English lessons by Luisa Puppo: 2025

In most of Italy’s villages and towns, restaurants serve the same dishes they’ve been serving for a hundred years or more. These vary from one town to the next, even if the distances traveled are tiny, and the locals usually insist that the food in the last town you visited is inferior to what you’re about to taste. About half the time they’re right.
In the cities, though, you find more regional food, and even — gasp — food from other parts of Italy, giving you a taste of more varied cuisines. Genoa, in the heart of Liguria, is one of the best cities for this sort of pan-Italian eating, at least in part because the region is among Europe’s culinary highlights; it remains difficult to eat any way but well here.
Though Genoa is not the largest city in Northern Italy (both Milan and Turin are bigger), it is the country’s most important port and features, in the città vecchia (old city), what is among the most sprawling, best preserved and most active medieval quarters in Europe. Here you find the typically narrow lanes that can barely accommodate anything wider than a scooter; at least three world-class churches; and, at the border with the “new” city, a street of spectacular palazzi. These days, the area includes dozens (I’m tempted to write “countless,” but indeed the list is finite) of restaurants that leave me walking around muttering, “If there were only one of these in my neighborhood, I’d be happy.”
Genoa also has a population that cares deeply about food, in a way that is ordinarily reserved for towns and villages. The artichokes from nearby Albenga are practically worshiped; anchovies are considered daily fare (you may eat more of them in a day here than you do in a year at home); pine nuts, olives, local seafood and herbs (especially basil, of course) are all ubiquitous, and the continuing dedication to the old ways is evident on nearly every street, in the bakeries that make farinata (the chickpea flatbread akin to Nice’s socca), vegetable tortas and focaccia, in the vegetable markets the size of closets and in the shop that sells tripe and nothing but.

RURAL LANDSCAPES
DRY-STONE WALLS
TERRACES
MILLS
OIL MILLS
WATER MILLS

RUSTICO

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/it/dizionario/italiano-inglese/rustico

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/italian-english/rustico

rural house
store
little/small, tiny
stone
shelter
shed
ruins
abandoned
dilapidated

A rural handcraft building used as shelter, storage and working space, often used for cattle keeping.
A historical rural building, used for country life jobs and activities
An abandoned rural house in local stone, dedicated to storage or dwelling purposes in the mountains
A rustico is a rural, small shelter made of local stones. Nowadays it is usually abandoned, but it was once used to host cattle or store food, as well as to provide people with shelter in the hills.

COUNTRY

REGION

PROVINCE

CITY

TOWN

VILLAGE

HAMLET

BORGO

DISTRICT

MUNICIPALITY

CAPITAL

SETTLEMENT

CENTRE

COAST – COASTAL - SEASIDE

COUNTRYSIDE

ENTROTERRA

RURAL AREA

URBAN AREA

SUBURBIAN AREA

INDUSTRIAL AREA

INLAND AREA

mercoledì 26 novembre 2025

Liguria and the Italian Riviera - Experiential verbs wordcloud and more (SEO hints)

1. admire
2. allow
3. be careful
4. bike
5. build
6. buy
7. check
8. conquer
9. dance
10. discover
11. dive
11. drink
14. eat
15. embark
16. enjoy
17. experience
18. explore
19. float
20. follow
21. get
22. get smart
23. grab
24. grow
25. have
26. have fun
27. hike
28. hop on
29. house
30. kayak
31. knead
32. learn
33. leave
34. live
35. locate
36. look for
37. make
38. master
39. meet
40. move
41. navigate
42. opt
43. pay attention to
44. picnic
45. plunge
46. purchase
47. reach
48. relax
49. remember
50. rent
51. row
52. sashay
53. savour
54. set
55. situate
56. snorkel
57. spend
58. steal
59. stroll
60. swim
61. take
63. take part
64. taste
65. transmit
66. treat
67. try
68. unleash
69. visit
71. walk
72. watch

SEO

General Keywords

Ligurian Riviera
Travel Italy
Coastal experiences
Outdoor activities
Adventure tourism
Romantic getaways
Nature exploration
Family-friendly activities

Activities and Attractions

Diving
Kayaking
Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP)
Hiking
Cooking classes
Wine tasting
Escape room
Bike rental
Waterpark
Disco clubbing
Food tours
Whale watching
Picnics
Adventure parks
Rowing

