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VOLARE

26/11/2014

Volare by Domenico Modugno is one of the most famous Italian songs.
It' a classic and part of Italian culture. Everyone should learn it!

Volare (Nel blu dipinto di blu)

Penso che un sogno così non ritorni mai più
Mi dipingevo le mani e la faccia di blu
Poi d'improvviso venivo dal vento rapito
E incominciavo a volare nel cielo infinito

Volare, oh oh...
Cantare, ohohoho...
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù

E volavo, volavo felice
Più in alto del sole ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano spariva, lontano laggiù
Una musica dolce suonava soltanto per me

Volare, oh oh...
Cantare, ohohoho...
Nel blu dipinto di blu
Felice di stare lassù

Ma tutti i sogni nell'alba svaniscono perché
Quando tramonta, la luna li porta con sé
Ma io continuo a sognare negli occhi tuoi belli
Che sono blu come un cielo trapunto di stelle

Volare, oh oh...
Cantare, ohohoho...
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù

E continuo a volare felice
Più in alto del sole ed ancora più su
Mentre il mondo pian piano scompare negli occhi tuoi blu
La tua voce è una musica dolce che suona per me

Volare, oh oh...
Cantare, ohohoho...
Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù

Nel blu degli occhi tuoi blu
Felice di stare quaggiù con te

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INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ITALY

17/11/2014

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• Population: 61.3 million people live in Italy

• Capital: Roma, with 2.6mil inhabitants and Italy’s biggest city

• Name: Repubblica Italiana

• Government: Democracy, Republic

• Language: Italian as well as German, French and Ladin in some regions in Northern Italy.

• Literacy: More than 98% can read and write

• Religion: mainly Christians (Roman Catholics 90%)

• Currency: Euro

• History: Italy became one nation only in 1861 and since then includes the islands of Sicilia and Sardegna. It became a Republic in 1946 after the second World War

• Flag: The colors represent these virtues: hope (green), faith (white), and charity (red).

Land and People

The name "Italy" comes from Greek "italos", which means calf
Italy is the fifth most visited country in the world, welcoming some 46 million foreign visitors annually.
There are 15 minority languages officially recognised in Italy, including native languages such as Sardinian and Friulian, and neighbouring countries' languages (Catalan, Occitan, French, Slovenian, Croatian, Albanian and Greek).
Italy now has one of the lowest birthrate and fertility rate in the world.
Two of Europe's smallest countries, San Marino and the Vatican, are enclaved within Italy.
Europe's only three active volcanoes, the Etna, the Stromboli and the Vesuvius, are all in the South of Italy. Mount Etna also happens to be the world's most active volcano.
Italy did not become a completely unified country until 1861. Italians have retained a strong attachment to their native region or province, and most still find it hard to identify with Italy as a single nation.

History

The Colosseum in Rome is the largest ancient building dedicated to entertainment. The second and third largest Roman amphitheatres in Italy are respectively those of Capua and Verona.
The oldest European university in continuous operation is the University of Bologna, founded in 1088. 13 other Italian universities are over 500 years old.
St Peter's Basilica in Rome is the largest Christian edifice in the world. Its construction took 120 years (1506-1626).

Gastronomy

There are over 140 types of pasta, and even more names. Some pasta varieties are only produced regionally, while others are known under a different name in various regions.
Each Italian consumes in average 25kg of pasta each year. However, pasta consumption is considerably higher in the centre and south of the country than in the north, where risotto and polenta are more common.
There are thousands of traditional and regional Italian desserts. However, the most famous one abroad, the tiramisù, was only invented in the 1970's. The name literally means "pick-me-up" (metaphorically, "make me happy"), due to two of its ingredients : coffee and cocoa.

Inventions

Many of the world's most famous artists were Italian, with such names as Botticelli, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Tintoretto, Caravaggio, Bernini, Raffaello, among many others.
The Italians invented the viol, violin, cello and piano, and were the greatest representative of Baroque music (Vivaldi, Corelli, Monteverdi, Albinoni...).
The mechanical clock, the barometer, the thermometer, optical glasses and the telephone are all Italian inventions.

Economy and technology

It is estimated that Italy has the biggest "black economy" in Western Europe.
Italy has more famous fashion designers than any other country, including Gucci, Prada, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Giorgio Armani, Ermenegildo Zegna, Gianfranco Ferré, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, Fendi, Valentino….
Many of the world's most prestigious sports cars are Italian, such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Bugatti.

Politic and legal system

Italian Members of Parliament are the highest paid in Europe, receiving 11,000 € per month, more than twice the average in Western Europe. They receive many extra perks such as life pension, subsidised meals, chauffeured cars, and free mobile phones.
Italy is one of the most overlegislated countries on Earth. The country is estimated to have 5 to 12 times more laws than France or Germany.

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AROUND VENEZIA

12/11/2014

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"Alla scoperta dell'Italia"
We start our trip discovering Italy from Venezia. What a beautiful city!
This viedo is showing a colourful and vibrant Venice. Don't forget to go to the little island called Burano (where you can see the colourful houses).

