Topics
Language conventions:
Italian is in bold, English equivalents in Italics.
Italian is typically accented on the penultimate (next to last) syllable, or on any vowel marked with an accent, typically, ` , grave. To indicate accented vowels that follow neither of these rules, I use a , ^ , caret. This is not a part of the Italian spelling, but is an aid to pronunciation.
Blogroll
- Airline companies servicing Catania Aeroporto
- Catania (Sicily) Airport
- Catania airport daily flights
- Comune di Piazza Armerina link to the Villa Romana di Piazza Armerina
- Florence Scandicci line close-up
- iTunes link to English 24
- iTunes link to Gastronauta
- Lisa McGarry, writer and artist
- Rick Steves YouTube tour of Villa del Casale di Piazza Armerina
bus lines
places to stay
Category Archives: Giny & John’s personal recommendations
A few trips out of town—Lucca, Prato, and into Chianti
Check train routes carefully—some are quicker than others. Florence and Tuscany bus and train schedules can be viewed and planned on the Toscana Google Transit site. Lucca!- By train from Florence, Lucca is less than 1-1/2 hours each way and … Continue reading
Random, but still useful, notes
An etto, 1/10th of a chilo, kilo, about a quarter of a pound, is the basic unit of measure in the marketplace. Read more on my short Useful Italian: Numbers and Counting and the Marketplace pdf. While the smaller shops … Continue reading
Giny & John’s recommendations 3:
a focus on art history
The Capella Brancacci, Brancacci Chapel, in Santa Maria del Carmine church on the south side of the Arno at Piazza del Carmine, features a frescoed story cycle begun by Masolino and Masaccio and completed much later by Filippino Lippi. It … Continue reading
Personal favorites 2: Walks, a bus ride, more favs
It is a fine walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, on up to San Miniato al Monte, and downhill through a nice residential area. The stairway up to Piazzale Michelangelo starts at Piazza G. Poggi, located on the south side of … Continue reading
Personal favorites from John & Giny
Two biggies, lesser knowns, and churches
Friends have asked us to share some of our favorite things to do in and around Florence, Firenze, with the idea that we wouldn’t recite well-known highlights. Guidebooks are best for making strategic use of limited time. Perhaps an idea … Continue reading