Posted in Italian experiences on May 29, 2022
On Saturday the 9th of April we kicked off the 2022 summer season with our first course in Bellaria Igea Marina, an iconic seaside resort on the Adriatic coast in northern Italy. I had an amazing time together with my students Jeremy and Bev who were very pleased about their Italian experience! In this picture they look very happy in front of an Italian cheese and cured meat platter!
Italian Tutor experience’s aim it’s not just learn Italian in Italy but indeed to get the students to discover other aspects of Italy, such as cookery, wine and art and above all get them to mingle with Italian people so that they can get constant feedback about their improvement from the locals: the best way to learn Italian.
I kept a photographic diary of this amazing week of italian lessons and I would like to share it with you!
Jeremy and Bev arrived in the afternoon and we had a welcome drink at the beautiful Agostini Hotel where they spent 7 nights with full board accommodation. They both liked a lot the Aperol Spritz, a cocktail which is very popular in Italy.
Italian lessons in Italy. Such a privilege to teach in the patio of such a beautiful hotel just metres away from the beach and the sea! Here some pics:
Learn Italian while having sightseeing in Italy: the Ravenna experience. Visiting the tomb of the great Dante Alighieri, the first writer to use Italian language in a poem, is indeed an honour for an Italian teacher and his students!
Our guide took us as well through the attractions that make Ravenna unique in the world: the beautiful churches and its mosaics which are exquisite and decorate the inside of every single monuments: what looks like just a collection of tiny, bright tiles is in reality a vivid image of a sea voyage, an image of Jesus, or a choir of angels: I sometimes wonder how long each of these mosaics must have taken to create. What talent they had!
We left Italy and we went abroad! You may have heard of a place called San Marino which is actually a totally independent Italian speaking republic, surrounded by Italy and it’s 35 minutes taxi drive from Bellaria Igea Marina!! Here Jeremy, Bev and myself in front of the beautiful “Palazzo Pubblico”, the parliament palace!
The town is devoted to Marino who arrived from modern-day Croatia in 257 A.D on Mount Titano. Marino decided to move to Mount Titano after working for a period in nearby Rimini as a stonecutter. Marino lived there, surrounded by people attracted by his charisma, until his death in 301 A.D. The legend says he received Mount Titano as a gift from the legitimate owner, in favour of whom he had performed a miracle and subsequently he left it to those who had lived around him. Hence the mythical foundation of the Republic, which, still today, coincides with San Marino’s death year.
The old-town centre is located on the top of Mount Titano, 750 m above sea level; mighty medieval stone walls enclose the original settlement, which is likewise entirely built of stone and closed to traffic. The old-town centre is criss-crossed by narrow streets lined with buildings and monuments. From there you can get amazing views. Here another couple of pics of the day.
In the morning we headed to Santarcangelo di Romagna, a beautiful old town on a hill about 20 minutes taxi drive from Bellaria Igea Marina.Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and took us from the amazing Piazza Ganganelli to the top of the colle Giove (the Jupiter hill) where around 1000 years ago, an imposing stronghold later called “Rocca Malatestiana”, was constructed and became the town’s hub.
Santarcangelo di Romagna
Santarcangelo fortress
Santarcangelo caves
The most amazing thing we got to see in Santarcangelo are the caves, though. The all town is built on a hidden and mysterious world made of tunnels, shafts, and impressive circular halls. In the east part of the hill, are 150 caves. Many of which were used as cellars for storing wine. Five of them are thought to be much older, perhaps created as a place of worship. We were guided through the underground maze and told ancient legends and exciting stories.
Back in Igea Marina, we headed to the house of a local chef who taught us how to make tagliatelle pasta and piadina, a local flat bread. Unlike me, Jeremy and Bev did great; food was fantastic and we had an amazing final night! Jeremy and Bev left the next day! A big thank you to them and to my friend Sabina, the head of the local tour operator who made this amazing week possible!
Posted in Italian experiences on Jun 28, 2019
On Saturday the 1st of June we kicked off the 2019 summer season with our first course in Bellaria Igea Marina, an iconic seaside resort on the Adriatic coast in northern Italy
Posted in Italian experiences on Jun 28, 2019
On Saturday the 1st of June we kicked off the 2019 summer season with our first course in Bellaria Igea Marina, an iconic seaside resort on the Adriatic coast in northern Italy.
Posted in Italian experiences on Sep 22, 2022
Last week we kicked off a course in Bologna, my hometown, the beautiful capital of Emilia-Romagna I had an amazing time together with my students Jane and Cecily and their husbands Jeff and Wil.
Posted in Italian experiences on Apr 30, 2023
Two weeks ago we kicked off the first course of season 2023 in Bologna, my hometown, the beautiful capital of Emilia-Romagna. I had an amazing time together with my student Crispin and his wife Christine. Crispin has been my student for a very long time.
Posted in Italian experiences on Nov 24, 2022
The last week of September we kicked off another course in Bologna, my hometown, the beautiful capital of Emilia-Romagna. I had an amazing time together with my students Dave and Diane who have been my students for a very long time.
I am a 44 years old certified Italian teacher with a degree in politics and a PhD in modern history.
