Arrivederci, Nonna and Pop!

Happy 45th Anniversary, Nonna and Pop!

Have a wonder-filled trip ... love you!

The Italian Anthem

This is the Italian National Anthem being sung BEFORE the FIFA World Cup in 2006 (the game hasn't even started yet!!!)


From Wikipedia:
This is the complete text of the original poem written by Goffredo Mameli; however the Italian anthem, as performed in every official occasion, is composed by the first part and the chorus, both repeated twice, then ends with a loud "Sì!" ("Yes!"). The rest of the poem refers to relevant episodes of the Italian struggle for unification and independence

Italian lyrics
Fratelli d'Italia,
l'Italia s'è desta,
dell'elmo di Scipio
s'è cinta la testa.
Dov'è la Vittoria?
Le porga la chioma,
che schiava di Roma
Iddio la creò.
CORO:
Stringiamoci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò.
Stringiamoci a coorte,
siam pronti alla morte.
Siam pronti alla morte,
l'Italia chiamò!
Noi siamo da secoli
calpesti, derisi,
perché non siam popolo,
perché siam divisi.
Raccolgaci un'unica
bandiera, una speme:
di fonderci insieme
già l'ora suonò.
CORO
Uniamoci, amiamoci,
l'unione e l'amore
rivelano ai popoli
le vie del Signore.
Giuriamo far libero
il suolo natio:
uniti, per Dio,
chi vincer ci può?
CORO
Dall'Alpi a Sicilia
Dovunque è Legnano,
Ogn'uom di Ferruccio
Ha il core, ha la mano,
I bimbi d'Italia
Si chiaman Balilla,
Il suon d'ogni squilla
I Vespri suonò.
CORO
Son giunchi che piegano
Le spade vendute:
Già l'Aquila d'Austria
Le penne ha perdute.
Il sangue d'Italia,
Il sangue Polacco,
Bevé, col cosacco,
Ma il cor le bruciò.
CORO

English translation
Brothers of Italy,
Italy has awakened,
with Scipio's helmet
She has bound her head.
Where is Victory?
Let her bow down,
For God has made her
Rome's slave.
CHORUS:
Let us join in cohort,
We are ready to die!
We are ready to die!
Italy has called!
Let us join in cohort,
We are ready to die!
We are ready to die!
Italy has called!
We are for centuries
Downtrodden and derided,
For we are not one people,
For we are divided.
Let one flag, one hope
Gather us all
For us to be unified
The hour has already struck.
CHORUS
Let us unite and love one another;
Union and love
Show the people
The way of the Lord
Let us swear to free
Our native soil;
United under God,
Who can defeat us?
CHORUS
From the Alps to Sicily,
Legnano is everywhere;
Every man of Ferruccio
Has a heart, has a hand
The children of Italy
Are called Balilla;
Every bell ring
Sounds the (Sicilian) Vespers.
CHORUS
They're reeds that bend
Mercenary swords
The Austrian eagle
Has already lost its plumes.
The blood of Italy
And that of the Poles
She drank with the Cossack,
But it burned her heart.
CHORUS

Buona Pasqua means Happy Easter in Italian!

Buona Pasqua!!!!

Happy Easter!

This year we were able to get in on TWO wonderful Easter meals!

Can't wait to hear about all the amazing food Nonna and Pop are going to get in

ITALY!

MEAL #1:
Rigatoni with Nonna's famous spicey sauce ... ohmygoodness YUM!
Roasted Chicken pieces
Perfect Meatballs (That were even yummier the next day for snacks!)
Amazing Cesar Salad
Garlic Bread - can't get enough!
Cherry Pie, Moose Tracks Ice Cream and Coffee for Dessert!
Pop's homemade wine ...

MEAL #2:
Escargot Stuffed Mushroom caps with ASIAGO cheese! (Even the kids LOVED them!)
Antipasto and crackers ... a favourite ...
Homemade Risotto (Italian Rice) ... we even got to munch on the burnt onions mid-cooking!! YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!
Breaded Cutlets - wow!
Gnocchis and sauce
Great Salad and bread (more carbs!!! I think I gained 5 pounds just this weekend!)
For dessert - Chocolate cake, rhubard & raspberry pie, panetone (italian bread - just a little filling!)
Pop's homemade wine and ...
more COFFEE!

