Monthly Archives: August 2012

Assisi – Medieval Town – School excursion

31 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Assisi, Italy on Budget, Language Schools

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We travelled in comfortable modern coaches from the school to the beautiful town, Assisi.

Assisi is a small hill top medieval town of about 25,000 people in Umbria.  Famous as the birthplace of St. Francis, Assisi holds religious, historical, and artistic significance.

The basilica of St. Francis, completed in 1253, is only one of many beautiful churches in Assisi.

The cathedral of San Rufino, the basilica of Santa Chiara, and the Chiesa Nuova are also worth a visit.

Assisi is quite small and easy to get around on foot, just take it easy as there are many hilly streets.  Be sure also to take a walk among Assisi’s medieval houses and shops.

Most of the cobblestone streets and alleys will take you to the basilica of St. Francis.

It’s a good idea to rent the audio guide to appreciate the artistic and historical significance of this unique church. The walls and ceilings of the upper church are embellished with frescoes of the Giotto school; the lower sanctuary contains the tomb of St. Francis.

This is still a place of prayer so please be quiet as you wander around in this magnificent basilica.

There are many eateries, bars, cafes, restaurants, pizzerias and gelaterias in Assisi.

The many shops display a variety of local arts and crafts, including paintings, sculptures, ceramics and reproductions of medieval weapons and tools. Embroidery and chocolate manufacturing are also typical of the area. Religious items are best purchased at the gift shop behind the lower level of St. Francis basilica.

Florence – Monastery

28 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Florence, Italy on Budget, Monasteries

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The monastery we stayed at here in Florence is in the centre of the city and is just around the corner from the Duomo – about a 2 minute walk.  The cost was approximately 50euro a night for a single. This monastery is magical with several levels overlooking its own beautiful gardens.

Gardens in the monastery

David

It  has an elevator making it easy for taking your luggage up rather than using the stairs. The common rooms throughout the monastery are decorated with the most amazing and beautiful antique furniture.

Inside the monastery

The bathrooms are modern and very clean.  This monastery, as are most of the monasteries, is run by nuns. The reception staff during our stay only spoke Italian but they were very helpful.  The breakfasts each morning, which is included, were very good. We always met and chatted with other travellers at breakfast.

The breakfast room

For more information on this monastery click here

Duomo

We had 4 nights and 5 days in Florence, I could easily have stayed for longer.  Every day we were so busy exploring and discovering this amazing city.  There is so much to see and 5 days is not nearly enough time. Florence, is considered to be the birth place of Renaissance and one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Ponte Vecchio

We had a day side trip to the magnificent hill top town of San Gimignano – just stunning.  We explored the many little winding lanes, ate lunch overlooking the amazing landcape and we bought gelato from the gelateria  which was the winner of the best gelato in Italy.  Buonissimo,  it was so good.

Entrance to San Gimignano

The gelateria

I enjoyed the hop on hop off bus around Florence which included a trip to Fiesole which over looks the city of Florence.

Fiesole

Overlooking Florence

We found shopping in Florence to be excellent.

One of many beautiful shops

There are hundreds of market stalls right in the heart of the city offering anything and everything including a superb variety of leather goods at very reasonable prices.  We found that Florence offers better prices and ranges of goods than many other places in Italy. The markets are a great atmosphere and an easy way to spend an evening or afternoon. There is also a huge produce market within these markets with individual stalls which are like mini restaurants. Here you can eat incredible local cuisine at reasonable prices and enjoy a glass of wine.  It is always very busy here in these markets but a wonderful experience.

The markets

Markets

For more information on this monastery click here

Monasteries

23 Thursday Aug 2012

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On my next visit to Italy, I travelled with 4 friends and this time we chose to stay in Monasteries. These monasteries are open to all, they are family friendly, clean, safe and a well priced alternative to hotels.

Monastery in Tuscany

Staying in a monastery is not only an excellent budget option accommodation but they are also a great experience. They have a peaceful atmosphere and you will always meet fellow travellers from all over the world.

Monastery in Venice

You do not need to be catholic to stay in a monastery however keep in mind that many of them have curfews. So, if you like to party late then they may not be for you. When I travel I have very full days so late nights are not part of my travel plans. I am happy to retire to my accommodation after the evening meal which in Europe is not early.

View from the monastery in Rome

There are hundreds of them throughout Italy and all the ones we stayed at were located right in the heart of each city. They are ideally situated in both city and regional locations.  They are 3 star rated.

The rooms in all monasteries were always quite big, very clean, modest and safe with private bathrooms. They are mostly run by the monks and nuns –  many of whom usually only speak Italian however they are always very helpful and friendly.

The rate/price includes breakfast, which is usually continental style.  In some of the monasteries the evening meal is also available for a very small fee.

Each monastery we stayed in was within walking distance of most main attractions and public transport, either bus or train was always readily available.  We met people from all over the world.  We met singles, couples and entire families. We often learned of different areas and how to get to places easily. In Rome we met several families from France who were traveling together. Also at the same monastery we met the most delightful family from London.

