MORE INFORMATION
ROME
In Rome, we will be staying
at the Hotel Mediterraneo, close to "Stazione
Termini" and "Piazza della Repubblica"
in the centre of the city close to the Vatican.
Meals will be in the hotel daily and classes
will be held at the local high school, Scuola
Danielle Manin, near Santa Maria Maggiore
Church , a 6 minutes walk from the hotel.
The hotels prime location
is within walking distance of the Terminus
railway station, the underground and other
transport means, provides a view of the
splendid archaeological site of the Baths
of Diocletian alongside the Roman Museum
and the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels.
Our hotel is fully air
conditioned and close to all attractions
in one of the world's greatest cities. Our
moving classroom will take full advantage
of "The Eternal City" and locations
close to our hotel base and the school,
such as the Collisseum, and the Forum.
SPERLONGA
We will be staying at our
4 Star hotel; Virgilio
Grand Hotel and Conference Centre, in
the famous beach town of Sperlonga. Students
will be in shared rooms, meals are in the
hotel and classes will be held in the extensive
and well equipped conference centre.
Sperlonga is a beautiful seaside town to
the south of Rome, accessible by public
transport. Whitewashed houses are clustered
together on a steep headland, the streets
warren-like stairways that bring you to
unexpected terraces above the sea. The old
town is compact and charming, and a pleasure
to explore.
To the north of the headland is the modern
part of Sperlonga, catering mainly for tourists
keen on well-developed beaches. The real
treasure lies south of the town. Beyond
the harbour stretches an exquisite length
of beach, with gorgeously clean sand and
water. There are trees and greenery along
the shore, and the atmosphere is luxuriantly
peaceful. Most of the beach is taken up
with beach establishments, where you pay
to use the facilities and enjoy a shaded
sunbed. But there are also generous stretches
of 'spiaggia libera', free beach, where
you can bring your own towels and equipment
and bathe for free. And there is plenty
of space to promenade along the water's
edge without paying anything: it's fine
to wander along the entire length. This
is one of the loveliest and most inviting
beaches I've seen in Italy, and I can't
praise it highly enough.
If you walk along the beach from the Sperlonga
headland (a lovely stroll, especially when
you splash along in the shallow waves),
you reach a WWF nature reserve by the rocky
headland. You can also see through the railings
into the ruins of the Roman villa, and the
Grotto of Tiberius. A little further back
along the beach you will find a lane leading
inland - follow this to the main road and
you'll arrive at the entrance to the Archaeological
Museum (Museo Archeologico Nazionale). Entrance
is cheap (€2 at the time of writing).
Note that you won't be allowed in wearing
swimming costumes.
It is known from contemporary accounts that
the Emperor Tiberius was among the Roman
VIPs to own villas in the Sperlonga area.
Suetonius writes that the villa was known
as 'the Cavern' after the banqueting hall
sited in a natural cave. It was here, records
the biographer, where the Emperor narrowly
escaped death when rocks fell from the ceiling.
In the 20th century, during the construction
of the coastal road, extensive ruins were
found on this spot, leading archeologists
to believe that they had discovered the site
of Tiberius's Grotto. In the cave were the
fragments of huge sculptures which once dominated
the artificial fishponds at the cave-mouth.
These important mythological works of art
have been painstakingly reconstructed, and
in the airy modern museum you can see both
the fragments and the copies. Down a path
outside the museum (the ticket covers the
entire site) you arrive at the villa ruins,
and the cave itself. The location is very
atmospheric, and if you're lucky you may have
the spot to yourself; the museum is not a
busy one.
FLORENCE
Bienvenuti a Firenze! During
our stay at the home of the Renaissance
we will be staying at the Four Star, Palazzio
Ricasoli in central Florence.
Florence with its graceful
red roofs, splendid domes, and bridges crossing
the Arno River, is an art lover's treasure
trove - Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci,
Raphael, Botticelli, and others have their
timeless works showcased in local churches
and museums.
The most photographed spot
in Florence is the dome of the Cattedrale
di Santa Maria del Fiore, known as Il Duomo,
with its massive dome atop one of the world's
largest churches.
The Galleria degli Uffizi (Uffizi Gallery)
has its' outstanding collection of Renaissance
art by Fra Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Rembrandt,
Caravaggia, to mention a few. The Galleria
dell'Accademia (Academia Gallery) has Michelangelo's
extraordinarily lifelike sculpture David.
Get a feel a feel for the city, by browsing
the Piazza Santa Croce with its leather
shops, and enjoy bargaining with the jewelry
vendors lining the Ponte Vecchio (Old Bridge).
For fashion addicts Florence is home to
the historical names of Made in Italy fashion
such as Gucci, Emilio Pucci and Salvatore
Ferragamo Prada.
GALWAY
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National
University of Ireland, Galway
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Galway, the top youth destination
in Ireland, we stay at Corrib Village Residence
and the National University of Ireland Galway.
