(the extents of) My Italian!

What does one do on a trip to Florence when the friend you're travelling with has a fever of 103? Learn her native language of course! In preparation for my tour of Italy with Nina, Suzanna and Juliette, in 16 days, I have decided to learn as much Italian as possible, so that there will be less touristy oopsie daisies. So far, we have covered the very basics: numbers and because it's Italy, and upon some research in my archives, it can be deducted that FOOD is also essential in Italy. How to structure basic sentences should follow at some point next week.

NUMBERS

1 Uno

2 Due
3 Tre
4 Quattro
5 Cinque
6 Sei
7 Sette
8 Otto
9 Nove
10 Dieci

11- Undici

12- Dodici

13- Tredici

14- Quattordici

15- Quindici

16- Sedici

17- Diciasette 

18- Diciotto

19- Dicianove

20- Venti....

30- Trenta

40- Quarenta

50- Cinquanta

60- Sesanta

70- Settanta

80- Ottanta

90- Novanta

100- Cento

1000- Mille 

FOOD

Pasta- pasta (never plural)

• Tagliatelle (with egg, like spaghetti, but flat and large) 
• Gnocchi (round, potato based, gooey)
• Spaghetti (yum, long round thin)
• Penne (cylinder, cut diagonally)
• Tortellini (round, stuffed, served in broth) 
• Ravioli (square, stuffed)

     with pasta...

• Pesto (paes-toh); pesto
• Matricciana (mah-trree-tcha-nah); 
• Carbonara (karr-boh-nah-rah); 
• Alle Vongole (ahlay-vohn-goh-leh); mussels
• Ragu (rrah-goo); meat with tomato sauce
• Al Salmone (ahl-sahl-moe-nae); with salmon
• Aglio olio e peperoncini (aeh-lee-oh owh-lee-oh eh pé-pé-rrohn-chee-nee); oil, garlic and gentle hot pepper

Gelato (plural is Gelati)

• Stracella (stra-cha-tella); chocolate bits, creme
• Crema; eggs
• Cioccolato (tcho-ko-la-toh); chocolate
• Vaniglia (vah-neelya); vanilla
• Fragola; strawberry
• Pistacchio (pea-stack-eeyo); pistachio
• Panna (pah-nah); whipped creme
• Fior di latte (Fiehor-dee-latteh); creme au lait
• Amarena (ah-mah-reh-nah); white with pink, bitter berry
• Caffé (kaffeah); coffee
• Menta (men-tah); mint
• Frutti di bosco (frooty-dee-boh-sko); wildberries
• Limono (lee-moh-neh); lemon

Carne- Meat

• Mucca (moo-ka); cow
• Maiale (mah-yah-leh); pork
• Vitello (Vee-tehllo); calve
• Coniglio (kon-eelioh); rabbit
• Anatra (ah-nah-trah); duck
• Pesce (peh-chae); fish
• Osso buco (oh-soh-boo-ko); tender meat on the bone

Bibite (bee-bee-teh)- drinks

- Acqua (ah-kwah); water  

     Naturale (nah-too-rah-lay)     Frizzante (free-tsanteh) 

• Succhi di frutta (soo-ki-dee-froo-tah); fruit juice 
• Vino (vee-noh); wine
• Birra (bee-rrah); beer
• Latte (lah-tay); milk

Frutta (froo-tah); fruits

• Mela (meh-lah); apple
• Pera (perra); pear
• Arancio (ah-rran-choe); orange
• Mandarino (mahn-dah-ree-noh); mandarin
• Ananas (ah-nah-nahs); pineapple
• Fragola (frrah-goh-lah); strawberry
• Lampone (lam-poh-nay); raspberry
• Anguria (ahn-goo-rri-ah); watermelon
• Pesca (pesz-kah); peach
• Albicocca (ahl-bee-koah-kah); apricot
• Pompelmo (pohm-pel-moh); grapefruit
• Uva (oo-vah); grapes
• Cigliege (chee-leeay-jeh); cherry
• Melone (meh-loe-neh); melon

Verdura (verr-doo-rah); vegetables

• Spinaci (spee-nah-chee); spinach 
• Incalata (In-sah-lah-tah); salad
• Pomodoro (poh-moh-doah-row); tomato
• Patate (pah-tah-teh); potatoes
• Mais (mice); corn
• Fagiolini (fudge-eeo-lee-nee); string beans
• Fagioli (fudge-oh-lee); beans

Wheats/ grain type things

• Pane (pah-ne); bread
• Pizza (Pitza); pizza
• Riso (rree-zzo); rice
• Lenticchie (len-tee-keeay); lentil

Formaggo (forr-madge-oh); cheese

• Mozzarella (motz-ah-rreh-lah) 
• Caprino (kap-rree-noh); goat cheese
• Gorgonzola (gohr-goan-tzo-lah); moldy cheese
• Formaggo grana (forr-madge-oh grrah-nah); parmesan on pasta

Dolce (dohl-chay); Desert

• Torta (torr-tah); cake
• Crostata (kroh-stah-tah); tarte de confiture
• Creme caramel (crehmeh carramel); flan caramel
• Panna cotta (pah-nah coh-ta); white desert thing
• Profitterol (proh-fite-errole); crust with chocolate filling
• Cioccolato (tcho-ko-lah-toh); chocolate
• Cioccolato bianco (tcho-ko-lah-toh bee-ahn-ko); white chocolate
• Meringata (meh-rreen-gah-tah); meringue pie?
• Tiramisu (tee-rah-mee-soo); coffee flavor

The trip was really special, despite staying at home more often than was intended, since home, has two rescued dogs, and olive orchard, and the most fascinating couple I've ever met: they just returned from 12 years in India working with the untouchables, he's a world class tai chi instructor (I had a lesson!!!) and she's headed for three years in China to perfect her ancient chinese in order to study traditional chinese medicine. Also note, they are both vegan. 

     In the end, the plan for the afternoon with the ladies will consist of lunch at a little restaurant hidden over the main bridge, then off to the Offices to scurry through the art. We'll stop by an artisans gelato shop on our way to the cathedral to see Dantes golden doors, and then to a different restaurant in a back alley for supper before running to see the Pizi palace.

     All this, will be done in one afternoon.

... I hope :)

I had a lovely trip, and hope that my favourite ballerina gets better soon <3

xoxoxoxoxoxoxox

*O*