Italian Cities

That makes sense

port

It's a very beautiful place. It's a port city.

A 'port' is a place on the coast where ships stop to load, unload, or pick up passengers. Notice the following:

1. Many cruise ships stop at the port.
2. The city grew because of its busy port.

look out over

port

My apartment was actually looking out over the port.

If something 'looks out over' a place, it has a view of that place. Notice the following:

1. Our hotel room looked out over the ocean.
2. The balcony looks out over the mountains.

obviously

port

The buildings are hundreds and hundreds of years old, obviously.

We use 'obviously' when something is easy to understand or very clear. Notice the following:

1. She just had a daughter. She's obviously very excited.
2. We are not done yet, so obviously, we need more time.

I don't want to say

port

It's quite dirty. Well, I don't want to say dirty, but it's not clean.

We use 'I don't want to say' before saying something that may sound too strong or impolite. Notice the following:

1. I don't want to say he's lazy, but he never helps.
2. I don't want to say it's expensive, but it isn't cheap.

looked after

port

The city is quite dirty. It's not very well looked after.

If something is 'looked after,' people take care of it and keep it in good condition. Notice the following:

1. The park is well looked after.
2. Old buildings need to be looked after.

not very well

port

It's not very well looked after.

Here, 'not very well' means done at a low level or standard. Notice the following:

1. She does not speak English very well.
2. The house was not very well designed.

pity

The city center is not very well looked after, which is a pity.

A 'pity' is something disappointing or unfortunate. Notice the following:

1. It's a pity you couldn't come.
2. What a pity the museum was closed.

I love the fact that

I love the fact that in Rome, you're just surrounded by history.

We use 'I love the fact that' to introduce something we really like about a situation. Notice the following:

1. I love the fact that everyone is so friendly.
2. She loves the fact that she can work from home.

surrounded by

Wherever you're staying, you're just surrounded by history.

If you are 'surrounded by' something, it is all around you. Notice the following:

1. The hotel is surrounded by mountains.
2. We were surrounded by beautiful gardens.

directly

I came from the airport directly to the Coliseum station.

Here, 'directly' means without stopping anywhere else first. Notice the following:

1. We drove directly to the hotel.
2. She went directly home after work.

full moon

There was a full moon up to the left of the Coliseum.

A 'full moon' is the phase when the entire face of the moon is visible from Earth. Notice the following:

1. We went for a walk under the full moon.
2. The beach looked beautiful in the full moon.

too good to be true

It was almost too perfect, too good to be true.

If something is 'too good to be true,' it seems so perfect that it is hard to believe. Notice the following:

1. The deal sounded too good to be true.
2. The apartment was so cheap it seemed too good to be true.

had a chance to

We had a chance to travel around.

If you 'have a chance to' do something, you are able to do it. Notice the following:

1. I had a chance to meet the author.
2. Did you have a chance to visit the museum?

see for ourselves

We wanted to see the city for ourselves.

To 'see for yourself' means to experience or check something personally. Notice the following:

1. Go and see for yourself.
2. We wanted to see the new restaurant for ourselves.

hop on

If you want to get anywhere, you have to hop on a boat.

To 'hop on' means to get onto a vehicle quickly or casually. Notice the following:

1. Let's hop on the train.
2. She hopped on her bike and left.

dressed up

Everybody is dressed up in their costumes.

If you are 'dressed up,' you are wearing special or fancy clothes. Notice the following:

1. Everyone was dressed up for the wedding.
2. The children dressed up as superheroes.

elaborate

The costumes are really, really elaborate actually.

If something is 'elaborate,' it has many detailed or decorative parts. Notice the following:

1. She wore an elaborate costume.
2. The cake had an elaborate design.

in good spirits

Everybody was in really good spirits.

If people are 'in good spirits,' they are happy and cheerful. Notice the following:

1. Everyone was in good spirits after the game.
2. She stayed in good spirits despite the rain.

as regards

It's the most cultural city after Rome as regards art galleries.

The phrase 'as regards' means "about" or "with respect to." Notice the following:

1. As regards food, the city has many excellent restaurants.
2. We have no concerns as regards safety.

people watch

It's a really good place to people watch as well.

To 'people watch' means to spend time observing the people around you, usually for enjoyment or interest. Notice the following:

1. I like to sit at a café and people watch.
2. The town square is a great place to people watch.

hues

Terra cotta hues of the buildings.

'Hues' are different shades or colors. Notice the following:

1. The sunset had beautiful orange and pink hues.
2. The artist used warm hues in the painting.

rich feel

It has a bit of a rich feel to it actually.

A 'rich feel' means something seems elegant, luxurious, or expensive. Notice the following:

1. The hotel has a rich feel.
2. The dark wood gives the room a rich feel.

got to know it

I stayed there with my friend and got to know it a bit better.

To 'get to know' a place means to become familiar with it over time. Notice the following:

1. I lived there for a year and got to know the city well.
2. Spend a few days there to get to know the area.

passed through

Even though I had passed through before, I didn't really like it.

To 'pass through' a place means to travel through it without staying very long. Notice the following:

1. We passed through the town on our way north.
2. I've passed through London many times.

built-up

It's a big built-up city.

If an area is 'built-up,' it has many buildings and roads with little open space. Notice the following:

1. Tokyo is a very built-up city.
2. I prefer the countryside to built-up areas.

ended up

I ended up quite liking it.

The phrase 'ended up' describes the final result of a situation, often one that was unexpected. Notice the following:

1. We ended up staying an extra day.
2. He ended up becoming a teacher.

quite

I ended up quite liking it.

The word 'quite' makes the adjective less strong than "very." Notice the following:

1. The movie was quite interesting.
2. I'm quite tired after the hike.