Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Serves: 2   There are days when we just want a light meal and for me that is usually a sandwich with a salad.  Today I had some broccoli and cauliflower in the fridge therefore I boiled them or you can steam them, then I strained them and let them cool and made a cold salad out of the to accompany my quickly cooked pork filets to make it a hot sandwich meal.    Ingredients 80 ml olive oil 60 ml apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp honey 1 tsp Dijon musta

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   TikTok video crows destroying grass / corvi che distruggono l’erba   When we returned to Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada this past fall, I was stunned by just how many lawns had been ravaged by crows. I watched in disbelief as they carefully tugged up the grass, leaving what should have been a lush, green paradise looking torn and tattered—a disheartening sight for anyone who cherishes a pristine lawn.   Have you ever wondered why this s

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   Serves: 2 (2 wraps per person)   We love wraps any time of year and today Gianni asked to have a wrap therefore I created this Greek wrap however I substituted feta cheese for mozzarella balls as Gianni isn’t allowed to have feta.  You can use feta instead to make it truly Greek!     I served the wraps with a simple green salad to make this a complete meal.   Ingredients 300 gr chicken breast cut into small cubes 100 gr sliced onions 100 gr pee

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   TikTok Video - Bat Houses / Casetta per Pipistrelli Walking along the promenade in Arona, Verdemax boxes can be seen everywhere. Curious about what they were, I decided to do some research to learn more about them.   These little houses are bat houses.  They are environmentally friendly wooden shelters created to give bats a secure resting and nesting place in gardens, parks, or on buildings. Made primarily from natural pine wood, these bat ho

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Serves: 2 – 3   We love a sandwich and salad for dinner after we have had several big meal days.  Making it a hot sandwich makes the meal feel like dinner.  This sandwich has a good crusty bread to hold the veal, veggies and cheese.  Absolutely delicious with a simple green leaf salad.   Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp vegetable broth 70 gr diced onions 150 gr small pieces of veal (you can use whatever you like) Vegetable broth as required

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   TikTok video – Cathedral / Duomo The Duomo di Ivrea, officially the Cattedrale di Santa Maria Assunta, stands in the historic center of Ivrea as the result of nearly two millennia of continuous religious and architectural history. Its origins lie in the 4th–5th centuries, when the Roman town of Eporedia  began its transformation into a Christian city. Early Christian basilicas were established on this site, traces of which survive beneath the

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   TikTok Video of Vercelli Rice / Riso I want to start by giving Franco, our friend from Vercelli the credit for taking the photos and videos of the rice’s growing phases.  It allows me to show you how the fields transform from dirt to rice.   Rice cultivation in the Vercelli area of northern Piedmont gradually became Europe’s most important rice-growing district due to its geography, technology, and social history. Its foundations date to the M

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   TikTok video of the church – video TikTok della chiesa The Church of Saints Philip and James is in the heart of Laveno‑Mombello just above the shores of Lake Maggiore.  It historically served as the main parish church before the construction of the newer Sant’Ambrogio.  Often called the chiesa vecchia (“old church”) by locals, it’s a quiet witness to the town’s history and spiritual life.   Its origins go back to the 14th century (with the ea

Italian under each section   TikTok video of the three churches - Video TikTok delle tre chiese     While visiting Varazze I got to visit three churches, all different and all beautiful in their own right.    Santa Caterina The Sanctuary of Santa Caterina is Roman Catholic church in baroque style that was consecrated in 1658.  It was October 3, 1376, when St. Catherine of Siena left Avignon and arrived in the village of Varazze.  She wanted to visit the birthplace of the bl

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano Video of the Polyptych - Video del Polittico Nestled in the hills of the Marche region, the small town of Monte San Martino is home to a remarkable Renaissance treasure: the Polyptych of Monte San Martino . Though not as famous as works by Michelangelo or Leonardo, this altarpiece tells a story of artistic collaboration, devotion, and the beauty of the Italian Quattrocento or 1400’s.   It is believed the polyptych was created between 1477 and

