For the past year we have been sharing Mia’s story as she learns Italian with our Platinum Italian lessons. Mia decided to learn the language in anticipation of her family’s spring time trip to Italy.
Last week we shared five of Mia’s favorite moments from her trip and today we’re thrilled to share round two! If you missed the first post, catch up here.
6. Dining at piccoli ristoranti (“small restaurants”) recommended by locals
The best thing to do when deciding where to eat in Italy is to ask a locale (“local”). They know best! It can get overwhelming considering there is a restaurant everywhere you look, but do not fret! Mia famiglia (“my family”) decided to ask people working in stores or walking along the street where they like to eat so that we might experience more tradizionale (“traditional”) Italian meals. We found some really quaint restaurants that were amazing. The cibo (“food”) will definitely be missed!
7. The breathtaking views of the vigneti (“vineyards”) in Tuscany
Tuscany is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. The views of the colline (“hills”) and vineyards are sights that I will always hold close to my cuore (“heart”). I am really into photography and these scenes are priceless. In Tuscany there are several hilltop città (“towns”), one in particular that I went to was called San Gimignano. San Gimignano is a medieval town that has been around since approximately 200-300 BC. There are several towers there, which are perfect to observe the surrounding land. We took a day trip there and it was an unforgettable little town that I would love to return to someday.
8. Riding a bicicletta (“bicycle”) through Lucca
In the United States, there are very few places where the number of bicycles outweighs the number of cars on the road. It was refreshing to see in the small town of Lucca that this was the case. Our house was stocked with a dozen Italian-style bicycles that we embraced as our new mode of transportation for the week that we stayed there. We rode our bicycles to il mercato (“the market”), dinner, museums, you name it, and we biked there. This not only was a lot of divertimento (“fun”) but also amazing exercise (which was important because of all of the food we ate!). The great part about it was that it didn’t even feel like exercising at the time. Gas prices in Europe have always been sufficiently higher than ours, which is why many locals are seen biking or walking from place to place. This might be the thing that I miss the most from my trip to Italy and I now will cherish every time I have to ride my bicycle somewhere.
9. Listening and watching local artista di strada (“street performers”)
The street performers in every town I visited were truly phenomenal. Whether they were dancing, dressed as mimes, or playing the chitarra (“guitar”), they never ceased to amuse me. The energia (“energy”) that they exerted was so lively that it put the whole piazza in a good mood. If you’re ever in Italy, be sure to look out for them because chances are that you won’t regret it. Something that I learned in Italy in particular was that a piccolo (“little”) kindness goes a long way. Dropping as little as the equivalent of one US dollar into their box is sure to make their day. Even if you don’t donate any money at all, they are just happy that you’re paying attention to them. The people in Italy were some of the happiest people I’ve seen and they really made an impression on me.
10. Spending the giorno (“day”) at the Roman Forum
On my second day in Rome, my family and our friends made our way to the Roman Forum. We woke up and walked all the way there from our apartment near the Spanish Steps, which was quite a long viaggio (“journey”). Luckily we had pre-ordered our entrance biglietti (“tickets”) because otherwise we could have been waiting there for hours. The line stretched all the way to the Colosseum! On a beautiful day like the one we had, there are many people having picnics on the land and everyone lies out in the grass. It is fun to be able to roam around all of the strutture (“structures”) that are still standing today, and it’s amazing that they are so well preserved. In the Forum, you have the ability to explore some of the oldest historical buildings in the mondo (“world”). I will particularly remember this experience because the feel of touring the Forum was unlike touring any of the other buildings in Italy. We were able to walk around freely through the land around the buildings, as well as go into the buildings and learn about them. Because of this, I was able to appreciate what it might have been like walking around Rome in the seventh or eighth century BC. I truly think that this is one of the greatest sights Rome has to offer, and it’s a must see for anyone with a free afternoon on their hands.
Thank you to Living Language for the opportunity to learn Italian for my trip! Studying these past few months prepared me to be the translator for my family and kept me energized for the vacation. I would highly recommend Living Language to anyone looking to get started with a new language. Also, thank you to the readers for taking this journey with me! - Mia