switzerland

If you ever look at a Swiss stamp, you will notice that is does not say Switzerland. Instead, it will say Helvatia. Also, unlike almost all of Western Europe, Switzerland uses the Swiss Franc instead of the Euro. You can thank switzerland for chocolate, army knives, the International Red Cross, and the red cross can thank Switzerland for its flag.

Language In Italy!$$$$

Ciao è Julie(:
Just in case you want to visit, learn our language! Haha!
Italian is the official language and only 93% are native Italian speakers. It's very close to spanish, but their is a difference in the words and the accent. We got our language mostly from France because Italian lands were once ruled by France. In Italy's history, there were many other languages that were spoken, but we seemed to get a hang of Italian. In Italy we also take English classes to help us out in life. We take Italian as well, so that we can learn more about our own language. Everytime I'm at my cousin's house he always tries to talk fluent English, I laugh at him because at some point he ends up messing up. In my home and in my families homes, we speak Italian, obviously because that's my first language.

its all on sicily

Sicily is the largest island on the Mediterranean sea. The several islands sorrounding it are considered to be part of Sicily. This particular island was once a city-state in its own right and ruled the southern island of palermo. Sicily has it's own unique culture. Arts, cuisine, Architecture, language, Ect. Sicily is reconized as a center of orginized crime and had a large number of mob families. The reputed income of italian mobs was estimated 63 billion euros annuauly. OMG!!!!!!

Politics in Italy !!!!

Hey its valentina again!!!! Italy has a framework of parlimentary, democratic, rebublic, and multi-party system. Current presidents have the same duties as a king! The current president of italy is Giorgio Napolatino. The president is elected by an electorial college consisting of both houses of parliment and 58 regional representatives for a seven year term. Even though it is not forbidden by the law no president has ever served two terms! (amazing)(= The italian judgical system is based on roman laws and modified by the Napoleonic code.

Alright got to go my madres finished with dinner peace(=

that boring governtment stuff...

The government of Sweden is a constitutional monarchy, based on parlimentary democracy. The prime minister is Fredrik Reinfeldt. He is pretty cool. :) Sorry, about this boring stuff... The cabinent acually in the yar 2000 had 11 women out of 12 people! Wow! that poor poor guy..

This picture up there is the flag and that dude is the prime minister! :)

Italian Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!

Its Alfonzo and Holidays are some of my favorite days. In August which is my birthday month I usually get together with my family and we head for the beaches and their cities. Most shops close in August and everybody goes to the sarges, or city fairs. They have them for every food you can think of. They play music and all ages hit the dance floors and party late into the night. These things go on for days and are really fun. I go with famliy and friends and we try to hit as many as possible during this time and party hard every night. Of course I love Christmas and Easter. For Christmas all my family gets together... and I mean ALL of it. Its a lot of fun to stay up late and open gifts and just spend time with family. Also to remember why it even happend and remind ourselves of the sacrifice God gave us. Easter is also another big holiday where we do the traditonal easter bunny baskets.

Religion in Italy

The Religion in Italy is almost all Christians.They are mostly Catholics, but there are some Protestants. There are other religions, but there are a lot of them and they only make up a small percentage of the nation.

Religion In Italy!$$$$

It's Julie.
I've told you about food, sports, fun, and important date, but so far nothing about religion.
Rome is known as a very religious capital. We are Catholic, but there seems to be a lot of Christians. Ever since I went to church, the pope has always been the head of the Catholic Church. A couple years ago I decided I want to be Christian, not that there is anything wrong with being Catholic. The great thing about it is that we are free to be whatever we want, although Catholics are perfered more. Italy has always been a land of faith that we will prosper in anything. A total of 85% are born being Catholic and 20% are born regular.

hey. im LAGE! and i uh speak Swedish, because, i am Swedish!! hehehe!

Im Lage. In Sweden, we speak Swedish. IT is a North Germanic language, and its spoken bby like 10,000,000 people! Standered sentances are: Subject, verb, object. This is a monophathongs chart! It is part of the Swedish language. :)

italian greyhounds are a small version of a real greyhound. they are very small, but very strong. They are basicly like a jackrussle just a tiny bit bigger, but they are just as wild and crazy as a jackrussle. They also are very fast just like a normal greyhound and they jump really high. I own a swedish brindel greyhound and she is so cool. The one to the right is an italian greyhound, and the one on the right is the type of grey hound I have.

United Kingdom :)))))))

It's Nina! My mom is making me cook dinner tonight. I think im going to cook some Lemon Curd and some scones

• In a double boiler (one pot set inside a larger pot that contains about 2 inches of boiling water), melt the butter with the lemon juice and sugar, stirring until all the sugar dissolves.

