Instantly Italy

Italian speaking practice and grammar tutoring

How To Buy Groceries in Italy: What To Say And Do in Italian Grocery Stores and Supermarkets

Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

Shopping for food is one of the activities like the most when I am abroad.

Going to open-air markets or visiting the supermarket is a true adventure and a great way to know a certain town or country better: the farther from your hometown you are, the funnier it is.  There is a lot you can learn about a place if you go grocery shopping, so it’s an experience I totally recommend you, in Italy especially, where food is more than a religion.

[Read more…]

Expats in Italy: A Chat With Linda Of The Beehive Hostel About Living in Rome And Having A Business In Italy

You know how much I love chatting with expats, so you can easily imagine how happy I am that the Expats in Italy section is back!

Every interview is truly special to me because it is a great way to learn something new about my country. I really like seeing Italy through a foreigner’s eye, someone who is not Italian but has been living here long enough to experience Italian life and our (crazy) way of thinking. So I feel really honored every time someone accepts to be interviewed for this blog!

[Read more…]

[Hidden Italy] A Little Piece Of Heaven In The Italian Riviera: Jorn House Museum in Albissola Marina, Savona

Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

One of the things I like the most about Italy is that it hides pure gems almost everywhere.

If you look carefully, you’ll find meaningful old buildings, fascinating museums, interesting monuments, or simply places with a story to tell in every Italian town, even in the smallest and lesser-known ones.

[Read more…]

10 Basic Italian Phrases You Need To Know If You Visit Italy (Plus One)

Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

You don’t need to speak Italian if you come to Italy, obviously, but knowing a few basic phrases could definitely help. 

Knowing a bit of the language is a matter of survival if you go to remote or off-the-beaten-track Italian locations but mastering a few basic words and phrases can be a great idea even if you go to tourist places, where most people know English.

[Read more…]

How To Order Coffee In Italy (Without Sounding Too Much Like A Tourist)

Subscribe to the Vespa rides and get full access to Your Italian Toolbox, a library of language learning materials that you can use to practice Italian.

You might have read posts about coffee in Italy possibly about a thousand times before. 

But probably it is worth writing one more post about the topic because I still hear too many people ordering “un espresso” when asking for coffee, here in Italy. So let’s take some time to recap a few basic guidelines you need to follow if you want to order coffee in Italy.

[Read more…]