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Written by Larry Aiello
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Sunday, 03 November 2013 13:41 |
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Here is a picture of a very common usage in Italy - drying your clothes on an outside line as opposed to using a dryer.
You can see this is a regular street corner where there is an Italian moped, or vespa parked on the sidewalk along with a mailbox (red).
Why do they do this?
Couldn't someone steal their clothes? I guess that is possible. I'm sure there are perverts that steal women's items on occasion. Although, much of the time the lines are hung up high and out of reach from pedestrians. The picture below is not a normal example.
I think the first thing at play is that most Italian cities are very cramped for space. The thought of buying a clothes-dryer in an already-tight living arrangement is not that appealing for many Italians.
The other thing to consider is that the cost of electricity runs about two to three times the cost that we are accustomed to paying here in the United States or Canada. That's because Italy has to import all of its electricity, it is not a producer of electricity. That may change in the distant future as I saw a lot of windmills and solar energy panels being used on many of the farming fields through Sicily.
The high cost of electricity is also another reason why they tend to be light on the air conditioning usage. They have air conditioners in Italy - especially in offices, public places, hotels, restaurants, etc. But the average home or apartment, depending on where they are, does not have central a/c. And if they do, they use it very sparingly.
We all know the use of a dryer is an energy hog. Using a dryer along with a washer or other electrical appliances at the same time might overload the circuit breaker in many Italian homes.
I think another thing at play is that Italians are more used to showing their emotions. They are very expressive and open and carry their emotions on their sleeves, so to speak. It could be a subtle psychological thing, but airing out their laundry for the world to see is not that big of a concern. And since they are all living closer together in tighter quarters their concept of personal space is smaller or tighter.
Not only is the Italian way better for the environment but it's also better for the clothes - it has to extend the life of the garment! I've had items rip, get tangled and mangled in my washer and dryer. And of course, it always seems like a sock tends to disappear from its counterpart every so often whenever I use my dryer.
Here is the picture below - feel free to leave a comment.
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Written by Larry Aiello
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Saturday, 26 October 2013 16:03 |
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We all know that Florence Italy is one of the most popular cities to visit in Italy. Every year it is a popular travel destination due to its art, history, great cuisine, fashion and shopping!
But what kind of weather can you expect if you visit Florence, Italy?
Take a look at the table below:
Reasons to visit Florence
Farm Vacation in Tuscany
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Written by Larry Aiello
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Monday, 14 October 2013 16:25 |
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This is a recent picture I took on my trip to Palermo, Sicily last month. I call this the "Beverly Hill Billies" of soap vending. Actually, there are many vendors like this selling all types of products including foods such as fish and bread along with toys and everything else under the sun.
And what's funny about these vehicles is that usually the driver has a microphone and is yelling throughout the neighborhood as he drives on by: "Detergents, two euros each, three for five euros"! Much to the chagrin of many residents, some of them start pretty early in the morning. In my aunt's neighborhood in Palermo I often hear fish vendors driving by around 7 AM.
These are three-wheeled vehicles manufactured by Piaggio and there are various popular "Ape" models that are available. They do not travel at high speeds and are used for light, commercial and industrial purposes.
This was taken while my cousin was driving in central Palermo and I was a passenger in the car. You can see the moped on the left trying to get around us and another car on the right. As you can see it is very chaotic, as well as dangerous, to drive in crowded Italian cities.
You can also see a garbage receptacle on the right where the Palermitani go to dump their household trash. A little tougher to see on the top right - some clothes drying from a balcony. The answer is yes, they do have clothes dryers in Italy, but the electricity is very expensive so most people prefer to hang them out to dry.
This picture gives a nice glimpse of typical street-life in Palermo. Even though this was taken in Palermo, it could have well been any number bigger, southern Italian towns like Naples or Catania.
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Written by Larry Aiello
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Thursday, 10 October 2013 22:47 |
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Here is the conjugation of the of the Italian verb graffiare which means to scratch. Cats like to scratch and some people like to annoyingly scratch the blackboard at school. The verb is a regular one, which means it is conjugated like most of the rest of the verbs in Italian that end in ARE.
First person - io graffio (I scratch)
Second person - tu graffi (you scratch)
Third person - lui / lei / Lei graffia (he / she / you (formal) scratches)
First person plural - noi graffiamo (we scratch)
Second person plural - voi graffiate (you all scratch)
Third person plural - loro / Loro graffiano (they scratch / or You all (formal) scratch)
Below is a funny picture that shows an example of the third person plural.
It says beware of the cat and the owner (they scratch!)
Notice how you did not have to use loro - it is implied from the way the verb is conjugated.
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Written by Flavours Holidays
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Sunday, 18 August 2013 17:07 |
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 I started Pilates as a result of ongoing, long term back problems which resulted in prolapsed discs. I used Pilates to rehabilitate myself as an alternative to the surgery that was recommended by the specialist who treated me. Whilst it is not always the case, for me, Pilates helped to strengthen and stabilize my body enough to reduce the prolapse discs and avoid surgery.
From my personal experience, and now my professional experience as a teacher, I think that Pilates is extremely effective to both rehabilitate and prevent injury. It is a mind and body exercise method, so can also help to reduce stress and anxiety. I have had reports of very quick results from clients, but the key is really to stick at it and give it time, the body takes a while to unlearn all it's bad habits, it should really be a method for life.
 Going on a Pilates holiday really gives you the opportunity to practice in a more intense way than is possible in every day life. Normally you would attend 1 maybe 2 classes a week which obviously means it takes longer to realize the benefits. On a Pilates holiday you can really speed up your progression with the method.
A Pilates holiday is ideal for total beginners as sometimes it can take a while to learn when only attending one class a week. Equally, more advanced learners can really get to grips with the more difficult moves that maybe they don't have time to practice when at home. I normally teach mixed ability classes anyway, so it is not a problem to have different levels exercising at the same time. There is also opportunity for private lessons, so again the learning can be intensified and adapted to specific needs.
What I also enjoy about Pilates holidays in Italy is that I've encountered the Italian food philosophy which emphasizes healthy eating habits and cookery lessons. Italian cuisine is among the healthiest in the world as it is always based on fresh, unprocessed ingredients, olive oil and natural herbs. This is vital to the Italian philosophy of la bella figura which is exactly that - a way of eating healthy but yet very tasty to maintain a healthy and beautiful body!
About the Author
Catherine is a fully qualified Pilates instructor and you can find her teaching at Flavours Holidays, in Italy. She is also very passionate about healthy Italian food and Italian cuisine.
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