Street Sign Language Lesson XL

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Wow, our 40th Street Sign Language Lesson ™. Here are a few signs that we’ve spotted recently that we found intrigued us or stumped us.

[1] fondo sconnesso – uneven surface/road

sconnesso is the past participle of sconnettere – to disconnect. But in the sense here, it’s uneven road, and watch out for bumps and holes. A related term is strada dissestata. We saw sign this near Astino in Bergamo.

[2] gratta e sosta – scratch and park

When we first saw this, we thought what does the scratch and win lottery ticket (Gratta e vinci) have to do with parking!? Ah, sostare (sosta – third person singular) - to park. Grattare (gratta – third person singular) - to scratch. We saw this on a hike in Valzurio, see A Sunday Hike in Valzurio. At trailheads, it’s common to have to buy a ticket to park – gratta e sosta – where you scratch the time day and time you park.

But wait, it’s not gratta e vince – with vince the third person singular of vincere – to win? It’s scratch and you win (vinci). That’s optimistic we’d say since most people lose!?

 

[3] guarnizione – seal or gasket

We saw this in the cluttered and charming hardware store in Città Alta, Piccola Ferramenta di Città Alta. The owner knows exactly which of the innumerable piles of stuff to move to find what he’s looking for.

 

[4] E’ veramente importante per non intasare, non buttare carta nei pisciatoi. Eventualmente sgorlire una volta di più (fino a tre si può fare). – Don't block the urinal with paper. If necessary, shake your (penis) one more time. You can do it up to three times."

An Italian friend had to explain this sign to us. Sgorlire is dialect for scuotere. This sign was above a urinal (pisciatoio) in a Malga Valbiolo (a rifugio), Passo Tonale. Here's a hike we did to that rifugio in case you are interested in seeing it yourself: Two Late Winter Hikes Near Ponte di Legno, Italy.


  

[5] Il Sacrario Militare del Tonale – The Military Memorial of Tonale

It's hard to think about war with everyone having fun skiing. The movement of people and ski lifts, booming music, and people looking cool waiting for après-ski. But there it is, a war memorial to remind you of once upon a time. On top, Vittoria alata.

We are still at Passo Tonale with this sign, at the base of the ski runs. This pass and surrounding valleys were the site of WWI fighting between the Austrians and Italians. Inside the memorial (sacrario), the remains of 858 bodies of fallen Italians and 59 unknown soldiers, referred to as bodies - le salme and remains - le spoglie.

This memorial was inaugurated in 1931 by Vittorio Emmanuele III.

[6] no pipì no popò - No dog pee or poo (here)

Back in Bergamo for this sign. We weren’t sure these words were made up but www.wordreference.com has them as colloquial words: pipì and popò.

[7] smarrita cagna di 16 anni, sente pochissimo e cammina male, se qualcuno la trovasse è pregato di chiamare il numero – lost 16-year-old dog, she doesn't hear and walk well, anyone who should find her is kindly asked to call the number

We don’t even have a dog but keep an eye out for these lost dog signs. Poor old girl, cagna. 

[8] ultime rocchette per ricamo a machina – Latest bobbins for machine embroidery (needlework)

Is there an error in the gender of rocchetto? We think so. We saw this in one of our favorite way-back stores in the center of Bergamo, Praderio Mario dal 1917 (Casa della Lana). Going into that store is like stepping back in time (100 years to be precise). Maybe the gender of bobbins changed since then?

Two Late Winter Hikes Near Ponte di Legno, Italy

Overview ~ Hike 1: Malga Valbiolo ~ Hike 2: Val Canè

Left: At the start of the trail, a commemorative sculpture for the "witches of Tonale". Witches were said to have practiced their witchcraft in these hills. There were two public burnings of witches (mostly female and some male) in the 1500s in Val Camonica. Over 100 people were killed. Right: Val Cané and view south toward the Adamello Group.

We recently spent a weekend in Ponte di Legno skiing and walking. In this post, we’ll talk about two easy hikes we did, good for late winter season. We’ve visited Ponte di Legno four times over the last few years, each time for a few days, usually for skiing. Each time, we find more to do and more restaurants to try. It’s a place worth visiting.