Add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring constantly.

Keep stirring until the mixture is as thick as yogurt (about 15 minutes).

Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl.

Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool.

Serve on toast or fill purchased miniature tart shells with it. with tea and milk for desert.

Calcio (Italian Soccer)

Italy is really big on soccer and pretty much everyone plays or has played. Or at least all the people I know. Where I grew up and even where I live now the citites put tons of money into soccer. Making sure there are plenty of fields for inhabitants to play on. The comittees put money and time to make sure the fields have lights and are well tended to. You can drive by any soccer park or complex and there will always be a group big or small playing a game. Even I can remember getting up in the middle of the night and sneaking out and going to play with my friends. Soccer is a huge part of culture and is always something good to start off a conversation with.

The Basics of German

Guten tag (hello in German) I am going to tell you a little about my language. Yes in german is ja and no is nein. Please is bitte and thanks is danke. Good bye is a little harder it is auf wiedersehen. To say I am you say ich bin. Those are a few phrases to help you around Germany, you dont really need to know German since almost everyone here also speaks English.

Switzerland

Some famous swiss people:
Daniel Bernoulli- Bernoulli's equation
Roger Federer- Tennis
Claude Nicollier- Only Swiss astronaut
Jacques Piccard- Builder and passenger of the Trieste, the only manned bathyscape to go to the bottom of the Mariannas trench
Bertrand Piccard- son of Jacques, first person to float on a non-stop, non-refueling balloon trip around the world

School in the UK!

Here in the UK,schools usually start on September 1st unless the 1st is on a weekend.We have to start school when we are 5 and we go until we are 16.In 2013 kids will have to start going to school until they turn 17 and in 2015 they will raise the age to 18.Like me a lot of the kids here go to faith schools,some of them go to state-funded boarding schools.

Age on 1st Sept	Year	Curriculum stage	Schools
3	Nursery	Foundation Stage	Nursery school
4	Reception		Infant school	Primary school	First school
5	Year 1	Key Stage 1
6	Year 2
7	Year 3	Key Stage 2	Junior school
8	Year 4
9	Year 5				Middle school
10	Year 6
11	Year 7	Key Stage 3	Secondary school	Secondary school with Sixth Form
12	Year 8
13	Year 9				Upper school
14	Year 10	Key Stage 4 / GCSE
15	Year 11
16	Year 12	Sixth form / A level	Sixth form college
17	Year 13

Love,Sophie

Map and Flag of Greece

Hi it's Alysa,
Today i am doing a short post to show more about Greece.
This is the flag from greece. I think that it is really pretty because my favorite color is blue.

Here is a map of Greece. I live in region number 6.

Health

For centuries, we have relied on ancient herbal remedies to treat ailments; the Herzegovina region is known for its production of healing plants and medicines. Since Roman times, people have also found relief at the numerous mineral springs and healing spas located in central and northern Bosnia. Mineral springs and mud baths are said to be especially good for bones and for chronic ailments such as arthritis, as well as for specific disorders.

Farewell

This is Martin speking,
With his voice. I have enjoyed sharing my lifestyle and culture with you. Yes Ireland is beautiful. Peaceful, and serene. Here there is a definate sense of security. The cathedrals and ruins give a religious feel. The religion's is mostly Catholic and most of the Catholics in America are of Irish decent. I would love to hear about your life. You should definately visit Ireland. Goodbye.

Strange italian food!!!!!!!

Have you ever had italian food? some people find it strange , but the original and unreplaceable additives, spices, and garlics used make it so yummy. In italy you will not find any bland or boring foods. they look strange at times and you may hesitate but once you take that bite you will be glad you did

My Favorite Madrid's Taco Salad Recipe

This is my favorite taco salad recipe:

Taco Salad
José Madrid's White Corn Tortilla Chips
Shredded lettuce
José's Favorite Clovis Chili recipe
Diced tomatoes Diced onions
Sour cream
José Madrid's Original Mild, Medium, or Hot Red Salsas
In a shallow pan, spread the shredded lettuce to create a generous layer. Top with José Madrid's White Corn Tortilla Chips. Then, arrange the remaining ingredients on top in this order: Clovis Chili recipe, tomato, onions and sour cream.