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What we love about Italy

10/11/2014

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Italy is known around the world for its beautiful cities, like Roma, Firenze, Venezia, for the art, the history, the fashion, but for sure one of the most famous Italian things is the FOOD!
Who doesn't know pasta and pizza?

Here is a video that shows the 10 best things about Italian food! Don't watch it if you are hungry!!

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10 TIPS TO LEARN A LANGUAGE

5/11/2014

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1. KNOW WHY YOU’RE DOING IT
This might sound obvious, but if you don’t have a good reason to learn a language, you are less likely to stay motivated over the long-run. Wanting to impress English-speakers with your Italian is not a very good reason; wanting to get to know an Italian person in his or her own language is another matter entirely. No matter your reason, once you’ve decided on a language, it’s crucial to commit.

2. DIVE IN
It’s crucial to practice your new language every single day. It’s about actually putting what you’re learning into practice – be that writing an email, speaking to yourself, listening to music, listening to the radio. Surrounding yourself, submerging yourself in the new language culture is extremely important.
Remember, the best possible outcome of speaking a language is for people to speak back to you. Being able to have a simple conversation is a huge reward in itself. Reaching milestones like that early on will make it easier to stay motivated and keep practicing.

3. FIND A PARTNER
Having any kind of partner to join you on your language adventure, will push both of you to always try just a little bit harder and stay with it. You also have someone with whom you can speak, and that’s the idea behind learning a language.

4. KEEP IT RELEVANT
If you make conversation a goal from the beginning, you are less likely to get lost in textbooks. Talking to people will keep the learning process relevant to you. You’re learning a language to be able to use it. You’re not going to speak it to yourself. The creative side is really being able to put the language that you’re learning into a more useful, general, everyday setting – be that through writing songs, generally wanting to speak to people, or using it when you go abroad. You don’t necessarily have to go abroad; you can go to the Greek restaurant down the road and order in Greek.

5. HAVE FUN WITH IT
Using your new language in any way is a creative act. Think of some fun ways to practice your new language: make a radio play with a friend, draw a comic strip, write a poem, or simply talk to whomever you can. If you can’t find a way to have fun with the new language, chances are you aren’t following step four.

6. ACT LIKE A CHILD
The key to learning as quickly as a child may be to simply take on certain childlike attitudes: for instance, lack of self-consciousness, a desire to play in the language and willingness to make mistakes.
We learn by making mistakes. As kids, we are expected to make mistakes, but as adults mistakes become taboo. Think how an adult is more likely to say, “I can’t”, rather than, “I haven’t learned that yet” (I can’t swim, I can’t drive, I can’t speak Spanish). To be seen failing (or merely struggling) is a social taboo that doesn’t burden children. When it comes to learning a language, admitting that you don’t know everything (and being okay with that) is the key to growth and freedom. Let go of your grown-up inhibitions!

7. LEAVE YOUR COMFORT ZONE
Willingness to make mistakes means being ready to put yourself in potentially embarrassing situations. This can be scary, but it’s the only way to develop and improve. No matter how much you learn, you won’t ever speak a language without putting yourself out there: talk to strangers in the language, ask for directions, order food, try to tell a joke. The more often you do this, the bigger your comfort zone becomes and the more at ease you can be in new situations:

8. LISTEN
You must learn to look before you can draw. In the same way, you must learn to listen before you can speak. Every language sounds strange the first time you hear it, but the more you expose yourself to it the more familiar it becomes, and the easier it is to speak it properly. We’re able to pronounce anything, it’s just we’re not used to doing it. The best way to go about mastering that is actually to hear it constantly, to listen to it and to kind of visualize or imagine how that is supposed to be pronounced, because for every sound there is a specific part of the mouth or throat that we use in order to achieve that sound.

9. WATCH PEOPLE TALK
Different languages make different demands on your tongue, lips and throat. Pronunciation is just as much physical as it is mental. One way – it might sound a bit strange – is to really look at someone while they’re saying words that use that sound, and then to try to imitate that sound as much as possible. If you can’t watch and imitate a native-speaker in person, watching foreign-language films and TV is a good substitute.

10. TALK TO YOURSELF
When you have no one else to speak to, there’s nothing wrong with talking to yourself. It might sound really weird, but actually speaking to yourself in a language is a great way to practice if you’re not able to use it all the time.
This can keep new words and phrases fresh in your mind and build up your confidence for the next time you speak with someone.

(Bonus tip) RELAX!
You are not going to annoy people by speaking their language poorly. If you preface any interaction with, “I’m learning and I’d like to practice…” most people will be patient, encouraging and happy to oblige. Even though there are approximately a billion non-native English-speakers around the world, most of them would rather speak their own language if given a choice. Taking the initiative to step into someone else’s language world can also put them at ease and promote good feelings all around.
You can travel abroad speaking your own language, but you’ll get so much more out of it being able to actually feel at ease in the place you are – being able to communicate, to understand, to interact in every situation you could possibly imagine.

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VOLARE

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT ITALY

AROUND VENEZIA

What we love about Italy

10 TIPS TO LEARN A LANGUAGE

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