Overview

Where are these hikes? Both hikes are near Ponte di Legno, a small comune of less than 2,000 people. It’s located in Lombardy Italy, about a 2.5 hour drive due northeast from Bergamo. While Ponte di Legno is a summer and winter destination spot (note number of shuttered homes at any given time), it still retains some of its charm as a town with people who live and work there. The old town is centered around the confluence of the Frigidolfo and Narcanello rivers, which give birth to the Oglio River. The Oglio passes through Lago Iseo and like all water in the north of Italy empties into the mighty Po River.


Getting there? You can reach Ponte di Legno on public transport. We’ve done it twice on public transport. Once, we did it all by bus from Bergamo (with two changes). That took about 3-4 hours – not much longer than by car, 2 hours without trafffic. And once, we arrived by train from Bergamo to Brescia to Edolo. We took a break at Edolo for a lunch at La Corte di Bacco. From Edolo to Ponte di Legno, it’s a bus. There is also a direct bus from Milan (Sesto San Giovanni), passing through Bergamo Airport. From Ponte di Legno, you can take a small bus up to Passo Tonale or the cable car.


Surroundings? Ponte di Legno is located between two major parks: to the north Parco di Stelvio and to the south Parco Adamello. Even in the center of Ponte di Legno, it feels like you are close to nature. Walking in the compact city center’s winding streets and crossing numerous bridges, you are never far from the sound of rushing water. Look up, and there is almost 360 degrees of mountains and trees. You can walk right out of town on numerous pleasurable walks or serious hikes.

Hike 1: Malga Valbiolo

Duration: 2 hours, going and returning (doesn’t include time for lunch)
Elevation: 440 m (1,440 ft), start at 1,900 m (6,230 ft), finish at 2,340 m (7,680 ft)
Length: 7 km roundtrip

Our first hike was up to Malga Valbiolo, above Passo Tonale. We love eating at this rifugio on a popular ski run. Usually, we are skiing, and we stop there for lunch. Today, we walk up.

To get there, either take the cable car (Cabinovia Ponte di Legno – Tonale) from Ponte di Legno up to Tonale, and then walk to the base of the Valbiolo ski lift (Seggovia Valbiolo - location). From there, follow the small road up to Opsizio San Bartolomeo and grab a coffee. (Be sure to see the commemorative sculpture about the witch trials of the 1500s in Val Camonica. Very interesting.) From San Bartolomeo, just follow the signs up. (Alternatively, drive up and park at the base of the Valbiolo ski lift.)

From Opsizio San Bartolomeo, follow the signage for “Malga Valbiolo”. The trail was covered in snow the higher up we went. Sometimes we missed the trail and followed the snowshoe trail for a bit. The trail markers list the trail as “111”.

 
Walking up to Malga Valbiolo and toward Passo Contrabbandieri.

 
View from trail south toward Presanella Group.

Left: Food at Malga Valbiolo. Center: Sign for trail 111 for Malga Valbiolo in Passo Tonale. Right: To get to the rifugio you pass under the ski lift.

  
A commemorative sculpture near Ospizio San Bartolomeo telling of the story of two witch trials in Val Camonica in the 1500s. Witches (mostly woman and some men) were reported to come to this area on Passo Tonale to practice their witchcraft.

Hike 2: Val Canè

Duration: 2.25 hours, going and return, a few stops for a sip of water
Elevation: 460 m (1,510 ft), start at 1,540 m (5,050 ft), turn around at 2,000 m (6,560 ft)
Length: 9 km roundtrip

Our second hike was up Val Canè (Val di Canè), an alpine valley in the Province of Brescia, in upper Val Camonica. The valley is just a few minutes south of Ponte di Legno and is within the Stelvio National Park. This small valley begins north of the village of the same name and ends at 3,228 m with the Punta di Pietra Rossa. After passing through the village there is a parking lot (location) at the trail head at 1,540 m. (We only reached 2,000 m before turning around following trail “165”.)

Left and center left: Start of trail 165 to Val Cané. Center right: Lichen. Right: Example of trail signage on way to Val Cané.


Left: View north toward the pass in Val Cané. Right: View south from the tail toward the Adamello group.


Trail shots. Little snow in the beginning, and more snow the higher you go in Val Canè.


Aesthetically pleasing roads leading to mountains in Val Cané.

Travelmarx Music Picks - Spring 2023 – Los(t) Days and Desert Echoes

Composite image of 25 albums featured in the Travelmarx Spring 2023 playlist. Theme: desert and lost days.

We’ve been staying close to home, savoring our new place and all the effort that went to move into it. (See An International Move Story - Advice and Tips for Moving Your Household Goods from the US to Italy.) There are days where we don’t step out the front door and time stands still: lost days. Lost days but not in a bad way.

