Erica, from a small city in Tuscany, talks about her great passion: archeology. She has been lucky enough to be able to combine this passion with another one — tourism – in her current job.

Erica welcomes us to the tourist office where she works. She tells us all about it.

Erica describes one of the workshops she does for kids. It's all about learning how prehistoric man made fire from materials found in nature. Stay tuned for a practical demonstration of this!

Erica studied English at school, but was lucky enough, during high school, to travel to a country where English was spoken every day. That's where she learned the most, by living and breathing it.

Pianist Matteo Bogazzi explains what his job — pianista collaboratore (collaborating pianist) is all about, and how he got there. The interview took place during a chamber music festival and summer course in Lucca, where he was working.

Sometimes the accompanist has to follow the soloist's musical intentions, but at other times, when the musician is not very experienced, the accompanist needs to guide the soloist and make the best of a potentially tricky musical situation. This depends on the musical and technical level of the soloist, as well as the experience and maturity of the accompanist.

Matteo tells us how fundamental it is to know the entire score, not just one's own part, in order to best interpret a piece. For him, music is above all education in listening: to the composer, to other musicians, and to oneself. Playing together thus becomes an experience of growth and mutual care, even before it becomes artistic.

Sandra was born in the province of Pisa and tells the story of her personal transformation. She begins at the beginning, when she was a young girl growing up in Cascina, a town near Pisa. But she wasn't happy and felt like a fish out of water.

Sandra tells about her immigration experience to the United States in 1979. At first, without knowing English well and without technology, she faces many difficulties in daily life and in finding work. Starting from a simple job as a coat check attendant in a restaurant, she slowly begins a new life that would later lead her to become a chef.

Sandra tells about her initial difficulties in the United States and how, realizing she wouldn't get very far without knowing English, she learned it on her own. Starting from a humble job in the restaurant industry, she quickly grew professionally.

During an important evening at the Washington, D.C. restaurant where Sandra was the dining room manager, the usual chef didn't show, and Sandra found herself having to manage the kitchen as well. She had no experience there, and so it was somewhat of a disaster. The episode pushed her to learn, however: Thanks to the help of an expert cook, she began an apprenticeship, acquired skills, and started building a career bringing Italian cuisine to the United States.

The story of Sandra continues, a Tuscan chef who emigrated to the United States, who established herself in Miami with authentic Tuscan cuisine. Thanks to her continuous ties with Italy, she keeps her roots alive, even cooking for Barack Obama.

The story of Sandra continues, a restaurateur in Miami, chosen to cook at a White House event for Barack Obama. Between initial disbelief and rigorous security checks, the experience becomes a source of great pride for her. The story also highlights the value of friendship and the importance of reinventing oneself in life.

Sandra now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains, in North Carolina. She is still working and loves it. She and Marika discuss some Italian expressions about the value of work and about how their friendship has lasted all these years.

For many Italians, putting up a presepe (manger scene or crèche) at Christmas time is as, if not more important than putting up a Christmas tree. Antonio talks about the traditions concerning its origins, two thousand and eleven years ago.