Iresh cream brownies

Hey y'all
I am here to tell you about the snake we made yesterday. We made Irish cream brownies. We went to his house to make them, they really are not an Irish delicacy, but we made them just as a yummy snack. They do have Irish cream which is a little thinker than whip cream, but still amazingly tasty. We made 16 of them, for some reason when I left there was only 6 left and were the only ones at home. Well I have some homework to do and my brother is wanting the computer so I will post again tomorrow. bye

Just some interesting facts about Luxembourg (:

Hey guys! Today, I just have some really random facts for you. My country is the smallest, not only in Europe, but in the whole world. Our national day takes place on June 23, which is the birthday of Grand Duchess Charlotte. The very first language we learn is German. Then, we switch off to either English or Luxembourgish. My country was ranked third in buisness effieciency in 2005. Like the United States, we have freedom of religion. Our fashion is normally not tradiotional. Instead it is T-shirts, jeans, and sweaters. For adults, their favorite pass time is soccer, cycling, and basketball. The wealthiness of people is defined by the items that they own. Well... I hope you enjoyed all of the random facts. Addi!

Italian school systems

The greatest thing about school systems in italy is it is offered free to everyone regardless of nationality. You must start school at six years of age and finish with the minimum of 16 years of age. The schools focus much more on obediance and memorization than they do on creativity. In my opinion this is a downside because i find it easier to learn with creativity than with laws and boundries if i could change anything about school i would let everyone freely express their talents and learning skills.

Musée du Louvre

Today we took a trip to the Musée du Louvre, or just the Louvre. It is the largest national museum of France, and the most visited museum in the world, and a historical monument. It is a central landmark and is located on the Right Bank of the Seine. Nearly 35,000 from pehistoric to the 19th century are displayed here. The museum is housed in the Palais du Louvre which began as a fortress in the 12th century. The museum is divided upon 8 different sections: Egyptian Antiquities; Near Eastern Antiquities; Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Antiquities; Islamic Art; Sculpture; Decorative Arts; Paintings; and Prints and Drawings. The Painting section has over 6,000 works and is home to the Mona Lisa.

Holidays of sweden!!!!!!! YAY! :)

Holidays are soooo fun! We have a lot of holidays here too. Some of them are: Christmas, Easter, Ascension day, Pentecost, All Saints, New Years Day, International Work Day, National Day, and Midsummer. A public holiday is refered to as a "red day" and it is written in red calender. And if a holiday takes place on a tuesday or thursday, the Swedes will take off the day in between the weekend and "red day."

Fashion in Italy

In Italy outward appearance is a necessity!! Italy always seems to be starting new trends and keeping up with modern accsesories. Models for the italian runway should not be too white, very thin, and tall. sometimes it is very hard to keep up but everyone tries their best.

Recipes Voted by the Best Cooks in the Netherlands

I visited some homes of my new friends, and some of them invited me to stay for dinner. They decided to treat me with some well-known Dutch dishes. One dish was called "Bruine Bonen Soep" or "Brown Bean Soup". It was surprisingly delicious despite the appearance. The family gave me the recipe, too.

Another dish I tried was "Indo-Dutch Satay" which was pork/chicken on a stick. It is cooked with coconut milk, lime leaves, fresh ginger, and a few more ingredients. This is a dish that you must try!

Restaurants in the UK!

The Sticky Prawn this is a seafood place where you can eat outside.There is such a pretty view,it is really beautiful.If you ever come to the UK you should definitely try it.Another one of my favorites is Atrium.Atrium is really awesome the inside is so amzing,this has to be my favorite.You would really enjoy them.

Love, Sophie

Hey, It's Jacob, and my new friend Andrew from school. We just got back from the park again today, we have been going there a lot lately, but we played a little rugby today and I thought we could tell y'all about it. Here in Ireland rugby is a big sport; like football in America. We have an international rugby team here in Ireland which is made up from people all over Ireland. The game consists of a oval shaped ball in which you throw to other team players to collect points. Well me and Andrew are going to go get some sort of new Irish snack that I have never had then, do homework. I will tell you in my next post what he surprises me.

Famous sites in italy

Italy is home of the oldest historical monuments. It is the birthplace of the roman empire and the Renaissance. There are coliseums, Pantheons, and a large range of museams. The sistan chapel is one of the most famous museams and holds the works of the one and only michealangelo. Sicily has the largest range of monuments in all of italy it truly is filled with art, culture ,and beauty I strongly encourage everyone to visit.

Important Dates of Italy!$$$$

Hey it's Julie.

Italian holidays are usually done bigger and better. On May 1st, not only is it a workers holiday, but a protest day. June 2nd is the day Italy changed from being a monarchy to a republic. On the 6th of January it was a day of celebration of the birth of Jesus and still is today. April 25th is the celebration of liberation in Italy by Allied troops Second World War. This celebration is also celebrated to honor those who died in war. We celebrate these dates extraordinary. No one ever comes bored out of our festivals. They are so intresting and fun. There is a lot of food. Most of them are celebrated outside, since it is so hot it makes it even better although we do sweat a lot.

