Last Italian lesson of the year. A quick recap of the basics: Teacher: “Come ti chiami?” What is your name? Easy. “Mi chiamo Barb.” “Quanti anni hai?” How many years do you have? “Ho ventuno anni.” I have 21 years (if only). “Di dove sei?” Ok, I know dove means where. So where are we? Aha: “A… Continue reading Chocolate Brownies speak louder than words
Author: Barbed Words
Dear Class of ’85
It’s been great fun to reconnect with so many of you on Facebook in the last couple of months. Can’t believe it’s been nearly 30 years since some of us last met and I’m really looking forward to the reunion. However, I’ve had a good nose flick though many of your photo albums and I’m… Continue reading Dear Class of ’85
Teachers’ Gifts: the thought that counts?
It’s the end of term here, which means the usual rigmarole of buying teachers’ gifts. When I was at school in the '80s, teachers’ gifts were pretty much unheard of. Any child who brought in a present for the teacher was looked upon as some sort of nerd who deserved a turn in the Poking Tunnel™.… Continue reading Teachers’ Gifts: the thought that counts?
Top Ten Tips on how not to write a novel, find an agent, get it published and become rich and famous
I’ve read a string of comments in the last week about how easy it would be to write a novel if only one lived in Rome. This sort of thing: You want to write. Really you do. You long to. In fact, if you could run away now to Rome and write full-time with the… Continue reading Top Ten Tips on how not to write a novel, find an agent, get it published and become rich and famous
Daddy Cool
Apparently it was Father’s Day in the UK yesterday…but not here in Italy. That is my lame excuse for totally forgetting, not sending my Dad a card (sorry Dad) and having to get up ridiculously early to print out a Father’s Day “keepsake book” for the kids to fill out and give to HWW. But… Continue reading Daddy Cool
Summertime Blues
It’s starting to heat up here in Rome. At 10am this morning, the temperature had already hit 27 degrees, the sky was a deep blue without a cloud to be seen and the sun was beating down. Sounds like bliss huh? Hmmm, sadly not. I'm sure I’m a lone voice with this opinion but I… Continue reading Summertime Blues
Inside Italy: Puppy Love?
I know the British are supposed to be a nation of dog lovers but the Italians surely take the (dog) biscuit. They really love dogs. Everywhere I go, there are Italians - or their maids - walking a variety of tiny dachshunds, terriers and Chihuahuas (Google Chihuahua-husky mixes; they’re gorgeous. Like walking beanie-babies). I know very few… Continue reading Inside Italy: Puppy Love?
The Fair Weather Fair
The school Summer Fair was due to take place on the last Saturday in May. I’m always happy to donate something fatto in casa (homemade) to these things, so the day before I baked my favourite Banana & Chocolate loaf and rustled up 40 Marshmallow Rice Krispie cakes. An hour later, the Fair was postponed for… Continue reading The Fair Weather Fair
Inside Italy: Mad Dogs and Englishmen
At work the other day, my husband (HeWhoWorks) found a couple of large cardboard boxes that were to be thrown out. They were just what we needed to store our little used (ok, never used) camping gear so he thought he’d rescue them. As he left work with the boxes that evening, the security guard… Continue reading Inside Italy: Mad Dogs and Englishmen
Arrabbiato Chilli Jam: Some Like it Hot
One of the things I really miss about England is the fantastic range of chutneys, pickles and relishes. I love them so much I even add pots of piccalilli and jars of pickled onions to my Christmas list. But it's often hard to find something spicy, tangy and tasty in Rome; Italians don't seem to go in… Continue reading Arrabbiato Chilli Jam: Some Like it Hot
Inside Italy: Let It Be…
We had a problem with a leak in the bathroom that was dripping into the apartment below so a couple of idraulici (plumbers) were called in. The leak came from a pipe beneath a tiled floor and two feet of solid concrete, so a pneumatic drill was used to dig a huge hole, which was… Continue reading Inside Italy: Let It Be…
Parmesan e Patate al forno (Good ol’ cheese and potato bake)
The weather was wet and windy here in Rome yesterday so comfort food was called for. This is a simple, yet very tasty, dish that can be prepared in advance and thrown in the oven at the last moment. Add some crusty bread, a green salad and, voila, Roberto's your uncle. Ingredients – serves four:… Continue reading Parmesan e Patate al forno (Good ol’ cheese and potato bake)
Inside Italy: Don’t stop me now…
I find it interesting that stop signs are always written in English here. Of course, whether anyone stops or not is another matter entirely.
Lemon curd + Suffolk rusks = Delizioso
Ok, I admit that I may have become a bit obsessed with the limoncello lemon curd. As well as having it on toast for breakfast, I've also been using it as a topping for cheesecakes and 'desserts in a jar', swirling it into butter icing for cupcakes and, of course, eating it straight from the… Continue reading Lemon curd + Suffolk rusks = Delizioso
Inside Italy: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Inside Italy isn't exactly an official guide to visiting Italy, so please don't use it to plan a holiday! It's just a series of random ramblings about things here that catch my eye. Now I’m definitely with Joan Rivers when it comes to housework: ‘I hate housework. You make the beds, you do… Continue reading Inside Italy: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun
Reading Ban = Limoncello Curd
So I’m following The Artist’s Way: a 12-week course to discover and free your creativity. Obviously, that sounds like a right load of New Age tosh but it’s an interesting read and has lots of exercises to get you started on writing, painting or whatever floats your creative boat. But last… Continue reading Reading Ban = Limoncello Curd
Sunday lunch Italiano style
A long, lazy Sunday lunch is a great tradition in Italy, a time to relax and catch up with friends or family, either at home or in a restaurant. We were feeling exceptionally Italiano yesterday so we headed out for lunch at Fregene, a small seaside resort about 25 miles west of Rome. Italian beaches… Continue reading Sunday lunch Italiano style
Marmite Spaghetti – perfect comfort food
We had a huge thunderstorm here a couple of nights ago with the loudest thunder I’ve ever heard crashing over our heads for what felt like hours. I’ve been surprised at just how many thunderstorms we get in Rome – more in the last six months than I experienced in the last six years… Continue reading Marmite Spaghetti – perfect comfort food
Strong stuff
Every time I start to think my Italian is improving, I’m reminded of why it’s really not. This morning after a cappuccino in my favourite bar, I said goodbye with a casual ‘ci vediamo dopo’ (‘see you later’). The barista responded by laughing and wobbling about pretending to be drunk. I then realised I’d said… Continue reading Strong stuff
Fragolo Cupcakes
I managed to lock myself out of the apartment yesterday, taking my carefully sorted recycling down to the bins. Major panic as I'd left a pan of home-made carrot soup bubbling on the hob. It was molto fun trying to ask for help from the old nonna downstairs, who doesn't speak a word of English… Continue reading Fragolo Cupcakes
Caffè time
One of the best things about living in Italy is the great coffee. I'm a cappuccino girl all the way and I go against the grain by having it 'molto caldo' ('very hot' - not luke warm like the Italians do) and I drink it in the afternoon which is also a no-no, as Italians… Continue reading Caffè time
Italian living and writing (or not)
Italian writing: living in a new country should provide the perfect inspiration to writing - yes? New experiences, new people, new language, new food. However, it doesn't seem to be working and I'm still halfway through the novel I started as part of NaNoWriMo...in 2011. Bought Julia Cameron's 'The Artist's Way' and have started writing… Continue reading Italian living and writing (or not)
NaNoWriMo
So, almost ready for NaNoWriMo. Story is almost plausible, characters worked out and no idea of the ending...2,000 words a day from Tuesday! Easy!