Classes are held on campus at NUI Galway
on the banks of the River Corrib. We are
ideally located in the vibrant and exciting
medieval city of Galway. Explore the City
of The Tribes, Spanish Arch, Middle Street,
Claddagh, Eyre Square, and watch the sun
on Galway Bay. Experience the street theatre,
culture and ambience of this fastest growing
and youngest city in Ireland during the
The Galway Film Fleadh, a six day international
film event held during July. This world
famous Irish arts festival has so much to
offer from music to dance, theatre and visual
art - it's programs are truly spectacular.
Galway is the gateway to Connemara, a Gealtacht
(Irish speaking) area of Spiddal on the
north side of Galway Bay. We will all have
the opportunity to visit the spectacular
Aran Islands and visit Dun Angus heritage
visitor center overlooking the wind-swept
Atlantic Ocean and site of late Bronze Age
settlements dating to c.800 BC. What a way
to start your visit to Ireland!
Beautifully situated on
the banks of the river Corrib, Corrib
Village, the student accommodation,
is a complex of modern apartments and bungalows
grouped around pleasantly landscaped court
yards in a village setting. Designed for
both students and tourists alike, the accommodation
is of a higher standard than usually associated
with University accommodation.
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| Corrib Village |
Corrib Village rooms |
Facilities at Corrib Village
include:
• 24-Hour Security
• Direct Dial Telephone in All Bedrooms
with Voice Mail Facility
• Broadband Internet Access available
• Fully Stocked Mini Market
• Fully Serviced Laundrette
• Floodlit Tennis Courts
DUBLIN
All Celtic programs are centred in Dublin,
the capital of Ireland which was founded
by the Vikings in the 9th Century. Students
will have ample opprtunity to explore this
famous millenium city, steeped in history
and buzzing with youthful energy. Dublin
is at the same time Medieval, Georgian and
thoughly modern with a truly cosmopolital
flavour. It has been rated as one of the
safest destinations in Europe (based on
a 2006 Insurance Industry study). Dublin
is the thriving centre of Ireland 's recent
economic miracle and also the centre for
culture. It is home of a great literary
tradition - Shaw, Yeats, Becket, Joyce,
Beckett are native sons, as well as it being
home to Ireland's music phenomenon; from
the Dubliners, The Chieftains, Cranberries,
and Thin Lizzie to U2.
Dublin has many attractions - from Kilmainham
Gaol (scene of the execution of Irish patriots
in 1916, and setting for may films including
In The Name of The Father), the word famous
Abbey Theatre, Book of Kells at Trinity,
Temple Bar, Croke Park (HQ of Gaelic games
in Ireland) and museums, too numerous to
mention. Dublin is also set in some of the
most spectacular settings of any capital
city, on the seacoast of Dublin Bay, surrounded
by Howth to the north and Killiney and Dun
Laoghaire to the south. There will be plenty
of opportunity to take the included DART
train and view spectacular vistas of Dublin
from Howth, and Dun Laoghaire and Killiney
- Ireland's Riviera. Come and see my home
town of Dalkey, current abode of such Irish
luminaries as Maeve Binchy, Hugh Leonard,
Chris De Burgh, and Bono. Visit Dun Laoghaire
and James Joyce's Martello Tower, the setting
for Ullysses, also the home of George Bernard
Shaw and our end of course banquet at the
National Yacht Club. We are truly at home
in Dublin and would like to share this great
city with you.
TRINITY
COLLEGE DUBLIN
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| Trinity
Front Gates |
In Ireland we are ideally
located on the main campus of Trinity
College Dublin, the oldest university
in Ireland, founded by Queen Elizabeth I.
Trinity has a beautiful campus atmosphere
which belies its location in the urban centre
of a capital city. This is in large part
due to the compact design of the campus.
The main buildings look inwards and there
are a small number of public gates. The
main campus is approximately 47 acres, set
in the geographical centre of Dublin. There
are cobbled squares, beautiful cricket pitches,
playing fields, stunning historic architecture
and state-of-the-art modern facilities;
the accumulated architectural riches of
nearly three centuries. Dublin offers a
particularly congenial atmosphere for students
and it has in all respects the resources
of a capital city with a full and varied
cultural and intellectual life.
We will be staying at Goldsmith
Hall which is on is on main campus
of TCD located in the city
centre and is steps to Stephens Green, Grafton
Street, and Temple Bar. Click on the map
to see our amazing location. Trinity and
Goldsmith boasts:
• Modern safe and secure apartments
on campus
• Single 5 bedroomed apartments (some
doubles available) shared private bathrooms
• Breakfast on campus
• Dinners in Temple Bar
• Located adjacent to DART
• Full and free computer labs with
internet access at numerous locations throughout
the campus
• Access to the brand new TCD Sports
Hall, incl swimming pool
Be part of the tradition - Join us
for Celtic Summer 2012 - our 17th
year!
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