United Kindom-Food

It's Sebastian Griffith-
Today after school my mom mad me some lemon curd . It's really good. Here's how to make lemon curd.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

• 2 sticks unsalted butter

• ½ sugar

• 3 egg yolks

• Lemon juice

Procedure

1. In a double boiler (one pot set inside a larger pot that contains about 2 inches of boiling water), melt the butter with the lemon juice and sugar, stirring until all the sugar dissolves.

2. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, stirring constantly.

3. Keep stirring until the mixture is as thick as yogurt (about 15 minutes).

4. Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl.

5. Cover with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap touches the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until cool.

6. Serve on toast or fill purchased miniature tart shells with it.

cibo nel nostro paese e impressionate. Se lei ha avuto il cibo italiano lei saprebbe come buono e. ll fod italiano somiglia a sarebbe duro per fare, che e ma il cibo none fatto di molto ingrediants. italiani mangiano soprattutto dopo sempre. Nella nostra famiglia mangiamo molto abbiamo solo delle polpette di carne, il bisotti, e l'espresso sulle vacanze. Quando abbiamo le palle di carne li mettiamo in una ciotola di seperate. Non mai italiani ma polpette di carne di eh sulla pasta. Cosi se lei mai esce mangiare il cibo italiano in America e le danno le polpette di carne sul passato she non e la maniera che e suposed essere. Dunque l'incoraggio a andare e mangiare alcuni del nostro cibo impressionate italiano.

The food in our country is awesome. If you have had italian food you would know how good it is. OUr food is mostly made up of pasta, herbs from our garden, speces, and all types of meeats. Italian food looks like it would be hard to make, which it is but the food is not made of many ingredients, italians mostly eat past all the time. In our family we eat lots of chiken and pasta. We only have meatballs, biscotti, and espresso on holidays. When we have meatballs we put them in a seperate bowl. Italians never put meatballs on the pasta. So if you ever go out to eat italian food in America and they give you meatballs on the pasta that is not the way it is supposed to be. So i encourage you to go and eat some of our awesome italian food.

BY: James Michael condon II

Italian food!

Italians eat mostly pasta and various meats, especially salami. They can be made out of pork, beef, sheep, wild boar, or even horse! They use various salting and smoking techniques to cook it. Salami is one of my favorite foods in Italy. Pasta is also an important food in Italy. Types of pasta include spaghetti, penne, linguine, lasagne, and tortellini. Everybody should love pasta!

Chunnel!

The Chunnel (also known as the Channel Tunnel), Spans from Coquelles near Calais, France, to Folkestone, Kent in the UK beneath the English Channel at the Straight of Dover. At the lowest point it is 75 m (250 ft) deep an spans 50.45 km (31.35 mi) long. The addition of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL) makes getting from London to Paris easy using the Chunnel. The trains used are called on High Speed 1 travel at 300 km/h (186 mph). It takes approx 2 hrs and 15 mins to get from London to Paris.

switzerland

Switzerland is neat. On some of the major roads we have sound barriers to keep the noise level down. Also, some schools give kids time so that they can eat lunch at home. Every man in Switzerland has to serve in the military for less than a year once they turn 19, then they go home. Good side of that is that the clossest Switzerland has been to a war within the last 100 years is being surrounded by the axis powers in WW2.

What Luxembourg looks like

If you were wondering about this, I'll be glad to tell you. Most of our country is made up of forests. Sadly, like most countries, we do have air and water pollution. We have joined other European countries in helping to stop pollution though. We are divided into twelve cantons which are like states. I live in the Esch canton. The Moselle valley has mainly vineyards in it and to the east of it is coal and iron mines. We have about four major rivers here. Also, we have mild winters and cool summers. Thanks for reading this post (: sorry it was kinda boring. Addi!

Landscape and Climate

My home country Bosnia and Herzegovina is a mountainous country located in the heart of the Balkan Peninsula in southeastern Europe. The region of Herzegovina lies south of Bosnia for short. In the north of my country is the agricultural centre, a region of plains, plateaus and important rivers such as Sava and the Drina, along which are numerous cities and towns. Southward the land rises into hills mountains. The highest mountain is Maglic, at 2,386 meters, through many other peaks are over 1,700 meters high. Sarajevo, our capital, is located in the central mountains. Our country's rugged geography make it prone to strong earthquakes. It is also abounds in natural springs.

