Stuffed Vegetables by Rosalia (Level 9 with Jonny)

I’m about four or five years old. It’s summer and I’m at my holiday house, by the sea. My grandmother has cooked stuffed vegetables for me. I’m just back home from the beach, with my bucket and spade, and now I recognise that familiar smell. My grandmother picked peppers, aubergines and tomatoes from our kitchen garden this morning, and stuffed them with breadcrumbs, grated cheese, olive oil and aromatic herbs: mint, basil, oregano. She just took them out of the oven, and their delicious smell  has filled the whole house.

My grandmother made it for me, because she knows that it’s my favourite dish. I’m her only grandchild and she feared she would never have one, because she’s already in her seventies and  my mother was married for years without kids. She told me the story many times, making me feel a unique and much desired human being.  Stuffed vegetable preparation is complicated and time-consuming, especially because we are in the sixties and my grandmother hasn’t got an electrical device to grate cheese or bread. Therefore, having that dish for lunch is a precious gift, that I’m given only a few times every summer. And the taste is so special. It may be the freshness of vegetables, or the particular mix of aromatic herbs, or the fact that I feel secure, protected by my grandmother’s love.

I’ve eaten stuffed vegetables made by my mother several times since my grandmother got too ill to cook and after she died. They didn’t taste the same, nowhere near. And I’m sure they wouldn’t if I made them by myself, which I never learnt to. That taste has gone, lost forever, together with that sense of safety and confidence. The very idea of loss was inconceivable to that little girl, far in the past. Now my grandmother’s stuffed vegetables taste like loss to me. And my mind is a mine of lost things: wasted time, worn-out ambitions, betrayed expectations. I’d better stop mining, which is a dangerous activity, as everybody knows.

A Childhood Memory by Giovanna (Level 9 with Jonny)

A CHILDHOOD MEMORY
by Giovanna Di Gangi

Childhood memories, especially those that remind us of some particular food or dish, are very often related to grandparents. And so is it for my memory.

It’s not a dish, actually, that recalls to my mind the vivid image of my grandmother. I can smell tomato sauce and basil, but what I am talking about is something quite different than the plain sauce. It’s what in the Sicilian culinary tradition is called “estratto” or, as Granny Mimì used to say “astratto”.

This Sicilian word refers to the tomato sauce that, after having been cooked for a very long time, was laid on a tray and dried in the sun. It was then stored for the winter, into a jar, covered with olive oil. Its use in the Sicilian recipes is what turns a good dish into an excellent one, a masterpiece.

This delicious smell activates in my brain an immediate connection with the word summer. 

I can see the sun rays in the late afternoon, their golden light and their warmth that finally starts to be pleasant after the hot temperature of the day. As usual, I am spending my summer vacation at my Grandmother’s house in Petralia  Sottana  in the Madonie mountains. I am 8 years old. 

I can hear the voices of my friends playing in the street: our endless tournaments. Nothing   to do with sport, of course. We just used some chalk to draw a track on the street and slowly pushed with our thumbs and forefingers a variable amount of fruit-juice caps from the starting to the arrival point of the track, regardless of being in a sweat in such torrid days.

My friends are waiting for me, they have already started our favorite game but I’m not ready to go with them.

Granny Mimì is on the balcony, she removes the veil that protects the astratto from the annoying flies and starts stirring the sauce. I can’t resist: I just have to pinch a little bit of astratto and quickly put it in my mouth. I swallow it at once before being noticed by Grandma. She never lets me stir the sauce. She says that if she if she did, by the end of the summer we would not have any left for the winter. And she is right!

I have never cooked or used astratto after my Grandmother’s death. I have seen it in the street markets but I don’t dare to buy it. I am afraid I could be disappointed by its taste, for sure so different from the one of my memories.

Writing a travel guide, Suzanne's level 6

 The Amazon Rainforest

by Francesco Arcoleo

I'll never forget my adventurous trip to Manaus to visit the Amazon rainforest, the world's largest tropical rainforest which covers more than half of Brazil.

The Amazon rainforest has been described as the “Lungs of our Planet” because more than 20 percent of the world’s oxygen is produced in this rainforest. The combination of nature and culture make discovering the Amazon rainforest an unequalled experience. There you can see an extraordinary abundance of life with hundreds of thousands of different species of animals and plants and giant trees.

A spectacular thing to see is the 'Meeting of Waters', where the dark Rio Negro flows with the Rio Solimoes and, thanks to the difference in temperature, speed and water density between the two rivers, their waters do not mix.

You can explore many options for your Amazon rainforest tours. Adventure travels or small boat tours are some of the many options to choose. Whatever your tastes, every tour highlights the majesty of the rainforest and the experience is unsurpassed and unforgettable. Many boat tours or cruisers leave from Manaus, the capital of the state of Amazonas. Just here at Manaus, more 1000 miles from the mouth of its  beginnings, the Amazon splits in two rivers and the colors of the two rivers side by side are clearly visible. The whitewater side of the river flows from Peru, and the dark waters of Rio Negro (Black River) journey from Venezuela.

A constant cycle of evaporation and rainfall keeps the rainforest cool and regulates the temperature. The rainforest is home to some well-known Amazon animals such as the Nocturnal Jaguar or the chilling Boa Constrictor.

During your tour through the sea you can appreciate an incredible wide variety of colours in a breathtaking landscape. If you see a large colourful parrot eating sand near the banks, it might be a Scarlet Macaw, which eats the clay for its rich salt and mineral content. An Amazon tour or Amazon cruise is the serene way to relax and take in the wonder of the rainforest. Whether you include rafting, a city tour, or visits to one of the many hot springs, you could spend weeks along the Amazon River and never learn of all its splendour.

