My favourite places to eat in Rome

I consider Rome as my second home. This is where my best friend lives and I try to visit her at least a few times per year. Thanks to her Roman knowledge, I have, over the years, got to know a lot of insider places that only true Romans are able to appreciate.

It’s often nice to be able to go to places that are mostly tourist-free. I will be recommending these places, which, I hope you will agree, is always interesting!

So, read on to discover Rome like a Roman with me…

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Eataly World Bologna – Italy’s first food theme park

When you hear the word ‘theme park’ the things you probably think about are roller coasters, merry-go-rounds, whitewater rides and ghost trains. Things that may come to your mind when hearing the word ‘Italy’ are probably historic centres, beautiful weather and… DELICIOUS FOOD!

Love food and enjoy visiting theme parks? Then you will certainly be delighted to learn that the Italian city of Bologna will be home to a theme park entirely dedicated to Italian food: Eataly World!

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Christmas in Sorrento

The beautiful Italian coastal town of Sorrento is rooted in the holiday tradition of Christmas. In every square, Christmas lights cover trees and figures around the town. Each street has hanging and glowing decorations, and storefronts are covered in strands of twinkling lights. Garlands abound throughout the city. The palm trees glow and sway in the wind. Stores and street vendors alike start selling Christmas trinkets and gifts.

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Video guide to Venice, Italy

Famous, infamous, and much visited – Venice welcomes 20 million visitors every year. Many are day-trippers, but those that stay for at least one week are rewarded with new discoveries every day. Few cities have been dreamt about, discussed or resonate as much with tourists as Venice. This historic city, one of the world’s most picturesque, proudly lies on the largest island of the Venetian Lagoon. Venice has its fair share of political and environmental problems, but modern day commerce has done nothing to distract from its magic.

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5 reasons to visit Alghero, Italy

Alghero in Sardinia, Italy, is famous for its beaches, clear blue seas and red coral. This medieval port town also has an interesting cultural and historic background, with Catalan origins.

It is a great location for food and nature lovers, and a beautiful setting for studying Italian! Alghero truly comes to life during the summer months.

There are so many reasons why you should visit Alghero, here are my top five…

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Italian and Neapolitan Pizza course

Although pizza is eaten all over the world, the Neapolitan pizza is a true Italian icon and is recognised by the European Union as a ‘Traditionally Speciality Guaranteed’ dish.

If you would like to spend 12 weeks living in the home of pizza (and one of Europe’s most historic cities), learning not just one but two new skills, our Italian and Pizza making course in Naples would be right up your street!

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Italian idioms

Italian is a very rich language, full of idioms and proverbs that are commonly used in everyday conversations. If you are learning Italian, want to sound like a native speaker and want to understand Italians when they speak, you should really make an effort and try to learn at least some Italian idioms. Taking an Italian language course where the language is spoken will definitely help!

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7 Insider tips for Rome!

After having lived and studied in Rome for five years, here are some tips on things to do in the Eternal City to discover the authentic Roman culture and make your stay special!

1) PEEP THROUGH THE AVENTIN KEYHOLE TO SEE THE ST. PETER’S BASILICA

Walk up the Aventin hill, away from the main tourist spots, and you will find a long white wall with a large green door leading to the ‘Priority of the Knights of Malta’, a religious order created in the Middle Ages and still active. Just look through the keyhole on the door and you will be amazed at what you can see: a stunning framed view of St. Peter’s Basilica at the end of a beautiful tree-lined path. It is incredible how the keyhole vista lines up perfectly with St. Peter’s cupola!

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An Italian Christmas

Continuing our blog theme this week with Christmas traditions from different countries, Elisa tells us all about Christmas in Italy! With a special Christmas course in Sorrento or even a New Year course in Salerno, it’s certainly possible to experience these special traditions whilst taking a language course in Italy!

December is here, one of the most eagerly anticipated moments of the year in every country. Here are some interesting Christmas and New Year traditions from my country, Italy!

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Getting lost in Venice is a good thing!

It was late at night when I arrived near Venice. I had arrived a day early, so I stopped right in front of the bridge to the island, and from the parking lot I had a wonderful view over the city. I couldn’t wait to go and visit it! That night I went to sleep feeling excited and happy: it was not going to be my first time ever in Venice, but the idea of going back to that wonderful place made me smile all night.

The next day I got up early to take the bus into the city. I fell in love with the city again, the moment I got off the bus. The city was still as romantic as I remembered, and walking through it again made me feel happy. The city has so much to offer: history, architecture, culture, art, food, romance…

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