Front entrance to our monastery in Florence – just around the corner from Duomo

In Florence there was a group of people from Germany. Yes, we often met up with Aussies also. Mostly, everyone is happy to chat and share experiences.

On this particular trip we travelled by trains, so when we arrived in each city that we were staying in, the monastery was always easy and convenient to get to.

Garden in monastery in Torre Pellece

It is not always easy to find a monastery so to be safe I recommend booking online.  They are also very popular so turning up to one without a booking could be a problem. So if you are comfortable to book online here is the site for the company I have used several times.   I highly recommend staying in a monastery.

I will write an article  on each monastery that we stayed in.

San Marino – School Excursion

20 Monday Aug 2012

Posted by in Italy on Budget, Language Schools, San Marino

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We left the school  in comfortable coaches armed with our cameras and wearing comfortable walking shoes for another wonderful excursion.  This time the excursion was to the Hill top town of San Marino.

San Marino is a European country, which is entirely encircled by Italy. The Republic of San Marino sits at 700 meters above sea level on Mount Titano. The 61-sq-km republic is Europe’s third-smallest state after the Vatican and Monaco.  The Republic of San Marino was founded in 301 A.D. and is the most ancient European Republic. It is 15 km from the Romagna Riviera

The views from this hill top town are breathtaking over looking the valleys and the Adriatic coast

Access to San Marino is simple as passports are not required and shopping is easy as the euro is also used in this republic.

It is a favourite destination for day trips and is well worth the visit. There are many attractions – shopping, scenery, restaurants, cafes, monuments, museums and typical tourist stops. Hundreds of souvenir stalls line the streets selling everything from handbags to San Marino stamps. San Marino’s gold coin, famously known as Scudi, you can buy as a souvenir.

San Marino is also famous for wines. There are a number of wine cellars in this country. You can also buy some bottles of wine from San Marino markets

San Marino is just a short distance from the Romagna Riviera and offers 2 shopping outlets and 2 shopping centres plus hundreds of fabulous shops. There is a lighter tax in many cases here which makes it more convenient to shop in the Republic for better bargains which include clothing, shoes, perfume, cosmetics electronics etc and petrol plus more.

For those looking for famous named accessories and clothing at good prices, a visit to the 2 outlets, the San Marino Factory Outlet in Rovereta and the Queen Outlet in Dogana is a must.

Another attraction worth visiting is the changing of the guards in Palazzo Pubblico or Government Palace. The ceremony of changing the guards takes place from the month of April to September on every half hour from 8:30 AM to 6:30 PM. The guards wear golden epaulets and leather helmet of white and red ostrich feathers.

Whether your interest is shopping, restaurants, museums, art, views, relaxing, walking, photography, you will find it here in San Marino. And, if you would like to spend more time here there are a number of great hotels.

Urbino – School Excursion

16 Thursday Aug 2012

Posted by in Italy on Budget, Language Schools, Urbino

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It was an early start to travel to the beautiful township of Urbino. We left the school early Saturday morning in very comfortable coaches and drove through magnificent country side. It was about a 2 hour trip. Another magnificent day and fabulous excursion.

On the road to Urbino

On the way to Urbino

Urbino is a picturesque Renaissance hill town in the northern part of central Italy’s Marche Region and the capital of the Marche. Urbino is one of the more remote and least touristed regions of Italy and is about 30km from the Adriatic coast.  For more information on the school and the excursions click here

Urbino Palazzo – from Wikipedia

Palazzo di Duca

Students on excursion

Cafe and cornetto on the way up to the top

The local weekly markets at the top of Urbino

View from up the very top of Urbino

Agriturismo – The Road Trip

14 Tuesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Agriturismo, Italy on Budget, The Road Trip

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After my 4 weeks at school (scuola) my new friend from Brazil, Liane and I hired a car and we went traveling. We drove down the east coast of Italy as far as Otranto and then we headed west towards Naples (Napoli). Each night we stayed at an Agriturismo. I had purchased a book on Agriturismo from the tabacchi store however if you do not have a book, we found that there were always signs indicating the local agriturismo in each town and village we visited. Plus of course you can find them on the net.

Agriturismo is a combination of 2 words, agriculture and tourism. It is a style of accommodation staying in farm house resorts. This style of accommodation was introduced into Italy in 1985 by the Italian government to help the struggling farmers. These agritourismi allowed the small farmer to supplement their income from the farm, and for visitors to sample the enjoyment of a rural life in Italy.

A range of produce at one of the agriturismo

An agriturismo holiday/vacation is suitable for singles, couples or the whole family. Some of these places can be very romantic and luxurious. An Italian agriturismo will usually serve foods to guests prepared from their own or local produce. The agriturismo can be a rustic experience or can feature luxurious accommodation as well as including swimming pools. The evening meal and breakfast is often a family type affair, dining with other guests and or the family. The meals are superb and usually traditional local cuisine.

At one of the agriturismo the owner took us into the local village one evening for drinks and to meet the locals,

Il Giardino – Contursi Termi Agriturismo

at another we were shown around the property by the owner’s son.

View up to the village from the agriturismo in the evening

The food was always superb, traditional, home cooked meals.

