In the U.K., we are largely accustomed to the grey skies and rain that accompany living in North- Western Europe. There's that saying that we use, "There's no such thing as bad weather, only the wrong clothing/equipment." The poor weather is an endless source of small talk, but we largely manage to get on with our lives. Sports fixtures go ahead, unless there is a risk to life, festivals are known for their mud baths and you can never be sure of the weather, even for a summer wedding. Bank Holidays are famously wet, but we still make plans to go away and it does not stop our enjoyment.

Yesterday, my nearest and dearest said to me, "Are you sure that you are not just being a busy idiot with your online presence and writing a blog that no- one comments on?"

Tiramisù- the Italian dessert that literally means "pull me up". Tiramisù is a no- bake Italian dessert made of espresso soaked ladyfingers, creamy mascarpone and chocolate cocoa. It's just as well that it's no bake as the new record length of the tiramisù was 440.6m long and was made by a team of over 100 Italian chefs and assembled in Chelsea Old Town Hall! Everything had to be done live on the day. The end result was dedicated to King Charles.

Why do Italians celebrate the 25th April? What is the purpose of this National Bank holiday?

Fun facts! Did you know that Saint George was not actually English and that it is likely that he never even visited England?

April 21st was picked for National Tea Day to honour Queen Elizabeth's II birthday- a fitting tribute considering Britain's deep-rooted love of tea. 

In some of my Italian lessons, we looked at the Italian school system and the differences between the Italian and English school systems, discussing the Italian practice of "failing the year" in depth. Unlike in England, where we take it for granted that the following school year we will move up to the next year group with our peers, Italian school children have to be "promoted" to the next year. It was only as recently as 2017 that the system was overhauled and Italian students do now largely move up with their peers, at least in the infant/ junior years. The system was not inclusive and thankfully SEND and neurodiversity are better understood today.

In a lesson, we explored some of the perceptions and stereotypes that are prevalent in Italy with regards to the different cultures of northern and southern Italy. A humorous way to explore these stereotypes was through Italian cinema and the film "Benvenuti al Sud". It's a lovely film to watch in Italian, but you can also watch it in English- it's called "Welcome to the South". My cousin, Laura, gave me the dvd many years ago and it's been enjoyed lots of times! Both Laura and my brother are film buffs and my go to people for all things cinema related!

Part of learning about Italy should always include trying the culinary delicacies- I recommend to my students to try the traditional foods like Colomba cake at Easter and certainly Panettone at Christmas alongside its lesser known sibling Pandoro.

Italy, not for the first time, fell victim to a high- profile art heist with still no trace of the missing paintings stolen from Parma in March 2026. Paintings don't vanish into thin air...

Did you hear the winning song from Sanremo 2026? I've included the video and transcript at the bottom of this blog.

Milano and Cortina are actually about 100 km apart, I've not been to Cortina but have been to Milano often. My mother's family comes from Varese which is 34 miles north- west of Milan in the Lombardy region of Italy. The last time that I was in Milan was in October 2025 when we had a lovely sunny day in Milan with the teens before going on to visit my cousin, Chiara, and her family for dinner in Rho. My favourite ski resort in Italy is definitely Madonna di Campiglio in the Dolomites. Don't get me started on skiing, it feels like an age since I last went!

What is Carnevale? Carnevale is the festival that leads into Lent. It's celebrated all over the world, but it is one of Italy's most joyful and historic traditions. Some of the most famous places to see Carnevale in Italy are Venice, renowned for its spectacular masks and costumes, Viareggio, for the incredible floats, and Ivrea, for the famous Battaglia delle Arance. Yes, a giant orange fight takes place!

I'm reading this book with one of my Italian students and really enjoying it. I love the way that this Indian author captures so beautifully so many of the Italian idiosyncrasies. Laila Wadia combines irony and humour as she writes of her arrival in Italy and her slow integration into Italian society. I'd recommend it to both Italian enthusiasts and native Italians, who perhaps don't stop to think about some of their own customs and the experience of a foreigner in Italy.

In an advanced TEFL lesson, we discussed this article about food tourism and gastronomy: