Italian speaking practice and grammar tutoring
This is one of the questions I get asked the most by non-Italians when we chat about Italian eating habits. I actually have no quick answer and I always just reply with a smile and “I don’t know”. But after having been asked such a question so many times, I started thinking about it.
Unlike many other kids in elementary school, I was not fascinated by Egyptian ancient history and culture, so the mandatory visit at the Museo Egizio (Egyptian Museum) was a bit boring for me. I could say that my teacher was not good at sparking my interest in the topic, while at the museum, but probably I was just not paying attention and only thinking about what we would do next.
Most of Italy is made of tiny little villages that nobody knows, where life is absolutely not as glamorous as they show you on Instagram accounts about la dolce vita and sweet life in Italy. Forget about Aperol Spritz drunk at sunset by the seaside or breathtaking sceneries or memorable art and historical treasures.
Well, this is basically what Susan Zimmerman, the lady I am interviewing today, had to face when she arrived in Italy, after marrying her Italian husband. It must have been challenging to say the least and Susan is great at describing how she felt and how she managed to overcome the frustration of being in a completely foreign environment without knowing the language.
As you may already know, Liguria is a tiny stretch of land between the sea and the hills. This is what makes the region so special: space is limited and villages are often perched on the hills overlooking the sea, with houses clinging to steep slopes.