A friend recently purchased a second house in (and has practically moved to) Palm Springs. She is like many we know from Seattle. Are we destined to become the snowbirds we turned our noses up at when younger? Growing up on the East Coast, the snowbird destination of choice was Florida. The affluent north goes goes south; the less affluent south goes north. Koyaanisqatsi? (One of our favorite soundtracks.)

Listening to our Palm Springs friend and her adventures takes our minds to the desert. However, we think of a different desert. The Palm Springs area is nice but further south is where it gets interesting, down into Imperial Valley. The Salton Sea's wasted beaches, the dry dusty agricultural areas south of the sea, the sand dunes, the slabs, and Salvation Mountain are where we have spent a lot of time. And not to forget the special quesadilla! This play list is for our time and memories there.

In this playlist expect slow reverb guitar, pedal and twangy guitar, and a touch of cumbria with the likes of Los Days, Marisa Anderson, Opez, Hermanos Gutiérrez, Tommy Guerrero, Adrian Quesada, North Americans, Jake Xerxes Fussell, KATZROAR, Nicola Cruz, RICEWINE. There are two Italian artists in this playlist: Opez and Roberto Musci. (Spotify link.)


Hermanos Gutiérrez – “Hijos del Sole”
Los Days, Tommy Guerrero – “Travelling Light”
Marissa Anderson – “Into the Light”
Opez – “Balera De Mar”
Adrian Quesada – “Noble Metals”

North Americans – “Classic Water”
Jake Xerxes Fussell – “Frolic”
Skúli Sverrisson – “Instants”
Misha Panfilov Sound Combo – “Together”
KATZROAR – “Pomegranate Seeds”

Nicola Cruz – “La Mirada”
RICEWINE – “Photo”
Curls – “Golden Gate”
Jeffrey Silverstein – “Trip Sitter”
Gitkin – “El Millonario”

Gene Sikora – “A Song for Mary”
Tommy Guerrero – “Zapata's Boots”
Monster Rally – “Niñas De La Selva”
Roberto Musci – “Water Music” - Love me some Roberto Musci!
Skinshape - “Behind the Sun”

Tommy Guerrero - “By the Sea at the End of the World”
Will Van Horn - “Lost My Mind”
Jerkcurb - “Midnight Snack”
Orions Belte - “Bean”
Desmond Cheese - “Morning Glory”

Lights On Bergamo Installation – Dialog(ue) translation nit

A little history ~ A translation nit ~ Photos

Lights On installation at night, in Pizza della Libertà Bergamo.

We love this (unfortunately) temporary installation in Piazza della Libertà of Bergamo. Why? This piazza and surrounding buildings, especially the Palazzo della Libertà and its stark and imposing front, have always left us kind of cold. Add to that, a fountain in the middle of the piazza that is so large that you can’t even see into it. You must look up. Unapproachable. Not to the scale of humans. Who designed this?

A little history

The Palazzo della Libertà was completed in 1940 and was the headquarters of the National Fascist Party. It was designed by Alziro Bergonzo (1906 – 1997), an Italian architect who worked in the style called Stile Littorio. (This style refers to an architectural language developed in Italy in the 1930s that featured many public buildings commissioned by the Fascist regime until its fall.)

So, I guess we are not big fans of this architectural style with its monumental scale, purposely not human-scale, and we would say slightly pretentious appearance. There are aspects of it that are pleasing but on the whole it's off-putting.

Enter this light installation Lights On Bergamo - Objects of Common Interest sponsored by the Confindustria Bergamo for 2023’s Cultural Capital Celebration in which Brescia and Bergamo are the hosts. The installation softens the piazza. Steps are added so you can climb up to the fountain. A series of light tubes softens the front of the palazzo. On the whole, everything is more approachable, more to human scale. We are not sure the Fascist Party or Bergonzo would agree, but we would love for this installation to stick around.

A translation nit

Reading the information about the exhibit that was presented on site, we saw a common pattern used in translating Italian to English. Here are the original (assuming Italian was source) and translated (English) descriptions with the part in bold that we take issue with.

