Harry’s Bar in Venice is one of the most fascinating in Italy. Since 1931, after the seed funding came from an American named Harry, the bar has regularly served such greats as Ernest Hemingway, Arturo Toscanini, Guglielmo Marconi (the guy from Bologna who invented … Continue reading
Monthly Archives: March 2012
VIDEO: How To Fake French
If you don’t know how to speak French or have Living Language French products, then you may be tempted to fake it. Watch this hilarious video to find out “how to fake French.”
The Mystery of St. Patrick - Was He Really From Ireland
St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, is one of the world’s most recognizable saints. Even though he lived thousands of years ago, he is still quite the celebrity - especially around this time of year. Despite his fame, parts … Continue reading
Who Owns Most of the U.S. (Italian-faked) Public Debt?
Guys, this is pretty cool news. Here’s a good reason to brush up your Italian ASAP: you can make lots of money. An Italian prosecutor found fake US Treasury Bonds worth about $6 trillion in a Swiss bank’s safe in … Continue reading
How To Bow Like the Japanese
Japanese people bow like crazy! In Japanese culture, お辞儀 ojigi (“bowing”) is the essential part of any greeting. It shows respect to others. To be able to bow properly is a must-have skill if you plan to go to Japan! … Continue reading
Why You Shouldn’t Be Afraid of Chinese
It’s common to hear people arguing over which language is “the hardest” to learn. The answer is: all of them — and none of them. People are often scared to learn a language that is vastly different from their own, … Continue reading
La Chanson Française: A Look at Post-War Popular French Music
The romance of modern Paris is often associated with certain French singers during or following the Second World War. Songs of that era evoke the Old World with atmospheres of smoky cafés, quaint apartments, cobblestone streets, but above all a nostalgia … Continue reading
Beloved Italian Singer Lucio Dalla Dies at 68
Music is central to Italian culture: Verdi, Rossini, Pavarotti, Caruso are just a few examples of that. Andrea Bocelli, of international fame, is a more recent example. Given the central role that music has in Italy, it is therefore no surprise … Continue reading
Italy’s San Grasso: National Park and World’s Largest Underground Lab
A few weeks ago scientists discovered that a particle named neutrino was faster than light, hence, basically, revolutionizing modern physics (i.e., RIP Einsetin’s Theory of Relativity). Italy had been the receiving end of that experiment — literally. Scientists from the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) shot neutrinos … Continue reading
Q&A: Proper French Greetings
Our colleagues at Fodor’s Travel often receive many language questions as it relates to readers’ trips. How to greet someone in France recently came up on their forums and our Fodor’s friends passed the query to us. I understand that … Continue reading
