Annalena continues talking with Paolo Giordano, who talks about how places such as Afghanistan and Apulia have influenced his writing.

Melania Gaia Mazzucco talks about one of her novels set in seventeenth-century Trastevere, quite a different place than what we see today. Although she has traveled the world, Mazzucco comes from generations of romani di Roma (Romans from Rome).

Melania talks about her relationship with her father when he was still alive. He didn't say much, but unbeknownst to her, tried to get a story of hers published. She talks about one her favorite parts of Rome: Isola Tiberina (Tiber Island), the only river island in the part of the Tiber that runs through Rome.

Melania Mazzucco grew up in a part of Rome on the outskirts, not the part people usually associate with the beautiful city. The white Fiat 500 her father bought for the family became an important part of her life.

Leaving the outskirts of Rome, Annalena goes to a middle-class neighborhood where she meets professor and writer, Alessandro Piperno. He talks about what it was like growing up there and about his identity as a writer.

Alessandro explains some things about the characters in his books and tells a story about when he won the Strega award. The Strega Award is the most important Italian literary award. It gets its name from one of its creators, the owner of the company producing Strega, a brand of an amaro (after-dinner, digestive bitters).

Annalena continues her conversation with Piperno in his favorite restaurant. They look at some photos from his past while they wait for their meal to be served.

Alessandro Piperno comes from a mixed Jewish family and recounts how he learned, at an early age, to cherish the relationship between Jerusalem and Rome, where Christianity and Judaism blend. Thus we come to the end of this episode about the region of Lazio.

Gianna Mantovan shows us how to prepare an excellent clam sauce. This video is kindly provided by uChefPuntoit.

Angelo Piras, chef of the restaurant San Domenico, in Chieri, in the Turin Province, prepares some delicious and quick dishes that you’ll be enthusiastic about! This one shows the preparation of fried squid, with a surprising presentation at the end. Copyright uChefPuntoit.

Alessio Uberti, chef of the restaurant Macelleria di Torino [Butcher Shop of Turin], prepares an amazing dessert for us. Video gently provided from uChefPuntoit.

The song dates to 1991, when Lorenzo Jovannoti was still working as a deejay.

Pappa e Ciccia, song from the album "Alla Rovescia" by Radici nel Cemento, talks about a couple who are just that, "Pappa e Ciccia"--meaning they go "hand in glove". Literally, pappa means mush but is often used to mean food and ciccia is fat or gristle, but is often used to mean meat.

The Radici nel Cemento [Roots in Concrete] are an Italian reggae group from Fiumicino (Rome), who appeared on the Italian reggae scene in 1993. Alla rovescia [Upside-down] is the title song of the album released in 2001 and tells of a world that spins backwards. Everything is the opposite of the way it should be in real life.

Composting is becoming more and more popular in Italy, and many towns will supply you with a composter, not to mention a discount on your sanitation expenses! In addition, there's plenty of useful new vocabulary in this video, The voice over is not particularly slow, but it's nice and clear.