LET'S LEARN ITALIAN--POST #9

The Euro has dropped again versus the dollar and airfare to Italy has also dropped, so let's add a few more words to our Italian vocabulary that might come in handy in case you decide to take advantage and book a trip to Italy.  Are you listening to the http://www.learnitalianpod.com/ podcast?  It's FREE on iTunes and only $14.95 per month to become a Premium Member.

Grande                              Big
(GRAN-day)


Piccolo                               Small
(PEE-co-lo)


Caldo                                 Hot
(CALL-do)


Freddo                               Cold
(FRAY-do)


Buono                                Good (Used to describe food)
(BWOH-no)                       
NOTE: If you are describing how food tastes, you use Buono or Buona; if you are describing someone's looks, you use Bello or Bella which means beautiful or handsome.


Cattivo                                 Bad                              
(Cat-TEE-vo)
NOTE: If you are describing how food tastes, you use Cattivo or Cattiva; if you are describing someone's looks, you use Brutto or Brutta which means ugly.


Aperto                                 Open
(Ah-PEAR-to)



Chiuso                                 Closed
(Key-OO-so)



Vicino                                   Close or Near




Lontano                                Far

BIKING IN BRUSSELS

Want to rent a bike in Brussels?

Villo! is a self-service bike rental available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. More than 50 bike stations are located in the center of Brussels, a mere 450 meters from each other. They are located on major streets, near train and Métro stations and the tourist centers.

There are two types of bike stations: with a bank card reader and without a bank card reader. If the station does not have a bank card reader you can't purchase a 1-day or 7-day ticket but you can still rent a bike if you have previously purchased your ticket.

To rent a bike, purchase a 1-day ticket for €1.60 or 7-day ticket for €7.50 using your bank card (no cash accepted; must be VISA, MasterCard or Maestro card with chip and PIN). You can rent a bike as often as you want during the validation period of the ticket. The first 30 minutes are free; you pay an extra rate depending on how long you keep the bike: starting at €.50 for the next half-hour up to €2.00 for every 30 minutes over 2 hours. NOTE: You will also be charged €150.00 deposit for the bike which is refunded when you return the bike.

Once your bank card has been accepted and you have created your PIN, you will receive your ticket. IMPORTANT: Keep your ticket because it has a code on it that you will need when you want to rent another bike within your subscription time. Choose your bicycle. Release the bike by pushing the silver button. REMEMBER: You can rent the bike at one station and leave it at another station.

This video really explains the renting instructions in detail (NOTE: prices have risen slightly since this video was made):

For more information, click here for the Villo website.