The price for the accommodation including the meals was good value.  We stayed in these Agriturismo farms from east to west and then we travelled by ferry to Sardinia where we stayed for 4 nights, traveled around the entire island and once again stayed in Agriturismo.

View from an agriturismo on Sardegnia

We found that at each agriturismo they made us so welcome and in most cases treated us like family. The rooms were always very comfortable –  hotel type rooms with your own ensuite bathroom. The price for the room included

Click here  for more information and here 

 

Trips to Camerino

10 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Camerino, Language Schools

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During my time in language school we visited Camerino many times.  It is a short easy bus trip from Castelraimondo to Camerino.  Certainly, it is easy enough to take the bus up for lunch or dinner or in fact for just a gelato or glass of wine.

Camerino is a small town situated in the centre of the Marche region of Italy, south-west of San Severino. It is a hill top fortified city.

Panorama of Camerino

One of Camerino’s many charming stores

It  is best known for the University of Camerino which claims to be established in 1336. This is one of the prestige universities in Italy and one of the oldest universities in the world.

View from the University

One of our trips to Camerino was for the spade and palio race which is held each year in May. This race which is run in the main square or piazza of Camerino is preceded by a magnificent renaissance parade. Part of the preparation for this race is they dig up all the pavers from the piazza and cover it in sand and then re lay the pavers after the celebrations are finished.

Looking up to Camerino

Camerino has many bars, cafes and restaurants and lots of gorgeous shops.

Shopping in Camerino

We found several lovely restaurants including La Rocca ristorante which is located in a lovely big park overlooking the valleys. The meals here were superb.

View from the restaurant

View from the park in Camerino to Mt Sibilini

Language School in Castelraimondo

07 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Two years later I returned to attend Italian language school again and once again it was a great decision.  Again I lived the dream.  This time 4 of my friends who I met in language school here in Australia joined me. It was so much fun sharing with them all that I had experienced 2 years earlier.

We stayed in the same apartments as I did 2 years earlier.  The apartments are modest but certainly more than adequate.

Pizzeria under apartment complex

The apartments are fully equipped making it easy to prepare meals and eat at “home”.  We often met in each other’s apartments for lunch or dinner.  The supermarket is very close by with almost everything you could possibly want.  I found all foods, wine & beer to be very reasonably priced. The supermarkets in this area are usually closed for siesta for a few hours each afternoon.  Also they are closed on Wednesday afternoons and all day Sunday, as is often the case in many parts of Italy. There is a good selection of bars, cafes, pizzerias and restaurants in Castelraimondo.  They vary in style however they are all reasonably priced. We  dined at Tre Stelle quite often for lunch and dinner. It is a family run business. The food was fabulous as was the service. For great pictures click here

Dinner – Restaurant in Castelraimondo

This school is called EduLingua and is located in Castelraimondo in La Marche area of Italy.  The students come to this school from all over the world, including the US, Canada,  Japan, UK, other parts of Europe, Australia, Argentina, Brazil and the list goes on. The ages range from about 18 to 75 (when I was there both times). The social activities after school hours make it very easy to make many new friends.

International Dinner night – Cena Internazionale

International Dinner night

Karaoke night – fun for students and teachers

I found that many of the students were attending for the lifestyle and were not necessarily too serious about studying or learning.  Many times students chose to skip school for the day and head off on their own adventure. Classes are only for 4 hours per day, either morning or afternoon. Even when not attending class you are still learning the language as you are living with the “locals”.  The weekend excursions are quite amazing and include trips to Venice, San Marino, Florence, Rome,  Sienna,  Assissi and many more. They are very full tiring days however so worth the trip. Often this is the only opportunity for students/tourists to see many other parts of Italy. The coaches are very comfortable and modern.

Excursion to Pisa

You can find this school at La scuola

There are hundreds of Italian language schools all over Italy. One of my friends attended 1 in Rome for a month and had a wonderful time and another friend attended 1 in Modena for a month which she enjoyed. If you have the time, think about mixing cities and regional area and experiencing both. The cities are so very different to the regional areas. Another consideration is, in the regional areas mostly only Italian is spoken.

Castelraimondo

03 Friday Aug 2012

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The township of Castelraimondo, (il centro) where there were several bars, cafes and restaurants, post office, supermarkets, bakeries, specialty stores etc is only a 10 minute walk from the school.

Castelraimondo

Festival in Il Centro

Castelraimondo is a beautiful, small town only 50 km from the Adriatic sea and close to the Sibillini Mountains. It is centrally located allowing you to reach many nearby famous cities including Urbino, San Marino, Macerata, Perugia, Assisi, Gubbio and  Siena. Castelraimondo is on the train line which makes it easily accessible to most major cities, such as Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice, etc.

Click here for more information on the school.

 

Il Centro Castelraimondo from above

Festival – Il Centro

Every Friday was market day in il centro. It was such a fabulous day wandering around looking at and buying the local produce, chatting in Italian with the stall owners and friends from school and sampling lots of the beautiful locally cooked foods.  There were also lots of clothing stalls with many great bargains. I bought some lovely clothes which I still wear and love.

Market Day

Market Day

Every day for me was living the dream.