Specific Locations

Cristo degli Abissi
Camogli
Portofino
Cinque Terre
Bonassola
Sestri Levante
Sanremo
Genoa
Lavagna
Recco
Ceriale
Santa Margherita Ligure
Vernazza
Alassio
Muretto degli Innamorati
Villa Durazzo Pallavicini
Arenzano
Porto Antico
Grotte di Toirano
Paraggi
Righi
Pegli

Culinary Keywords

Pasta
Pesto
Focaccia di Recco
Trofie al pesto
Pansoti
Aperitivo
Italian cuisine
Street food
Local specialties
Baci di Alassio (chocolate pastries)

Romantic Keywords

Romantic dinner
Love token
Scenic views
Enchanting sunsets
Picturesque villages
Quaint chapels
Intimate experiences
Couples activities

Seasonal Keywords

Summer activities
Fall excursions
Spring adventures
Winter hiking

Long-Tail Keywords

Romantic holiday in Liguria
Active vacation in Cinque Terre
Family-friendly activities in Genoa
Best places to visit in Portofino
Unique experiences in Camogli
Culinary tours in Liguria
Scenic bike rides along the Ligurian coast
Discovering hidden gems in the Italian Riviera
Underwater adventures in the Ligurian Sea
Exploring the natural beauty of the Ligurian Mountains

"Experience the Ligurian Riviera! From swimming to iconic statues to cooking classes and stunning hikes, discover unforgettable adventures tailored for young travelers!"

lunedì 24 novembre 2025

Corso Inglese per l'accoglienza turistica (Endofap) Welcome!

Un primo set di risorse per l'apprendimento e il "refresh" della lingua inglese.
Si tratta di link a precedenti post di questo blog, o ad altri siti e portali.

English phonetic spelling: A for Alpha, B for Bravo
http://englishlessonsluisapuppo.blogspot.it/2013/02/a-for-alpha-b-for-bravo-lets-get.html

https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciation/english-phonetic-spelling.htm

Numbers (including how to pronounce the figure "0"
http://englishlessonsluisapuppo.blogspot.it/2015/09/numbers.html

Punctuation
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/words/punctuation

English games

https://www.englishclub.com/esl-games/

On line dictations
https://www.englishclub.com/listening/dictation.htm

giovedì 20 novembre 2025

Business English - Linking words (Corso Fire Afry)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BECe_ok1RI8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JqAs_vdQb8

SEQUENCING

· First / firstly, second / secondly, third / thirdly etc

· When, after, next, then,

· Last, finally

· In conclusion,

· To summarise,

ADDING INFORMATION

And
In addition / additionally
Moreover
Further / furthermore
Besides
Another
Also/too
As well as

GIVING EXAMPLES

· For example

· For instance

· Such as

· That is

· e.g. x es.

· i.e. cioè

CONTRASTING

But
However
Anyway
Nevertheless
Nonetheless
Although / even though
Though
Yet
Despite / in spite of
While
Whereas
On the one hand… on the other hand…
On the contrary

HIGHLIGHTING RESULT

· So

· As a result

· As a consequence (of)

· Therefore

· Thus

· Consequently

· Hence

PROVIDING REASONS

Because
For
Since
As
Because of
Due to
Owing to

https://virtualspeech.com/blog/speech-transitions-words-phrases

VIDEOS

http://www.engvid.com/writing-transitions/

http://www.engvid.com/vocabulary-though/

http://www.engvid.com/writing-transitions-therefore-thus-consequently/

EXERCISES
Linking words - exercises

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/learning-english/activities-for-learners/b1w005-linking-words

https://www.espressoenglish.net/linking-words-contrasting-ideas/

http://www.learn-english-today.com/lessons/lesson_cont/exercises/linking-words-ex.html

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/linking-words-contrast-exercise-1.html

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/linking-words-reason-exercise-2.html

http://www.flo-joe.co.uk/cae/students/writing/linking/index.htm

http://www.english-practice.at/b2/grammar/connectives/b2-connectives-index.htm

Linking words and the energy sector
https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/tools-and-resources/energy-management-assessment-matrix-small-companies

https://www.energystar.gov/buildings/tools-and-resources/energy-star-guidelines-energy-management

lunedì 17 novembre 2025

BASIL PESTO – A MASTERPIECE FROM THE LIGURIAN RIVIERA (ITS IMPERIA)