Did I leave anything out?!?! Oh yes ... of course there was the 10 pounds of chocolate Easter candies, jelly beans and hot cross buns that we snacked on in between meals (and after our staple breakfast of eggs/bacon or ham/waffles or pancakes and more COFFEE!)

From Shelley ...

This was an email from Shelley ... I loved it and thought it would be a great addition to the

Italy Blog!!!

FRIENDS: Move out when they're 18 with the full support of their parents.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Move out when they're 28, having saved for that nice house (I think this only applies to the male-italians ... Mama's cookin' is just too good! :0)

FRIENDS: When their mom visits them she brings a nice bunt cake and you sip coffee and chat.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: When their mom visits them she brings 3 days worth of food and begins to immediately tidy up, dust, do the laundry or rearrange the furniture. (And we are SOOOOO thankful for this!!!! .... and the wine too, Pop!! When are you guys coming up again?)

FRIENDS: Their dads always call before they come over to visit them and its usually only on special occasions.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Are not at all fazed when their dads come over, unannounced, on a Saturday morning at 8:00am and start pruning the trees with a chainsaw or renovating the garage. (Ah ... if only my Dad lived closer :0)

By the way, my father is IBA

Italian By Association!!

FRIENDS: You can leave your kids with them and you always worry if everything is going to be ok plus you have to feed them after you pick them up.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: No problem, leave the kids there and if they get out of line the Italian friend can set them straight...plus they get fed. (AMEN! We need all the help we can get!)

FRIENDS: Always pay retail and look in the yellow pages when they need something done. ITALIAN FRIENDS: Just call their dad or uncle and ask for another dad's or uncle's phone number to get it done...cash deal, know what I mean? (This runs in Tony's family too!)

FRIENDS: Will come over for cake and coffee and expect cake and coffee, no more.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Will come over for cake and coffee and expect an antipasto, a few bottles of wine, a pasta dish, a choice of two meats, salad, bread, potatoes, a nice dessert cake, fruit, coffee and a few after dinner drinks...time permitting there will be a late lunch as well. (The late lunch is the best part! ... and the POLENTA and GNOCCHIS are missing from this list!)

FRIENDS: Think that being ITALIAN is a great thing.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Know that being ITALIAN is a great thing (Salut!)

FRIENDS: Never ask for food
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Are the reason you have no food. (There's ALWAYS enough food to share!)

FRIENDS: Will say hello
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Will give you a big hug and a kiss. (There's not enough huggin' and kissin' in the world! .... and if you've been labelled a "coootie" you get a pinch on your cheek too - even if you're in your 30's, 40's, 50's, 60's .... my great-grandmother was 102 when she died - she pinched everybody! :0)

FRIENDS: Call your parents Mr. and Mrs.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Call your parents mom and dad. (Actually, it's more like 'Non' and 'Pop')

FRIENDS: Have never seen you cry.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Cry with you. (And Tony wonders where we get this from?)

FRIENDS: Will eat at your dinner table and leave
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Will spend hours there, talking, laughing and just being together (The dishes can wait!!!!!)

FRIENDS: Borrow your stuff for a few days then give it back.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Keep your stuff so long they forget it's yours. (Now I can justify this behaviour - finally!!!!)

FRIENDS: know a few things about you.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Could write a book with direct quotes from you. (Yet, we're all afraid they will!)

FRIENDS: Will leave you behind if that's what the crowd is doing.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Will kick the whole crowds' a-- that left you. (That is definately our big sister, Shelley - God bless her!)

FRIENDS: Would knock on your door.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Walk right in and say, I'm home! (And aren't we? Come on! Whadyoogonnado, eh?!)

FRIENDS: Are for a while.
ITALIAN FRIENDS: Are for life. (La Famiglia!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)