Italian Art

Its Alfonzo and I'm gonna talk about art today. Art isn't my forte, but growing up my mom loved art and she taught me all about it. Her favorite era of art was the renaissance. It started in the 14th century. It was the rediscovery of the Ancient Greek and Roman art and classics brought better perspective and use of lighting in art. Wealthy families such as Medics and the papasy served as patrons for many Italian artists. Many well known Italian artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Donatello, Sarah Botticelli, and Raphael.

President of iReland

Dear sir or madam,

Our first woman president was elected in 1997. Mary McAleese. This woman had sympathies for femmenists and socialists. This was considered as watershed to many people. New ways were passed for mainly northern Ireland. One being that you could divorce under certien conditions. Hitherto this was forbidden by the constitution but was narrowly passed in Nov. 1995.

United Kingdom :)))))

I'm so excited! I'm going to the beach this weekend with my family! I cant wait! Were going to Negway Beach just off the South West Coast. It's suppost to be partly sunny on friday! I hope we leave on Thursday so it wont be rainy and cloudy because i would like to be able to play in the ocean with my family. Well I have to go pack! Bye!

love Nina <3

Recipe for Portugal

Here are the ingredents for Feijoada, a Portuguese recipe.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 lb dried black beans
• 1 lb smoked sausage, cut into 1 inch pieces (such as kielbasa)
• 8 ounces smoked ham hock
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 garlic cloves
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 4 cups cooked white rice
• pickled jalapeno peppers, for garnish
• orange, thinly sliced for garnish

Greek Christmas

Hello it’s Alysa

Today I am going to talk about holidays in Greece. Where I live a traditional greeting is “kala Christouyenna.” Around Christmas time you are sure to hear many people wishing you a kala christouyenna. When we decorate for Christmas we put gifts on our tree. All the children believe that ST, Basil is the one that brings us all their gifts. My parents explained that they bring the gifts a long time ago. One of my favorite traditions is when all the women start baking a week before Christmas; our house always smells delicious throughout the week. Well goodbye for now.

Alysa (Madison)

What happens in a bullfight in Spain

Bullfights are very popular in Spain. I am going to tell you what happens in a bullfight. First they let the bull in the arena. Then the matador watches his chief assistant wave a yellow flag in front of the bull to make it charge. He watches this so he can dternine the bull's abilities and qualities. Then a trumpet is playe and Picadores place spears in the bull to weaken it. Then another trumpet is sounded and the matador dedicates the bull's death to the president before starting his faena. This is where the bull charges the matador and the matador swings his sword which is in his right hand and tries to kill the bull.

Food in the UK!

These are some of my favorite Autumn recipes.

· 75g Butter

· 2 white Onions, finely chopped

· 4 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced

· 1 tsp chopped Thyme

· 1 tbsp chopped Rosemary

· 200g Chestnuts, fresh or frozen, thinly sliced

· 100g Trompette de Morte Mushrooms, well cleaned and picked over

· 100g chestnut mushrooms, thinly sliced

· 200ml Madeira

· 1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock, or water

· 1 tsp tarragon

· 1 tsp chopped Parsley

· Method

1. Melt the butter in a large heavy-based pan, and cook the onions, garlic, thyme and rosemary in it until the onions are translucent, about 5-10 minutes.

2. Add the chestnuts and cook lightly for a further 5 minutes. Stir in both types of mushrooms and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the Madeira and reduce by two-thirds. Add the stock or water, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Finish with salt and pepper, to taste, and scatter over the chopped tarragon and chopped parsley

• loaf ciabatta bread
• 1 clove Garlic, peeled
• Olive oil

For the toppings

• 1 large Aubergine
• 2 courgettes, thinly sliced into half moons
• 2 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
• Squeeze lemon juice
• 1 chilli, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• small handful Mint
• 1 ball sheep's milk Ricotta cheese
• small handful Basil
• Pecorino cheese

• Method

  1. For the crostini: preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4.
  
  2. Cut the ciabatta into slices about 1cm thick and toast them in the oven for 10 minutes. When they are golden, drizzle them with olive oil and rub the top of each slice with the clove of garlic.
  
  3. For the toppings: heat 2 lightly oiled frying pans. Add the aubergine to one and the courgette to the other. Cook stirring occasionally.
  
  4. After 4 minutes add the garlic to the courgettes and a squeeze of lemon juice.
  
  5. In the pan with the aubergine, add the chilli, a splash of balsamic vinegar and roughly tear the mint over it.
  
  6. Cook both pans until the vegetables have softened and browned. Top half of the crostinis with the aubergine mixture. Spread the other half with the ricotta and top with the courgette mixture. Tear a little basil over the top and grate over some shaving of pecorino cheese

Love,Sophie