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Greg’s Italy A blog from www.gregsitaly.com
A rainy day ride to Limone Sul Garda, one of Lake Garda’s most beautiful towns
<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/458682399″>Limone Sul Garda</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user32714423″>Greg Speck</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a>.</p>
I hope you enjoy this short video.
Ciao.
Learning Italian
I have been trying to learn Italian for several years. Pimsleur, Italianpod101, CD’s, and Duolingo. They all have helped me improve. Duolingo is one of the best products I have used. The free version is an excellent introduction to learning any language. Premium is a better way to speed up learning, no adds, nor stops after making several mistakes.
This has worked well and I have used Duolingo for many years with both Spanish and Italian .
It has worked well, and I have used it daily for over two years. I realized on our trip last year to Cortina d’Ampezzo that speaking to Italians in their language was fun and made our trip so much more enjoyable. One night we had the owners of our Airbnb over for dinner. The conversation was 95% in Italian as Renato, and his wife spoke little English.
At this point, I had reached the limit of my conversational abilities. It was a good conversation, but I wanted to go farther. One year later, I have started to take Italian lessons. Online Italian courses seemed to be the way to go in the ane of Coronavirus.
I searched several websites and looked closely at two of them. Lingoci appeared to be the best for me.
From the photo, you can see there are several languages to choose from.
Once you choose a language to learn, you see a list of instructors from whom you can choose.
I chose a sample lesson with Lucrezia, who comes from Milano and now lives in Barcelona. She is fluent in several languages. I was a little nervous about the class, but she put me at ease quickly.
Here is a screenshot of my introductory lesson in Italian.
She is very accomplished with all levels of Italian, and I felt very relaxed learning with her. I purchased a package of 10 lessons for $22.90 US dollars (each). Each lesson lasts for 55 minutes. That is a bargain for a one on one learning experience.
Here is a link to the web site
I do not get any payment from Lingoci, and I do this because I enjoy languages and this had made my learning so much more enjoyable. I have scheduled my lessons for consecutive weeks and at the same time. I highly recommend Lingoci and will continue with my studies for the year.
Most lessons are on Skype which enables a student to get vocabulary and downloads of assignments and documents. This is very helpful.
Give it a try. One on one is the best way to learn an language, and Lincoci makes it easy and affordable.
https://lingoci.com/italian-lessons-skype#tutors
Thie above like will open up the Italian tutors section for Lingoci. Take a look.
San Pietro at night
Ischia an Island Off The Coast of Naples
I came across and article on Ischia today that appeared in Forbes Magazine a while back.
I remember it for its beauty and ease of transportation via the city busses. The food was excellent and thermal baths abound in this little volcanic island. Take the ferry from Napoli and enjoy your stay.
It is just s short ferry ride from Naples to Ischia. On the way uou pass the equally enchanting island of Procida.
The island of Pricida
A 2018 article in Forbes magazine said “Ischia may be one of Italy’s best kept secrets”. It is certainly a relaxing and interesting place to visit. It is affordable with excellent restaurants. It is more casual than Capri and much less hectic. Thermal hot [springs feed pools for a relaxing warm swim. Parts of the movie “The Talented Mister Ripley” were filmed here. Great seafood abounds on this 18 square mile island
On the ferry from Napoli to Ischia. We brought our car on the ferry, is was a reasonable price.
The Castello Aragones is a medieval castle next to Ischia (one of the Phlegraean Islands), at the northern end of the Gulf of Naples, Italy. The castle stands on a volcanic rocky islet that connects to the larger island of Ischia by a causeway (Ponte Aragonese).
Insalata Caprese for our lunch
Lava formations from past eruptions on this volcanic island.
Getting ready to jump.
Diving into the sea brings relief from the warm summer day.
Each day the pool is emptied and refilled from the thermal spring. The water is warm, and if filled with minerals.
We took a bus to get to Lo Scoglio, in Sant Angelo. It was s short ten minute drive to an amazing treat.
The entrance to Lo Scoglio
Frutti di Mare
My wife Angela was thrilled with all this fresh seafood.
A cruise ship passes by.
Outside dining makes for an enjoyable evening. .
Samt Angelo, Ischia. Check out the fumarole beaches with steam jets rise up through the sands. Food is cooked by burying it in the sand and letting the volcanic steam do its thing.
A salumaria or delicatessen has the real bufala mozzarella. This is best served at room temperature and best kept only on day. It is different from the fresh mozzarella which we find in American supermarkets.
More views
It is well worth the trip.Stay for a few days to enjoy the shops, dining, and the swimming. You can bring your car over on the ferry. Busses run to many of the attractions.
A year in Italy or more????
As we have been in quarantine and survived, we are dreaming of staying for a year, or more in Italy.
This is not he easiest of things. Especially right now as restrictions on travel for Americans exist. I do not blame Italy, the US has had its own problems and has excluded visitors from a number of countries. The hard part is getting permission to stay in Italy for more than 90 days. Permesso di soggiorno, permission to stay, or residency permit.
After a bit of research, it first appears to be a daunting task. If anyone reading this blogs has ideas, send me an email at greg@gregsitaly.com
Spacious apartment in Milan would be perfect for a long stay. Large living room kitchen combo. Bedroom with queen bed and nice shower. About 100 feet from tram stop and walk to many restaurantes
The bureaucracy of dealing with the Italian Consulate, can be very trying to ones sole. You must be financially secure and not a drain on the Italian economy. Banking records showing your last three months records are required. I am exploring several types of visas.
