Here at Kildare College, immersion into the Italian culture is just as integral to the students' learning as the linguistic exchanges we share in our Italian classes. To continue to foster our students' love for all things Italian – language, culture, traditions and most significantly, food - we gathered our Year 9 and 10 Italian students and embarked on an Italian safari at Mercato.
The students enjoyed a guided tour of Mercato with our passionate host, Jianna, a proud purveyor of Italian fine foods. Jianna perfectly captured the essence of Italy through an authentic Italian experience highlighting Italy’s most famous regions.
Following this, we enjoyed a taste of Italy, taking in the buzzing and happy atmosphere of ‘Il Bar Mercato’ whilst enjoying an indulgent and traditional panino made from the highest quality Italian products, a selection of Italian dolci (sweets) and of course, a classic Italian caffé.
A highlight of our time on this excursion was the gorgeous nonni (grandparents) who introduced themselves to us and eagerly shared stories of their many happy days spent both in Italy and here within the strong Italo-Australian community in Adelaide. Our students had a prime opportunity to converse in Italian with these dear members of our community. Although they may not have been able to be translate the conversation completely, a connectedness was certainly conveyed in the many exchanges of smiles and nods between our students and the nonni across our long Italian table.
The Italian influence on Australian culture and identity was certainly understood and appreciated by all. It was a beautiful fusion of Italian culture, history and language and a timely reminder of “la dolce vita” that we have been blessed with here in Adelaide due to the vibrant contributions of our Italian friends.
Angelica Paussa and Anne Molinaro
Italian Teachers