"Savore d'aglio" (garlic flavour) is the greatest symbol of Ligurian cuisine. Green, fragrant and versatile, it boasts a perfect balance of ingredients that represent the glory of local rurality (basil, EVO, garlic…), and a flying visit to nearby Emilia and Sardinia as regards cheese (24-month Parmigiano and Pecorino).
Originally, it served as a condiment for meat. The Riviera di Ponente goes for a slightly pungent pesto, whereas the Riviera di Levante opts for creamier versions (often inclusive of prescinseua).
"Pesto corto" features a tomato brunoise and less garlic. In 2004, "Crespi & Figli" from Ceriana (IM), established in 1925, was the first Italian business to achieve the UNI 10939 certification for the traceability of the whole system.
The best matches for pesto are lasagne (dialect mandilli, i.e. handkerchiefs), trenette, trofie (pasta twists probably invented in the Golfo Paradiso) and gnocchi. A pine nut-free version usually features as the final touch of minestrone alla genovese.
The 7 elements of this artful recipe are pounded with a hardwood pestle into a marble mortar (Carrara and the Apuan Alps are a short distance away). Pesto purists would shriek at the mere thought of a blender, which could "burn" the basil's precious olfactory qualities, so remember to opt for the pulse mode.
Fred Plotkin's remark, "Ligurians have basil instinct", successfully describes the locals' knack for the precious herb, grown at its best (small, round leaves) in the hills of Pra' (outskirts of Genoa), an area blessed by a unique sun-sea breeze combination.
Vessalico, a tiny village of the Valle Arroscia between the provinces of Imperia and Savona, provides the garlic (a Slow Food praesidium).
Storing pesto is a matter of airtight jars, clean and dry, and thin olive oil layers to protect the sauce from oxidation.

Translated by Luisa Puppo for Ligucibario® https://www.ligucibario.com/

Pesto genovese di basilico al mortaio

Recipe (4 people)

INGREDIENTS
2 cloves of mild garlic

3 tablespoons of pine nuts (ask for Pisa pinoli)

1 pinch of coarse salt

4 bunches of Basilico Genovese DOP

50 gr of freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano DOP

30 gr of freshly-grated Pecorino Sardo DOP

2 tablespoons of Riviera Ligure DOP EVO

PREPARATION

Peel the garlic cloves, remove the germ, put the cloves into the mortar and start pounding
Add the pine nuts, keep on pounding
Add the coarse salt
Pound into a paste
Add the basil leaves (washed and pat-dried), pound and blend
Add the freshly-grated Parmigiano Reggiano, blend
Add the freshly-grated Pecorino, blend
Slowly drizzle in the EVO, blend

Your pesto is ready when a milky coating tops its surface.

If your pesto is too thick, add a tablespoon of boiling water.

Dress in thin lasagne with your pesto and pair it with a glass of chilled white wine - go local with Pigato!

USEFUL LINKS

All about basil https://liguriabyluisa.blogspot.com/2022/11/basil-herb-of-kings.html

All about Pigato https://liguriabyluisa.blogspot.com/2021/06/all-about-pigato-ligurian-wines.html

William Sitwell’s Italian Food Diary: Liguria, Italy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r14c3xWgK3M&t=7s

Jamie Oliver - How to make homemade pesto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyh3jYKZ0E8

Assaggia la Liguria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjRlUfWISGc

https://alifoodsrl.com/https://www.fratellipolli.co.uk/basil-certified-supply-chain/

https://www.bioitalia.it/en/content/29-the-basil-pesto-supply-chain

https://www.blifesrl.it/en/fresh-basil-bio/

giovedì 6 novembre 2025

How to introduce yourself - corso Afry

https://www.case.org/resources/easy-trick-meeting-introductions

https://presencetraining.co.uk/how-to-introduce-yourself-in-business-meetings-with-real-confidence/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2023/05/08/mastering-self-introductions-on-zoom-or-teams-meetings/

https://www.betterup.com/blog/how-to-introduce-yourself

https://www.engvid.com/how-to-introduce-yourself-other-people/

https://www.engvid.com/business-english-how-to-get-a-meeting/

mercoledì 29 ottobre 2025

Present continuous vs present simple

PRESENT CONTINUOUS VS SIMPLE PRESENT

Ecco il link a una tavola sinottica dei vari tempi verbali inglesi:
http://www.ego4u.com/en/cram-up/grammar/tenses

Cliccando sui vari tempi si aprono le singole schede di dettaglio, complete di esercizi di verifca di apprendimento.