Scorri a basso per l’Italiano   The magic of Christmas lights Video of the lights - Video delle luci About a 40-minute drive from Arona and roughly an hour from Milan lies the small town of Leggiuno, home to just 3,400 residents. Each winter, it becomes one of northern Italy’s most enchanting seasonal destinations, as the town is transformed into a luminous holiday wonderland. Locally known as the Luminarie di Leggiuno , the display bathes streets, trees, and public spaces

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   TikTok video of Monaco views - Video TikTok delle vedute di Monaco Monaco is located in the Principality of Monaco and is a sovereign city-state on the French Riviera in Western Europe.  The state has an area of 2.08 km 2  (0.80 sq mi) and is the second smallest state in the world behind only the Vatican City.  Monaco is bordered by France to the north, east and west and the Mediterranean Sea to the south. It is 10 km (6.2 mli) from the Itali

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   Serves: 4   Tomatoes with fresh mozzarella cheese is a traditional Italian salad that I absolutely love.  It is light and refreshing and is great as a side to any meal.    Ingredients 3 tomatoes 2 fresh mozzarella balls Olive oil Salt Dried oregano Good balsamic vinegar   Directions Slice the tomatoes and mozzarella about the same thickness Place tomatoes and mozzarella alternately on a plate Sprinkle the tomatoes and mozzarella with olive oil,

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   TikTok video of the Prince’s Palace - Video TikTok del Palazzo del Principe The Prince’s Palace of Monaco is the official residence of the Sovereign Prince of Monaco.  Today the residence is home to Prince Albert Grimaldi II and his wife Princess Charlene of the Grimaldi family dynasty.   It was built as a Genoese fortress by the merchants of the Ghibelline faction in 1191 and like many fortresses in Europe has been bombarded and besieged by

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   TikTok video of the museum - Video TikTok del museo Gianni and I are car fanatics and whenever there is a car museum in the area, we have to see what treasures are hidden behind the walls.  Therefore, during our visit to Monaco we had to visit the museum of the Prince of Monaco’s Car Collection.  The ticket was ten euros per adult and totally worth the price as there are over 100 cars to explore.    Prince Rainer III was a car enthusiast and

Italiano sotto ogni sezione Here is a TikTok video on violence against women - Ecco un video TikTok sulla violenza contro le donne Since December 17, 1999, The United Nations General Assembly established November 25th as International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.  November 25th is not a coincidence; it marks the brutal assassination of three Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic in 1960.    Patria, Maria Teresa and Minerva Mirabal were considered r

Scorri a basso per l’italiano   TikTok video of the Cathedral – Video TikTok del Duomo   The Cathedral of Our Lady Immaculate or Cathédrale de Notre-Dame-Immaculée in French stands tall in the historic district of Monaco-Ville. It is a Roman Catholic church dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary under the venerated title of the Immaculate Conception.  It dates back to 1875 when Prince Charles (Carlo III) commissioned it to replace the previous 13 th -century Saint Nicholas Ch

Scorri a basso per l’italiano YouTube video of casino - Video YouTube del casinò Officially named Casino de Monte-Carlo is not only a casino, but an entertainment complex located in the Principality of Monaco.  It houses Le Casino, Opéra de Monte-Carlo (Opera House) and Les Ballet de Monte-Carlo (Ballet Company).  It is owned by Société des Bains de Mer, a publicly traded company which also owns the principal hotels, sports clubs, foodservice establishments and nightclubs t

Italian under each section TikTok Video of Sacro Monte di San Carlo Church / Chiesa  Sacro Monte History The Sacred Mount of Arona is a complex devoted to Charles (Carlo) Borromeo and is part of nine Sacri Monti built in Piedmont and Lombardy in the 16 th  and 17th centuries.  It is located high above the town of Arona in the town of San Carlo.    Carlo Borromeo was born October 2, 1538 and became a cardinal in 1560, then becoming the Archbishop of Milan from 1564 to 1584. 

Scorri a basso per l’italiano    We recently spent a few days in Varazze the seaside municipality in the province of Savona in the region...