Helping those in need one eBook at a time

As a follow up to the announcement of our new eBook release, I'm delighted to share that we've partnered with Expedia to donate 100% of our eBook proceeds collected through June 30th, 2009 to Opportunity International, a non-profit organization dedicated to reach the poorest people through its microenterprise development programs.

If you're planning a trip to Italy, there has never been a better time to equip yourself with the right 'Italian knowledge' and feel good for having contributed to a noble cause.

Preview a sample chapter of our freshly updated eBook and enjoy a 30-Day Money Back Satisfaction Guarantee.

A sincere Grazie from Expedia, Paolo & Francesca

New updated version of Italy From The Inside eBook now available

We're happy to announce another fresh update of our popular eBook Italy From The Inside: the Definitive Survival Guide for Travelers.
We have been hard at work to verify the accuracy of all our tips, links and include new facts and insights to keep our publication as current as possible.

We're confident that you'll find our eBook an extremely useful resource, particularly if this is going to be your first time in Italy. Here are just a few customer testimonials:

I am absolutely enjoying the book! My husband and I will be visiting Italy and the book has already become an invaluable resource after one day.
Deidre B., South Carolina, USA

It isn’t until you read Italy from the Inside that you realize these are all the things you wanted to know. Should I get a car, what about kid seats, train travel, reading signs, what if I need a pharmacy or hospital, food suggestions and more.
I can’t imagine a better resource for planning a trip to an unknown destination and having all the information I need.
Thomas L., Washington , USA

As a student traveling to Torino for the first time, this eBook was extremely helpful in adjusting to life in Italy. The information was up-to-date and accurate, making my trip that much more enjoyable.
Chad S., Nevada, USA

It is by far the best resource we've seen about traveling in Italy. The info in it will absolutely make our trip more enjoyable.
Mike C., California, USA

Download a FREE chapter of our eBook
and read many more testimonials!

P.S. Customers of previous versions of our eBook are entitled to a FREE update. Get the updated eBook from the former download link or feel free to contact Paolo to receive it by email.

Follow us on Twitter @ItalyFromInside

If you like our blog and you are on Twitter, now you can follow us at @ItalyFromInside.

Twitter is a fast growing micro-blogging platform where people share ideas and information in just 140 characters.

Twitter doesn't replace existing blogs, podcasts, Facebook or other social media resources out there. It actually augments them and offers another way to quickly communicate your thoughts and find people who share the same passion (in our case, our love for Italy).

We plan to make a creative use of our Twitter account and look forward to meet with you in our Italian Twittersphere.
p.s. If you'd like to follow also our private accounts, Paolo is @tosolini and Francesca is @fromitaly.

Create great Italy photo memories with Microsoft AutoCollage

Here is a creative and fun way to impress your friends who are eager to see your Italy photos.

My colleagues at Microsoft Research UK have released an inexpensive application called AutoCollage, that blends together a variety of photos in a 'smart' way'.
I say 'smart' because the software applies face recognition and predicts the optimal photo arrangement out of a large set of possibilities. In other words, you can expect a wonderful job done in a very short amount of time.

Click on these collages I created out of a selection of my eBook photo archive.


Italian Deli shop collage (1MB High Res)


Italian pastries collage (1MB High Res)


Italian cars collage (1MB High Res)

If you're interested, you can download the free AutoCollage trial version from the Microsoft Research UK web site (full version is $9.95).

Enjoy 300+ photos of Trieste (copyright free)

Several years ago, my wife and I decided to produce a photo CD of our home town Trieste, a beautiful city and port in northeastern Italy near the Slovenian border. We collected numerous pictures and selected the best 300 for the CD, including landscapes, food and panoramas. We also published a screensaver.

With mixed feelings, we decided it was time to discontinue the CD (old digital world), but we are happy to share these images with all of you under the copyright free license called Creative Commons (a small contribution to the social media travel community).

Next time you're visiting Venice, if you want a nice day trip off-the-beaten path, jump on a train for a couple of hours and visit Trieste. We hope these pictures will entice you to do so.

- View Trieste CD photos as a slideshow
- Download Trieste CD photos from Flickr.com

Earthquake in Italy: How to find up-to-date information

A powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook central Italy (Abruzzo region) early Monday, April 6th. As of today, officials said that as many as 179 people had been killed, at least 1,500 injured and tens of thousands left homeless.
For the latest updates:

Online newspapers (in Italian):
- Repubblica
- Corriere della Sera (article in English)

Images
- Aerial pictures of the affected area (by Repubblica)
- Gallery 1 and Gallery 2 (by AGI)

Video
- Quake's aftermath in Onna village (by BBC)
- Aerial footage of quake aftermath (by BBC)

Live conversations
- Twitter (use hashtags #terremoto #earthquake #italy)

Italian for Kids: Christmas (Natale)

My daughter Silvia Tosolini, 8 and son Alessio, 5 share a few language tips about some traditional Italian Christmas sweets and food.

