Thanks to the incredible variety of regional cultures, you don’t just travel to Italy. With enough time, you’ll explore the rolling vineyards of Tuscany, cruise the azure waters of the Amalfi coast, glide through the canals of Venice, retreat to the scenic northern lakes, marvel at history in Rome, and immerse yourself in the art and culture of Florence. Picture yourself with all the famous landmarks, enjoying pizzas, vino (wine), and panini (sandwiches) in every city along the way. Perhaps you’ll step on the same stones as Caesar Augustus, gaze on the art that Raphael painstakingly created, o ..read more

The sunset view of the magnificent Duomo and the meandering cobblestone streets have a naturally occurring sepia filter that makes you feel like you’re stepping into history. Or maybe into a painting. Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance, home to the House of Medici, a bridge filled with untold wealth, fine Italian leather goods, and the giant bistecca (beef steak). Florence, or Firenze, is more than luxury jewelry and the massive Uffizi Gallery. There are unique treasures here to delight the seasoned traveler and the first time visitor: a lucky boar, anatomical Venus statues, an astronom ..read more

We talk about the future all the time, from what we are going to do tomorrow to things that are going to happen soon. In French, we can express these ideas with the futur proche (near future). An entirely regular conjugation pattern makes it the easiest French verb conjugation to learn and the most common way to express the future. We’ll show you how to put any French verb into the futur proche in two simple steps.  Some aspects of the French language are relatively easy to learn and remember. For those that aren’t, Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion method helps you master the language t ..read more

Less gilded than Florence and more relaxed than Rome, Naples is the city people visit to enjoy a different side of Southern Italy on the way to the Amalfi Coast. They enjoy close access to beaches and ancient ruins while sampling the origins of Napolitano pizza. With artsy subway stations, creepy crypts, underwater archaeological sites, and underground museums, there’s an abundance of things to see in Naples, Italy. You might even explore medieval castles, churches, or outdoor markets. One convenient and money-saving way to have access to many of the sites mentioned in this article is to buy a ..read more

When we daydream about travel, the first things we often visualize are icons of architecture that are inextricably linked to our sense of place. Cities are immediately connected to images—take the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Seattle’s Space Needle, and the Duomo in Florence for example. Entire countries are represented similarly: There are the windmills of Holland and the Great Pyramids of Egypt. Japan is often symbolized by an elegant, bright red gate known as the torii gate.  Before you step through these iconic gates on your next trip to Japan, learn the language to better understand ..read more

Somehow the fact that mothers either carried us in their wombs or cared for us as if they did makes just about everyone feel a loving sense of gratitude. It’s such a special bond for so many that there’s a holiday commemorating and celebrating moms in many countries.  Of course, Mother’s Day doesn’t just celebrate biological mothers: It also celebrates whoever acted as a mother figure in your life. No matter how your mom became your mother, you appreciate her dedication and want to show that on Mother’s Day and beyond. Unique and thoughtful gifts reign supreme on this annual holiday. Perh ..read more

To start any conversation on the right foot, you need the right greeting for the situation. Saying “Hey! What’s up?” to friends and family is normal, but maybe less than ideal for your boss. Likewise, a formal handshake with your mother may not be the most natural gesture. When speaking Japanese, having an understanding of etiquette and appropriate Japanese greetings is essential.  Looking to go beyond greetings? You don’t have to learn Japanese alone. From the very first bite-sized lesson, Rosetta Stone sets up an immersive environment for you to develop long-lasting language comprehensi ..read more

One of the most useful verb tenses in French is the imperfect or imparfait. It is a common verb tense used for the continuous and general past. The imperfect tense is a great tense to master to improve your conversational French. L’imparfait can be especially useful when exchanging stories with your French-speaking friends! There is no perfect translation in English, but there are a few ways we use the imperfect tense in English: I used to play soccer. I was feeling sad. It was raining all day yesterday. I was going to the store when I saw a dog. We’ll explore how to conjugate and when to us ..read more

The Japanese language is known for the complexity of its writing system. There are 46 letters in the alphabet, two ways to write the alphabet, and variations on those letters that have different pronunciations. And that’s all before you get to the thousands of kanji (漢字) adopted from the Chinese writing system! Fortunately, despite the size of the writing system, Japanese pronunciation is incredibly straightforward and consistent. This article is designed to help you understand the basics of this beautifully complex language and inspire you to take the next step on your Japanese language learn ..read more

Rome is so infamous, that for most travelers, it comes with a mental list of attractions to check off: the Colosseum, Spanish Steps, and Trevi Fountain are often the reason why people choose to travel to Rome in the first place!  When it comes to Rome’s museums though, deciding which ones will make your itinerary is much more difficult. There are over 100 museums in Rome, and each one has something truly unique to offer!  To help you whittle down the list, we’ve put together 13 options to choose from! Wander the well-trodden halls of the Vatican Museums, or try something more off-the ..read more