Our destinations would ideally be on the shore. Possibly Sicily with its many beach areas. This is going to be along project, and may never come to pass. It is possible to stay for 90 days without a visa, this is also an option. I will continue to write about this in future posts. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Italy Photo Journey
Every place we visit, we find some beautiful sights.
CORTINA DI AMPEZZO 
Cortina d’Ampezzo 
VENEZIA 
MILANO, THE CANALS 
VENEZIA 
VICENZA 
VICENZA 
VICENZA 
CAMPO DEI FIORE, ROMA 
AMALFI 
ALBEROBELLO 
OSTUNI THE WHITE CITY 
OSTUNI 
NAPOLI 
AMALFI 
OUTSIDE OF VIESTE
These are a few of the over 15,000 photos from the last 20 plus years of traveling to Italy.
About a week ago, but some years ago. We celebrated our retirement and explored new areas of Italy.
It was July 5th, 2008. We arrived in Milano and started to explore. We learned about the trams, the buses, and getting lost. It was fun.
Our trip went everywhere, Verona, MIlano, east, west, north south. At one small town, Tessimo, the innkeeper spoke only German
Now it is 12 years later,and my and possibly your world has been changed by the Covid19 virus. American are not welcome in Italy. I understand this and the need to protect the citizens of Italy.
It has not stopped our planning for out next trip. Sicily is our next destination.
Angela and I have visited most of Italy. From the north and Cortina di Ampezzo to Calabria and Reggio. Sicily has heritage for my wife’s family. That will be our next return is it. It is also amazing. So much is on this island we will never discover it all
The duomo, Siracusa
It was a one hour walk to the top to Castelmola. When I got down to the bottom, una birra e una pizza. I was definitely wiped out, but the view was beautiful.
Castelmola
The walk was worth it. At the top a festa was I progress.
A happy wave from a woman in Palermo.
When things change we will be back in Sicily
Published with WordPress on an iPad as we are in Connecticut away from the virus hitting Florida so are. A little behind as usual in posting.
Non vedo l’ora. I can’t wait.
The best cheese comes from Italy. Visiting this year is out, and I got hungry, 
So I searched on Amazon for Pecorino cheese. Sheep’s milk cheese. I found a great product and decided to order it,
It was shipped UPS Air and arrived in two days from Parma, Italy.
It was packed with a styrofoam inner container with cooling jej.
This is it. Just about 4 lbs.
It even includes a cutting knife.
It is a softer cheese than Parmesan with a wonderful aroma and taste. Pecorino Toscano is a PDO cheese made in the Tuscany region of Italy. You can order directly from them at the following web site
For me all cheese that I have eaten in Italy is great, and now I can bring it home. My 2 kilo order cost $79 with UPS air shipping. That was a good price. See the photo below that show a shop window in the Trastevere section of Roma where the price for kilo was 63 Euro.
In Florida you can visit Doris Market in West Palm which specializes in Italian Foods.
I Never Forget A Meal
I am borrowing the title of a book by Michael Tucker who also fell in love with Italy and has always loved food. Italian food and Italian meals are to be savored and enjoyed. His book was great and you can find copies on Amazon. Also recommended is “Living in a Foreign Language” also by Michael Tucker which is similar to Under the Tuscan Son, but with more humor and a bit of attitude.
We are on the island of Ischia, a small island off the coast of Napoli. We stayed in a small hotel with great views of the area and had a pleasant lunch of Prosciuto e Melone.
We also hand Insalata Capresse with fresh mozzarella di buffala
At anolther ristorante in ischia we had frutti di mare. As fresh as you can get.
While staying on Lake Carda in the town of Brenzone we had a waterfront dinner of Cacio e Pepe
Lunch at a winery in Vicenza 
Below is home made pasta in Milano, I took a pasta making class.
Felt is was time to lear how to do it, I had a pasta making machine at home that my bother bought about thirty years ago.
Nothing like your own fresh pasta
Pasta alla Norma
Mixed fruit that we bought at the market in Siracusa Sicily
Below is beefsteak Florentine
You start with aged meet. This is from Il Pandemonio, Florence Italy
It comes rare to medium rate, It is a think steak, about 1.5 to 2.0 inches.
There is nothing like it.
Back in Catania, Sicily
An entire meal of antipasti
My wife Angel and I after a wonderful meal.
Il Torre Del Mangia, Siena
Piazza del Campo
Insalata Capresse
There are more to come. This Brunello from 2011 met it Demis in 2020 as we reminisced about Italy.
Three Years Old
Three years ago I had the idea of doing a blog about Italy travel. I already had a web site ( http://www.gregsitaly.com) but it did not allow me to narrate travels as easily as WordPress does. It allows posting from iPad, iPhone, and Mac with access to all my 20,000 photos of Italy. So thanks to all those who have stopped by and I hope to share some more thoughts and photos during these difficult time. This is not a commercial site, Lo faccio per condividere il mio amore per l’Italia, I do it to share my love of Italy.
View from Fondaco dei Tedeschi.
Free entrance to some of the best views of Venice. You can reserve a time slot online.
Visit their web site
https://www.dfs.com/en/venice/t-fondaco-rooftop-terrace
A bridge in Vicenza
From the Grand Canal, Norwegian may not return.