To all readers of our blog and customers of our eBook, we wish Buon Natale!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 13Mb)
- More Italian videos by Silvia

Google provides street views of Italian cities (on the iPhone, too)

I'm constantly impressed by the fast pace at which Microsoft and Google are innovating in the mapping technology space.
Some time ago I created a short video tutorial describing the two online services, then I blogged about how Google allows users to customize their maps and how Microsoft introduced bird's eye views of several cities in Italy.

This time I'll talk about Google's street views. Imagine a car with a panoramic camera on its roof to capture thousands of pictures while it's circulating around a city. Now, link those images to Google maps and you can experience on your computer what a busy Italian street looks like in the reality.

Google for now provides coverage only for Milan, Rome, Florence and the Lake Como area. Check some of these links, drag your pointer around to discover the surroundings and follow the arrows to move along the streets:
- Piazza di Santa Croce in Florence
- Piazza del Popolo in Rome
- Piazza Castello in Milan
- Piazza Roma in Arzegno (on Lake Como)

If you own an iPhone, you'll be happy to know that Google street views are available for your mobile device too.
For example, search for 'Rome' in the Google Maps iPhone application and click on the orange little man on the label:

and you'll magically experience what's like driving in Italy without time constrains.

Now that you are "virtually ready" for Italy, consider the next steps to get "totally ready" for Italy.
Download a free chapter of our eBook and start discovering more than 350+ tips that will help you navigate Italy like a local.

Italian for Kids: The School (video)

We received a pleasant note from a school in Rochester, NY that my daughter's videos are being used in classroom to teach Italian to 4th and 5th graders.
They kindly asked us if we could focus a new episode to life at school. So we did... Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 12Mb)
- More Italian videos by Silvia

Love phrases and romantic words in Italian

One of our readers asked us if we could elaborate on the subject of romance. As Italian is considered by many the language of love, there is a wide spectrum of words and phrases you could use to say something nice to your loved one.

I'm going to sort these sentences in "increasing order of love", so that you can avoid the risk to scare your first date with some impressive claim in Italian.

Mi piaci - I like you
This is a non-committing assertion. Over time you could raise it a little by saying: Mi piaci tanto - I like you a lot.

Ti aspetto - I'll be waiting for you
Some variances of this phrase: Aspetto la tua chiamata - I'll be waiting for you call; As we live in the Internet age: Aspetto il tuo email - I'll be waiting for your email.

Non vedo l'ora di vederti - I look forward to see you
You can use this sentence for regular friends too. Or you can add this after Mi piaci or Ti aspetto.

Mi manchi - I miss you
A stronger variance: Mi manchi tanto - I miss you a lot

Ti mando un bacio - I'm sending you a kiss
Nice closing for an email or phone communication. Not to be said in person, as at that point, you can just kiss your loved one.

Ti voglio bene - I care for you
There is no precise translation in English for it. You could use it with a friend to express friendship love, or with somebody you love but you are not ready yet for the more intimate declaration I love you. Wildely used in Italy, it can be abbreviated in text messages as TVB.

Mi sto innamorando di te - I'm falling in love with you
Another variance is Mi sono innamorato di te (said by a male) or Mi sono innamorata di te (said by a female) and they both mean I (already) fell in love with you.

Ti amo - I love you
This is the intimate and romantic expression of love. You'll not use it with a relative or friend. In that case it's more appropriate: Ti voglio bene.

Vorrei fare l'amore con te - I'd like to make love with you
Enough said, this is action time!

Do you want to share your Italian love story? Use the comments below.
And if you are unsure how to pronounce some of these phrases, you can always use your iPod to deliver your message of love.

Vi voglio bene!!

Ordering coffee in Italy

How do you order a coffee in Italy?
Will you be able to get away by mixing a few semi-Italian terms coined by Starbucks such as "Venti", "Misto" or "Frappuccino"? Not really...

As you may expect, there are a vast array of choices for coffee in Italy. In Trieste, the city where I come from and where the famous Illy brand is produced, you can find more than 60 different kinds of coffee. That said, the original Italian coffee is what Italians call caffe' espresso (or simply caffe').

Here are some of the most common types of coffee you can order at a Bar (that's how coffee shops are called in Italy):

• Caffe' espresso (or simply caffe’) is very concentrated as it is made with less water.
• Caffe' lungo is made with more water even though the amount of coffee is always the same. The caffe' lungo is still served in small cups.
• Cappuccino is an espresso with milk served in a large cup and with foam on top. The Italian cappuccino is smaller than the American one.
• Caffe' macchiato is an espresso with a drop of milk and foam on top.
• Latte macchiato (not to be confused with caffe’ macchiato) is a glass of milk with a drop (stain) of coffee.
• Caffe’ latte is a foamless espresso to which some warm milk has been added.
• Caffe' americano is a very diluted espresso served in a large cup.
• Caffe' corretto is an espresso with a shot of liquor (usually Grappa or another liquor of your choice).
• Caffe' Hag is a decaffeinated espresso

And now, a little test for you: What's the name of the three coffee in the photo above?

p.s. Get ready for Italy with our eBook! We feature 350+ tips and 190+ pictures to get you immersed in the real Italian culture.

