English · livello B1. Leggi il testo in inglese e allena la comprensione. Il video con audio e sottotitoli sincronizzati è in arrivo sul canale YouTube.
The hotel had been there for a hundred and forty years. It had seen better days, but it retained a faded grandeur that many guests found more interesting than the shiny efficiency of modern places.
The entrance hall had black and white marble floors and a staircase with a wrought iron banister. The lift was small and slow. The rooms had high ceilings, thick curtains, and windows that sometimes rattled in the wind.
I stayed there for three nights during a work trip. My room overlooked a quiet courtyard where a small fountain ran continuously. In the evenings, after dinner, I sat by the window and read.
The staff were older and unhurried. They greeted returning guests by name. At breakfast, a waiter I had not spoken to remembered that I had ordered a particular tea on the first morning and brought it without being asked.
These small attentions produced a warmth that no amount of modern comfort quite achieves.
On my last morning, I stood in the courtyard for a few minutes before leaving. The fountain continued. I had not wanted to rush away.
Suggerimento: leggi il brano una prima volta senza fermarti, poi una seconda volta ad alta voce insieme al video. Ripetere ad alta voce è il modo più veloce per fissare pronuncia e vocaboli.