Inoltre, ecco un ulteriore set di link a esercizi e test on line sull'argomento:

http://www.perfect-english-grammar.com/present-simple-or-present-continuous.html

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/verbs1.htm

http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/sp_or_pc.html

http://www.usingenglish.com/quizzes/66.html

https://englishlessonsluisapuppo.blogspot.com/search?q=adverbs+of+frequency

Buon lavoro!

lunedì 22 settembre 2025

CVs and job interviews - Corsi Its Event Manager e Social Media Manager

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/job-profiles/event-manager

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/jobs-and-work-experience/job-sectors/hospitality-and-events-management/how-to-become-a-wedding-planner

https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/job-profiles/wedding-planner

https://uk.indeed.com/career-advice/cvs-cover-letters/personal-profile

https://europass.europa.eu/en

https://www.prospects.ac.uk/

https://www.engvid.com/top-words-for-your-job-interview-resume/

https://www.engvid.com/job-skills-uk-cv/

https://www.engvid.com/how-to-get-a-job-in-north-america/

https://www.engvid.com/job-interview-questions-answers/

https://www.engvid.com/english-resource/100-common-job-interview-questions/

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/business-english/youre-hired

I hereby consent to the processing of my personal data for recruitment purposes in accordance with EU Regulation 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation)

I hereby authorize the use of my personal data in accordance to the GDPR 679/16 - "European regulation on the protection of personal data".

Junior social media manager

https://thisresumedoesnotexist.com/resume-examples/junior-social-media-manager/

https://www.ymugroup.com/junior-social-media-manager/

domenica 20 luglio 2025

Meetings meetings meetings!

Professional English vocabulary: meetings 1

https://www.engvid.com/professional-english-vocabulary-meetings/

Professional English vocabulary: meetings 2

http://www.learn-english-today.com/business-english/meetings-vocabulary.html

Meetings: vocabulary and language focus

https://www.englishclub.com/business-english/meetings.htm

Meetings: vocabulary, dialogues, exercises
http://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/meetings/meetingselectionpage.html

Managing meetings

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/business-english/business-magazine/managing-meetings

Meetings - agenda setting

https://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/business/talkingbusiness/unit2meetings/1agenda.shtml

Decision making

https://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/meetings/exercises/decision_making/decision_making.html

Clarifying and confirming

https://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/meetings/exercises/clarifying_confirming/clarifying_confirming.html

Finishing a meeting

https://www.blairenglish.com/exercises/meetings/exercises/finishing_a_meeting/finishing_a_meeting.html

Advanced phrases for meetings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxw77hO0Gmc

Project management meetings

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/skills/listening/c1-listening/project-management-meeting

Online meetings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sL4LsTLRIk

Handling questions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5V8B7FFJbU

Discussing advantages and disadvantages

https://www.engvid.com/advantages-disadvantages/#quiz

12 phrasal verbs for meetings

https://www.engvid.com/work-english-12-phrasal-verbs-for-meetings/

17 expressions to use in meetings

https://www.engvid.com/professional-english-17-expressions-to-use-in-meetings/

Making business decisions

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xccf7uoQlPM

The 16 types of meetings

https://www.lucidmeetings.com/meeting-types

Role- playing scenarios - 20 team meeting activities

https://www.teamdynamics.io/blog/role-playing-scenarios-20-team-meeting-activities-to-resolve-conflict

Business meeting/conference small talk

https://www.engvid.com/business-meeting-conference-small-talk/

Etiquette Rules For Business Meetings

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieYuoQ9sMvA

Attending a meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEKZFA7L7Lg

Chairing a meeting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vA-E7ryacmI

Planning meetings https://www.lucidmeetings.com/meeting-types/planning-meetings

Progress meetings https://www.lucidmeetings.com/meeting-types/progress-check-meetings