Italian for Kids: Cars (video)

How do you name the different parts of a car in Italian?
My daughter Silvia Tosolini, 7 is happy to help you finding that out. Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 7.6Mb)
- More Italian videos by Silvia

Share your Italian photos with Photosynth

Here is an exciting technology that will help you bring to life hundreds of photos of Italy and convert them into an immersive interactive online experience.

Microsoft has finally publicly released Photosynth, an online application that has the ability to reconstruct scenes or objects from a bunch of flat photographs.

Using techniques from the field of computer vision, Photosynth examines images for similarities to each other and uses that information to estimate the shape of the subject and the vantage point the photos were taken from. With this information, Photosynth recreates the space and uses it as a canvas to display and navigate through the photos.

As a Microsoft employee I had a chance to play with Photosynth long time ago. But other than generically blogging about it, I couldn't really share any specific details.
Now that Photosynth is public domain, I encourage you to take a closer look at it and try to "synth" some of your own photos. The first time you visit the site, you'll need to download and install a special plugin for your browser (Windows PC only).

- Microsoft Photosynth web site
- How to introductory video
- Various user generated synths of Italy

Italian word of the day via Twitter

If you are into social media and geeky stuff, you've probably heard about Twitter. Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length.

What's the relationship between Twitter and Italy? Well, I just found out of a new Twitter user called @italianword who broadcasts on a daily basis a new Italian term together with its meaning and a link to its audio pronunciation.

If you are studying Italian and are looking for an easy reminder of a new word to learn every day, then consider getting a Twitter account and follow @italianword.

p.s. I do have a personal Twitter account @tosolini but I mostly twit about work stuff. If you think I should start twitting about Italy more often than I blog, please let me know and I'll consider doing it.

Pasta-Fest (video)

Like every Italian, I love pasta.
Every time I go back to my home town, I make a point to visit a large grocery store to enjoy the unmatched variety of food on display. In this video I capture the experience of walking down the pasta aisle.

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 6.7Mb)

Italian culture tips on your iPhone

Looking for an easy way to view our hot Italian culture tips right on your mobile device? Well, just point your smartphone browser to http://m.italyfromtheinside.com/. This is the new mobile version of this blog accessible from any smartphone, including the cool iPhone.

Basic visitation rules for Italian churches

Hot summers in Italy demand light clothing. But if you plan to visit churches and monasteries, you might be prompted at the entrance with a sign that reminds you some basic visitation rules that apply to all sacred places.
These directions may include to wear appropriate clothing, to refrain from walking around during a celebration, to mute your cell phone and to leave pets out.

Italian churches are rich of history and in constant "fund raising mode" to face recurring maintenance and restoration costs. Donations in any form are always appreciated.
One way to contribute is to listen to the audio-visual history guides that are often present in the most popular churches.

These devices haven't changed much in the past 20 years (except for the price of the recording), and they offer a succinct summary of the key historical facts of the place in various languages.
I consider them the precursor of the MP3 audio guides that are becoming increasingly popular for portable devices like the iPod.

Italian for Kids: Astronomy (video)

My daughter Silvia, 7 has found a simple way to explain the basics of the Solar system. Here is a new episode of her video podcast series 'Italian for Kids', for the first time also starring my son Alessio, 4. Enjoy!

- Can't see the video? Watch it from YouTube
- iPod version (MP4 - 4.7Mb)

The cost of forgetting to validate your train ticket

I already mentioned in a previous post the requirement for all train passengers to punch their tickets before they get on board. The reason why I'm reposting this important detail is that TreniItalia, the organization that runs all trains in Italy, just raised their fines if you forget to validate your ticket.

The increase is significant, from €25 to €200 (which translates in $300 these days). If you pay the fine within 15 days then the amount is going to be reduced to €100, if you pay on the spot or at the final destination it is reduced to €50.

Should you forget to punch your ticket, a best practice is to inform the ticket conductor right away. While there is no guarantee that you'll avoid the fine (multa), it might help demonstrate your overall good faith.

N.B. First time in Italy? Check out our eBook with hundreds of time and money saving tips collected for you by real Italians.

Watch Italian TV news online

What do Italian families do at 8pm every day? They dine together and watch the evening news (Telegiornale).
RAI is the Italian public TV network and encompasses three main channels: RAI 1, RAI 2 and RAI3. While all three channels collaborate on reporting national and local news, they have been historically characterized by different political views of their respective newsroom management.

Nevertheless, RAI has stepped up considerably their commitment to Internet programming and they have been publishing online a wide variety of shows including my favorite Telegiornale, called TG1.

Here is how you can watch it too. Go to RAI Web site and click on the TG1 icon indicated by the arrow.



The latest TG1 video edition will show up in a pop up window and stream for 30 mins (you may need to enable pop ups for this site).
Don't forget to browse around for a wealth of other TV and radio shows including documentaries and cartoons for the youngest. Yes, everything is in Italian of course...