glossy beard, the hairs, so difficult to render in sculpture, being so soft and downy that it seems as if the iron chisel must have become a brush.”

‘Michelangelo e il Mosè’ is an original Italian easy reader written for students at intermediate and advanced levels. Use it to improve your reading and listening skills, while getting a glimpse into the life of one of the most famous Italian painters and sculptors!

• .pdf e-book (+ audio available free online)
• .mobi (Kindle-compatible) and .epub (other ebook readers) available on request at no extra charge – just add a note to the order form or email us
• 8 chapters to read and listen to
• Comprehension questions to check your understanding
• Italian/English glossary of ‘difficult’ terms for the level
• Suitable for students at intermediate level or above
• Download your Free Sample Chapter (.pdf)

Buy Michelangelo e il Mosè just £3.99 | FREE sample chapter (.pdf) | ‘A Day in the Life of…’ | Catalog

How do I access my ebooks?

When your order is ‘completed’ (normally immediately after your payment), a download link will be automatically emailed to you. It’s valid for 7 days and 3 download attempts so please save a copy of the .pdf ebook in a safe place. Other versions of the ebook, where available, cannot be downloaded but will be emailed to people who request them. There’s a space to do that on the order form – where it says Additional information, Order notes (optional). If you forget, or if you have problems downloading the .pdf, don’t worry! Email us at the address on the website and we’ll help. Also, why not check out our FAQ?

P.P.S.

Did you read/listen to Thursday’s FREE bulletin of ‘easy’ Italian news?

Bravo! Brava! Bravi!

You didn’t, you at the back of the class, fiddling with your smartphone?

Subscribing is FREE. There’s really no excuse. Try harder, please.

N.b. I had fun the other evening putting together a FAQ for EasyItalianNews.com – by datamining a year or two’s worth of complaining comments left on the site by frustrated users, along with my sometimes helpful, sometimes testy replies.

If you enjoy the customer service vibe, or despairing at the human condition, peruse it here.

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