Italian: Objects of Common Interest è stata invitata a proporre un'installazione artistica in occasione di Capitale della Cultura 2023 che vede Brescia e Bergamo assumere il ruolo di "città illuminata". La proposta mira ad integrare quattro temi chiave: città e natura, tesori nascosti, la città che inventa e la cultura come cura. L'obiettivo è quello di definire la visione di un territorio attrattivo e consapevole delle proprie potenzialità. Bergamo dialoga con la modernità, partendo dai suoi punti di forza — la radice manifatturiera e il forte senso di appartenenza - e li coniuga con i valori dell'innovazione e della sostenibilità economica, sociale e ambientale, grazie anche alla capacità evocativa dei linguaggi dell'arte e della cultura.

English: Objects of Common Interest were invited to propose an intervention for 2023's Cultural Capital which sees Brescia and Bergamo take the title of the 'illuminated city'. The proposal in response seeks to integrate four key themes: city and nature, hidden treasures, the city that invents and culture as a cure. The aim is to define a new vision for an attractive territory aware of its potential. Bergamo dialogues with modernity, starting from its strengths - manufacturing roots and sense of belonging - and combines them with the values of innovation and with economic, social and environmental sustainability, thanks also to the evocative capacity of art and culture as languages.

In Italian, the phrase Bergamo dialoga is translated as “Bergamo dialogues with”. This translations sounds strange in English. What about “Bergamo interacts with” or “Bergamo engages with”? Yes, dialogue is technically correct as a verb, but who uses it commonly? Beyond that, we can’t tell you how many installation or exhibition descriptions we’ve seen where the "work of art” dialogues with “you” or it’s “surroundings”. Curators and writers use this wording when they can’t find anything concrete to say, or anything to say in plain English.

So, let’s put our money where our mouths are and give you our translation. Items in bold are our additions and deviate from official translation.

English (our translation): The studio Objects of Common Interest was invited to present an installation for Italy’s Capital of Culture 2023 where Brescia and Bergamo take on the role of “illuminated city”. The resulting work integrates four key themes: city and nature, hidden treasures, a city that invents, and culture as a cure. The aim is to define a new vision for an economically dynamic region aware of its potential. Bergamo embraces the future, building on its strengths – its manufacturing roots and a sense of community – combining them with innovation and economic, social, and environmental sustainability thanks to the evocative power of the language of art and culture.

* Dynamic in the sense of attracting business not beauty. See AttrACT - Accordi per l’attrattività.

Photos

The description of the Lights On installation in Italian and English.

Left: Under the portico of Palazzo della Libertà in Bergamo, with moon. Right: Lights On installation at night.

Left: The Piazza della Libertà on a gray day in Bergamo, Italy - with Chiesa di San Marco belltower visible. Right: The unforgiving geometry of the Piazza della Libertà broken just a little by the Lights On installation. 

The Light On installation winding light tubes.

20 Frasi Fatte – 20 Catchphrases (Clichés) in Italian Starting with the Letters B - E

Italian Catchphrases - Frasi Fatte - Starting with B through E - Memes: Sono alla frutta, al verde, braccino corto.

This post is a continuation of our previous post, 20 Frasi Fatte – 20 Catchphrases (Clichés) in Italian Starting with the Letter A. Here we cover phrases starting with B, C, D and E.

Backstory

Once, when talking with an Italian friend, he criticized someone for always using frasi fatte, that is, lacking originality in her speech. Frasi fatte translates literally to "made phrases", or more exactly “platitudes”, “clichés” or very literally “set phrases” or "catch phrases". Instinctively, I knew what frase fatte meant as soon as it was uttered without looking it up. I thought, wow, if I could only speak Italian with frasi fatte, I’d be quite happy!

The more we investigated frasi fatte, the more we realized that studying these phrases could be useful for English speakers trying to learn Italian. In this post, we include some frasi fatte starting with “B", "C", "D", and "E". 

The list we’re drawing from is the Wikipedia page Glossario delle frasi fatte.

The List

The list contains examples from news headlines and in a few case text inside the articles referenced.

1. baciamo le mani – Typical idiom of the South of Italy, and in particular of Sicily, when, as a sign of respect and submission, people actually kissed the hand of a lady or anyone considered by the community to be a powerful character, both economically and politically. In time, the phrase came into common use, as a sign of reverence and respect.

Example: Da “Baciamo le mani” a “Cosa nostra”: almeno 300 ristoranti hanno un nome che ricorda la mafia.

2.baciarsi i gomiti – When the seemingly impossible happens as in kissing both elbows.

