Veltroni Responds
25 February 2008 at 22:30
Walter Veltroni, the leader of the 'Partito Democratico' (www.partitodemocratico.it), has responded to Berlusconi's slogan with the following;
'Non cambiate un governo. Cambiate l'Italia. Non pensate a quale partito. Pensate a quale paese. Un'Italia moderna si può fare'
Don't change a government. Change Italy. Don't think about the party. Think about the country. We can build a modern Italy.
The PD is centre-left and was founded in October last year. It is a merger of two major parties - 'Democratici di Sinistra' and 'la Margherita' - plus several other smaller ones.
Berlusconi - 'lo slogan'
23 February 2008 at 15:30
Berlusconi and his party 'il Popolo della Libertà' (www.ilpopolodellaliberta.it) have announced their slogan for the upcoming election.
'La Sinistra ha messo il paese in ginocchio. Rialzati Italia!'
The Left have brought the country to its knees. Get back up Italy!
The general election will take place on 13 April. Over the next two months I will give an overview of the main parties involved and their leaders. Stay tuned.
Gio Ponti in Milan
15 February 2008 at 21:26
Domus, the internationally renowned architecture, art and design magazine, is 80 years old. To celebrate, on the weekends of 16/17 and 23/24 February there will be free guided tours around buildings by the famous architect Gio Ponti, including the Pirelli Tower. This is an opportunity not to miss. To find out more visit www.domusweb.net
Festa degli innamorati
12 February 2008 at 20:44
Thursday is 'la festa degli innamorati' or Valentine's Day.
- How do Italians celebrate it? An interesting question. Presumably Latin lovers do it best. To find out read Be My Italian Valentine!.
- Are you short of gift ideas this year? Then check out the 'regali' the 'uomini' are buying for the 'donne'.
- Do you want to be extra romantic on this special day? Try some 'frasi d'amore'. The language of love cannot fail!
Giant Spider in Piazza Duomo!
9 February 2008 at 20:30
Last night on my way home from work I witnessed this horrifying scene in Milan's main square. I stayed just long enough to take this photo.
Later I discovered that it was probably related to the 'Carnavale Ambrosiano', Milan's oldest carnival which finishes on the first Saturday in Lent (instead of the usual Shrove Tuesday) due to the Ambrosian rite.
Congestion Charge - Milan
3 February 2008 at 18:58
A month ago the 'congestion charge' hit Milan. Now it is necessary to purchase an 'Ecopass' to drive in certain areas of the city between 07:30 - 19:30 Monday to Friday. These cost from €2 per day and can be purchased at tabaccherie and edicole (newspaper kiosks).
For further information visit www.comune.milano.it/ecopass
Berlusconi Bounces Back?
25 January 2008 at 21:58
Romani Prodi has resigned as the Italian Prime Minister after losing a vote of confidence in the Senate. President Giorgio Napolitano is to hold crisis talks with the political leaders. Silvio Berlusconi, the charismatic leader of Forza Italia and former Prime Minister, is calling for immediate elections. However, it is likely that an interim government will be put in place.
Prodi, the leader of the centre-left coalition, had been in power for 20 months but was not a popular choice with the Italian people.
Something rotten in state of Italy is a BBC analysis of the recent problems the country has been facing.
Carnival Season
21 January 2008 at 22:00
The streets of Naples may be covered with rubbish but the streets in the rest of Italy are about to be covered with 'coriandoli' (confetti). Carnival season has begun!
Below is a list of some of the most important carnivals in Italy this year. More details for each can be found in the culture section of this website.
- Venice: 25 January - 5 February (Veneto)
- Ivrea: 2 - 5 February (Piedmont)
- Muggia: 31 January - 6 February (Friuli Venezia Giulia)
- Viareggio: 19 - 20, 26 - 27 January & 2 - 3, 9 - 10 February (Tuscany)
- Cento: 20, 27 January & 10, 17, 24 February (Emilia Romagna)
- Busseto: 20, 27 January & 3, 10 February (Emilia Romagna)
- Acireale: 26 - 31 January & 1 - 5 February (Sicily)
- Oristano: 2, 3, 5 February (Sardinia)
20th International Balloon Meeting, Mondovì
8 January 2008 at 20:30
On Sunday I attended the 20th International Balloon Meeting, a yearly event held at the Parco Europa, Mondovi (Piedmont). Participants came from all over the world but a large number were from England, including the well known Phil Saunders. The event was spectacular as can be seen by viewing the Flash Slideshow.
To find out about more events in Italy visit the Culture section of this website.
If you are aware of any events and you would like me to feature them please email me at mike@cappuccinoexperience.com.
Benvenuti to the Cappuccino Experience
31 December 2007 at 14:50
Welcome to the Cappuccino Experience!
First let me wish you all 'Buon Anno'. Happy New Year.
I'm Mike 'Mr Cappuccino' Coyle. I have been living in Italy since 2005 but have been in love with Italy and all things Italian for many more years.
The Cappuccino Experience is a new website about discovering Italy. Here I share the experiences and knowledge of 'an outsider on the inside'.
This site is intended for people like me who love Italy. It will be useful for anyone coming here on holiday or for those who are thinking about living here. I hope it will become a one stop shop for all things Italian.
On this site you will find:
- News & blog - keep up to date with news & events as they happen
- Art & Culture - current cultural events in each of Italy's 20 regions, plus permanent events & collections for each province (selectable using an interactive map)
- Language - learn vocabulary, verbs and grammar with me and with a difference
- Resources - links to websites and other useful resources and downloads in one convenient place
- Community - please get involved and share your own experiences with me and others
- Handy side menus - navigate the site easily
- English friendly websites - indicated by a symbol
Due to time constraints you will find some parts of the site incomplete. These will be finished as soon as possible. Also there may be more information related to Piedmont and Lombardy as I live and work in these areas.
In the future I hope to develop the following topics: travel, tips and tricks to help you get by, how do I...?, advice about living in Italy, history, modern culture, a photo gallery and more! Watch this space...
I will leave you with some lyrics from the singer Paolo Rossi which just about sums up everything about the Italy of today:
'In Italia si sta bene...
In Italia si sta male...
Si sta bene si sta male...
In Italia non ci sto - Ma poi torno perņ'
In Italy you feel good...
In Italy you'll feel bad...
You feel good and you feel bad...
I don't want to be in Italy - but in the end I'll always return.
Please contact me with any questions or comments. If you have any information regarding upcoming events in any region of Italy I would be happy to receive it and will gladly publish it. My email is: mike@cappuccinoexperience.com
Find out more about me and the Cappuccino Experience here.
