The people who run a seaside restaurant in the province of Marsala describe the place as a little corner of paradise with its pure, curative water and sand, and meals served directly in the water. They are used to speaking Sicilian most of the time, so speaking correct Italian is a challenge. But their love for the place, and their typically Sicilian warmth towards visitors come through.

Benedetto shows us his beautifully landscaped vacation rental property in the Province of Marsala.

Serena is near one of the beaches of her town, Maratea, where she lives with her family and she tells us a few things about herself.

Martina has almost completed her degree at the university, which will qualify her to work in the juvenile courts. She would like to evaluate the situations and problems of kids, especially immigrant minors, who have trouble in school and in their social lives, and to help them adjust. Follow the interview by Serena.

Go clothes shopping with Serena, who's looking for something nice for a festa, as well as some everyday wear.

Serena is still shopping for clothes, and looks at some pretty flashy shoes. In the end, though, she goes for the jacket, and she fishes in her bag for the cash. She gives us a good example of how the plural is used when talking about euros. Euro is both singular and plural in Italian. So whether we're talking about soldi (money) or euro (euros), Italians think in the plural!

Serena and Martina take you to a shop that sells both home health care products and beauty aids. This kind of shop is called a sanitaria, coming from the word, sanità (health). If you ever (heaven forbid!) need a wheelchair, ace bandage, neck brace, or even orthopedic shoes, this is the place to go. Today, Serena and Martina are shopping for more glamorous items.

Serena goes in to a shop with a friend to buy some beauty cream. She pays by carta di credito, and makes sure she walks out of the store with lo scontrino (the receipt), which is obligatory in Italy! As an afterthought, she would like Gerarda, the proprietor, to gift-wrap the beauty cream for her, so she asks for un pacchetto regalo.

Serena and Elena talk about the school system in Italy, which is quite different from that of other countries. Terminology is different and can be deceptive, so be prepared for some false cognates. Where Americans talk about going away to school (college, university), Italians talk about the university. Find out what "scuola" means to these two young Italian women.

Get the inside story on going to university in Italy! Serena and Elena talk about how the school year is broken up, where you register, taking exams and how the grading works, what grade point average you need to pass, and much more.

Studying is not the only thing students do at the university. They like to have fun, too. Being from out of town, but too far away for a commute, Serena and Elena rent an apartment with other students. Find out what they like to do in the evenings!

Serena takes us to visit her house, where besides all the things her mother collects, there's a fireplace, and a view of the sea.

The traditional Anglo-Saxon holiday, Halloween, has gradually taken hold in Italy and is now an occasion for partying, wearing costumes, and having fun. Serena opens up the door to her apartment and...

Serena takes you to a music store in Rome. The first instrument she shows us is the piano.

Serena takes us to another part of the music store. This time she shows us the percussion instruments.