Writing a travel guide, Level 6 with Suzanne

Paris

by Cecilia Arnone and Alessandra Pagliaro

Places     The most important districts to visit are the dynamic and young Marais, the suggestive Montmarte, the creative Saint Germain –des-Prés loved by Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir.                                  The Jardin du Luxembourg is a famous green island in the city, wonderful to visit in every season, place of freedom and relaxation with a distinctive fountain where children make their boat toys move. If you need a rest in company of a good book the right place is the bookshop Shakespeare and Co. With Bateau Mouche (boat on the Senna) you will find out the other Paris.

Art                A great architectural complex designed by Renzo Piano, the Centre Pompidou is visited every year by million of people. If you want to know something about the origin of modern art, have a look at the Musée d’Orsay. The Parc de la Villette is a series of thematic gardens among past and future, arts and science, nature and city, projected by Bernard Tschumi.And inside it enormous buildings like The Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie, a futuristic museum based on the involvement and the interactions with the visitor. Le Louvre exhibits masterpieces from ancient civilizations (Oriental, Egyptian, Greek, Etruscan and Roman antiquities) and from Western art until 1848.

Restaurants and bistrots Would you like to discover the setting of a legendary film? Have a break at the Café des Deux-Moulins where Amelie Poulain worked as a waitress in “The marvellous world of Amelie”. It is situated in Rue Lepic-Montmartre.  Or you can start your day with a blanc-limé at the 1923 Bistrot: white wine and a gazzosa

In and out The fastest way to move is the metro, which has 14 lines. On Fridays, Saturdays and before public holidays it is open until 2 a.m. while everyday it closes at 0:45 a.m. There are tickets suitable for tourists. Are you late? Take a taxi! Paris is full of taxi parking areas. Are you passionate about cycling? On Friday evenings and on Sundays there is a bike tour around the city. The itinerary changes every week and the departure is in front of Hotel de Ville.

Sleep Paris is really expensive! Neverthless, it isn’t difficult, hanging about some districts like the 9th arrondissement and the Quartier Latin, to find cheap and comfortable accommodation where the welcome is truly inviting: Hôtel Le Rotary with all double rooms and Hostel BVJ.

REYKJAVIK

by Giuliano D'Eredità and Roberta Di Corte

Reykjavik is the capital of Iceland and it's the only big city in the country, with 120.000 inhabitants. One in 3 inhabitants of Iceland lives in the capital, that is located in the south west of Iceland, right in front of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the past, Iceland was populated by Vikings, and there are a lot of artefacts in the city that remember this ancient domination; one famous attraction is the Viking ship in the harbour.

Because of the hardness of the winter, the best period to go is spring/summer; nevertheless, if you go in winter time, don't miss the amazing phenomenon of the Northern Lights.

The city center is quite small but really nice to see and to stay in. The whole city is easy to visit and to move around. There is a thriving musical and artistic scene; so you can listen to many concerts at night and visit lots of interesting museums and exhibitions during the day.

Living in Reykjavik is quite expensive, although it's possible to find cheap and good fish, especially salmon, always fresh and tasty.

People are very kind and very welcoming and, moreover, everybody, even old people, speaks english very well.

When you go to visit the city, don't miss trips around Iceland. You will enjoy the amazing magnificence of nature!

Writing a travel guide, Suzanne's Level 6

Rome

by Rosamaria Tristano and Carlo Gargano

Rome is the capital of Italy and the biggest city in the country. Although it isn't the economic centre, it is the political centre and it is becomming more and more important.

It is located in the middle of the Italian peninsula. It was founded by the Romans in an area where there are seven hills, famous in classical history, and the river Tiber.

Rome was the centre of the ancient world as capital of the Roman Empire. It has remained a very important city through the centuries and became the centre of the Catholic world. For this reason, today, there are amazing monuments, from ancient Roman, to Renaissance and Baroque.

After the Colosseum, Saint Peter's and other places that everybody knows, there are interesting attractions and beautiful places to visit. For example, in Rome there is a hughe park, Villa Borghese, but also fantastic museums, with pictures, statues, and other beautiful things by the most important artists from all over the world.

If you are interested in shopping and fashion don't miss the Roman fashion week, it isn't like the fashion shows in Milan or Pairs, but it's quite popular, and if you want to buy something, don't worry: you can find everything you need, from the famous luxury brands, to cheaper outlets. And if you prefer sports, in Rome are often performed competitions of the most popular Italian sports.

You can reach Rome by plane from all over the world, or also by train, and during the stay you can move using taxis or the subway. Anyway, the best thing to do is walk a lot, so that you can see all the fascinating streets there are in Rome.

There is lots of accommodation that will satisfy your needs, and the same is for restaurants: dan't forget to taste the delicious typical Italian dishes, or, if you prefer something more international, there are restaurants where you can eat food from all over the world. You won't have any problems even at night, when you can choose from one of the most popular discos, pucs, and other entertainment.

Writing a travel guide, Suzanne's Level 6

Berlin

by Davide Bellini and Zakaria Naous.

With its 2.500.000 inhabitants, Berlin is the capital of United Germany.

For more than 25 years it was divided by the famous wall, taken down in 1989. There are a lot of historical attractions, such as the Reichstag, the Dome and the Brandenburg Gate.

It’s also famous for its technological and sophisticated architecture that you can admire for example in the TV Tower. But it’s also a city full of amazing entertainment opportunities.

You can enjoy listening to music (both classical and modern music), dancing in the most popular discos and experiencing the magnificent spectacle of nature at the Zoologischer Garten. After a newsworthy walk through the city you can taste an original German beer, accompanying it with the typical crunchiest pretzel in the world.

Moving through the city is made easier by a really efficient public transport service which consists of very on time buses and subway as well. If you are a green person, you can always rent a bicycle in many places of the city.