Oh, I see! moments
Travel Cultures Language

Wanderlust in Waiting

by Joyce McGreevy on June 29, 2020

People walking in Piazza Trento e Trieste, Ferrara, Italy, a vibrant place recommended for a visit in the author's travel planning tips for Italy. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Have you had to walk back your travel plans?
Above: Piazza Trento e Triste, Ferrara, Italy.
© Joyce McGreevy

Travel Planning Tips for Italy (& Other “Delayed Gratification” Destinations)

You can take the girl out of the travel, but you can’t take the travel out of the girl. Like many people today, I’ve put international travel plans on pause, but that hasn’t changed my love of journeys. My wanderlust for Italy is simply waiting in the wings.

Make that on the wings, whether those of a spacious Dreamliner or a petite Britten Norman Islander, a plane so small you basically wear it.

“Where Are the Women?”

by Joyce McGreevy on April 16, 2019

Shadow of a woman on stairs in a restorer's studio in Florence where Jane Adams of Advancing Women Artists is working to restore the hidden half of Italy's artistic heritage. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

At a restorer’s studio in Florence, art by Renaissance women emerges from the shadows.
© Joyce McGreevy

The Hidden Half of Florence, Italy’s Artistic Heritage

“First came the flood,” says Jane Adams. “Then came the flood of helpers.” A passionate builder of partnerships for Advancing Women Artists, Adams meets me at a café near the River Arno. The setting is picture-perfect: Florence, a 2,000-year-old city and the center of Italy’s artistic heritage.

In Florence, reflections of buildings in the Arno river that flooded in 1966 and threatened Italy's artistic heritage. (Image © by Joyce McGreevy)

Mirroring calm today, the River Arno turned deadly in 1966.
© Joyce McGreevy

A Taste of Italian Wordplay

by Joyce McGreevy on February 12, 2019

A woman serving gelato reminds the writer that Italian wordplay includes many Italian food idioms—that aren’t about food. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

What’s as cool as gelato minus the calorie count? Italian wordplay!
© Joyce McGreevy

Spice Up Your Speech with Italian Idioms

One of the pleasures of travel in Italy is immersing yourself in the language. As you treat your palate to its cuisines, treat your tongue to Italian wordplay.

Oh,  I see:  Sampling Italian idioms is a rich, non-fattening way to savor Italian culture.

An array of Italian side dishes remind the writer that many Italian idioms refer to food. (Image © Joyce McGreevy)

Many Italian idioms were inspired by food—but are rarely about food.
© Joyce McGreevy

Complimenti Allo Chef!

In English we favor plain statements when seeking the simple truth:  “Tell it like it is.”  “Give it to me straight.”

Copyright © 2011-2024 OIC Books   |   All Rights Reserved   |   Privacy Policy