Idea generation meetings https://www.lucidmeetings.com/meeting-types/idea-generation-meetings

English for teamwork and sharing ideas

https://www.engvid.com/essential-english-for-teamwork-sharing-ideas/

Brainstorming guidelines https://hr.mit.edu/learning-topics/meetings/articles/brainstorming

6 Tips To Run a Successful Brainstorming Session Meeting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AePCes_xuTs

Problem-solving meetings

https://www.lucidmeetings.com/meeting-types/problem-solving-meetings

https://fluentbooking.com/articles/problem-solving-meeting/

https://dtc.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0020/426143/9-how-to-hold-a-problem-solving-meeting.pdf

Polite expressions for resolving conflict https://www.engvid.com/business-english-polite-expressions-resolving-conflict/

Decision-making meetings https://www.lucidmeetings.com/meeting-types/decision-making-meetings

https://www.usingenglish.com/teachers/lesson-plans/view-business-english-chairing-meetings-roleplay/

PRESS RELEASES AND PRESS CONFERENCES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQ3_g7K6Ye4

https://www.grammarly.com/blog/business-writing/press-release/

https://wenta.co.uk/media/2067/writing-a-press-release-press-release-template.pdf

https://www.smartsheet.com/press-release-templates?srsltid=AfmBOor6iGm6H6X6tHsZOOV2Or7xbmm6GIqdZT0ZgesqpMb_IOBEAGPs

https://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/participation/promoting-interest/press-conference/main

https://whomakesthenews.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/How-to-Organize-a-Press-Conference.pdf

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7jqB4Hm0KM

https://economiaaziendale.altervista.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/GLOSSARIO_english_italian.pdf

Language Focus: Opening a meeting

Right, let’s begin (let’s start)

Thank you (all) for coming…

We’ve received apologies from…

Any comments on our previous meeting?

Language Focus: Stating objectives and introducing agenda

We are here today to hear about plans for…

Our objective today is to discuss…

What we want to do today is…

The main purpose of this meeting is to…

On the agenda, you’ll see that there are three items to discuss

You’ve all seen the agenda…

Example of an agenda

Apologies for absence
Minutes of previous meeting
Chair’s opening address
Personnel changes
Review of Marketing performance
New products
Marketing plans
Any other business
Date of next meeting

Language Focus: Introducing speakers

I’d like to ask Mary to tell us about…

Can we hear from Mr. Rossi on this?

I know that John has prepared a statement on his Department’s views…

Perhaps Mrs. Conti could tell us about…

Language Focus: Asking for participants comments

What do you think?

How do you feel about this?

What are your views on that?

Any comments on this?

Language focus: Agreeing and disagreeing

Total disagreement

I totally disagree.

I couldn’t agree less.

You must be joking!

Wait to be convinced

I can see what you’re getting at.

There are two sides to the argument.

On the one hand…on the other…

I’m not sure/convinced about…

I just think we need more time.

Limited agreement

I agree, but

I’m not against, it, but…

Yes, I’m with you.

Language focus: Interrupting

Excuse me, may I interrupt?

If I may interrupt, could you explain…

Sorry to interrupt, but…

Do you think so? My impression is that…

What? That’s impossible. We/ I think…

Just a moment….

Can I say something here?

Handling interruptions

Yes, go ahead.

Sorry, please let me finish…

If I may finish this point…

Can I come to that later?

That’s not really relevant at this stage…

Can we leave that to another discussion?

I’m afraid I can’t agree with you on that. As I was saying…

That’s out of the question.

28. Ending the meeting : language focus

· Summarising

I think we should end there. Just to summarise…

We’ve covered everything, so I’d like to go over the decisions we’ve taken..

So, to conclude…we’ve agreed…

· Confirming action

We’ll contact…

John will…

We’ve got to…

We need to look at…

· Referring to next contact

We’ll meet again next month…

We look forward to hearing from you…

It’s been a pleasure to see you today and I look forward to our next meeting…

English lessons by Luisa Puppo

Pagine

lunedì 8 dicembre 2025

How wine is made (ITS Imperia)

lunedì 1 dicembre 2025

CORSO GAE edizione 6 - Trails & co.

giovedì 27 novembre 2025

Liguria and the Italian Riviera