Example: Follia in via Repubblica: pugni e spallate ai passanti. Ed ecco spiegato il «baciarsi i gomiti» del marito: un automobilista ha avuto la prontezza di riflessi - e la fortuna insieme - di riuscire a evitarla.

3. bastone tra le ruote – An obstacle that prevents something or someone from moving forward.

Example: L’annus horribilis e il futuro incerto dell’idroelettrico europeo. La carenza di precipitazioni significative e le temperature elevate hanno messo il bastone tra le ruote a diverse centrali nucleari del nostro continente, specialmente in Francia.

4. braccino corto – To be frugal, miserly.

Example: "Una doccia alla settimana": l'avarizia è maltrattamento. Dalla mano morta al braccino corto la differenza è poca, pochissima, quasi impercettibile.

5. buco nell’acqua – Useless action, dead end.

Example: Non è Angela Celentano: negativi i test del dna sulla ragazza sudamericana, ennesimo buco nell’acqua.

6. caccia alle streghe – Witch hunt.

Example: J.K. Rowling, transfobia o caccia alle streghe?

7. campa cavallo – Said when something desired is postponed indefinitely. The expression comes from the traditional proverb "campa cavallo che l'erba cresce", which means you don’t know what the horse will eat waiting for the grass to grow. The original proverb is shortened to use just “campa cavallo” and can also have the meaning of “fat chance”.

Example: Catania, viaggio tra incompiute e palazzi abbandonati. Nelle idee della Regione c’è anche il recupero del pregevole palazzo settecentesco del Vaccarini, il cui prospetto si affaccia sulla nuova piazza. Secondo il piano generale l’edificio deve diventare la nuova sede della Sovrintendenza. Ma campa cavallo. L’unica novità è che l’opera è stata assegnata e dovrebbe essere realizzata in poco più di 365 giorni.

8. casalingha di Voghera – An expression used journalistically to represent a stereotypical segment of the bourgeois Italian population. An expression coined by Alberto Arbasino.

Example: Greenwashing, la solitudine della casalinga di Voghera, il profitto e il senso di impotenza che mi assale.

9. col senno di poi – In retrospect; in hindsight.

Example: Karima el Mahroug: col senno di poi, oggi non tornerei ad Arcore.

10. cose turche – Unacceptable actions; unheard of actions.

Example: Le cose turche della Turchia sugli uiguri dello Xinjiang.


11. darci dentro – Go all out; get on with it; suck it up; dig in.

Example: San Valentino, il menù perfetto con le ricette degli chef. L’idea è quella di non esagerare con le quantità, ma di darci dentro con gli ingredienti di qualità.

12. dare di matto – Freak out; go crazy; flip out.

Example: Straniero dà di matto, neutralizzato da un cittadino e dalla Polizia.


13. darsela a gambe – Escape; make run for it.

Example: Investe un animale selvatico a Crevacuore e se la dà a gambe.

14. di nicchia – Niche.

Example: RossoRaro, un’azienda di nicchia come il prodotto che produce: lo zafferano.

15. dirne (o farne) di tutti i colori – To say (or do harm) without restraint; to let loose on someone or something; put someone through the mill.

Example: Berlusconi “I comunisti me ne hanno fatte di tutti i colori”.

16. editto bulgaro – Often referred to as the “Bulgarian Diktat”, this term came from a statement by Silvio Berlusconi who at the time was the Prime Minister of Italy in 2002. In the statement, he complained about the behavior of people in the Italian media system. Those people were soon removed from the air (and their jobs). The statement was made in Bulgaria. An edict.

Example: "Un vero editto bulgaro dai vescovi marchigiani"

17. errore sesquipedale – A huge error, a gigantic mistake.

Example: Verstappen, team radio di fuoco: “Che c***o succede?”. Una pole position accarezzata, forse anche meritata, ma volata via per colpa di un errore sesquipedale da parte della Red Bull.


18. essere alla canna del gas – Be desperate, like arriving at the point where – unfortunately common at one time – to take one’s life with cooking gas.

Example: Il grido degli agricoltori : "Siamo alla canna del gas".

19. essere all frutta – On the ropes; last ditch effort.

Example: I conservatori inglesi sono alla frutta.

20. essere al verde – Left without money.

Example: Bolt irriconoscibile, la truffa milionaria lo ha devastato: “Tutti sanno che ho tre figli”. Bolt ha voluto chiarire di non essere "al verde", anche se sarà costretto a rivedere i suoi programmi...