Living the good life in Sorrento!

The sun is shining and I’m sitting on my school’s glorious sun terrace….! There are tables and chairs outside so the students can sit in the sun or have lunch or a chat before or after the lessons. My school is soooo organized!!… It doesn’t just give you Italian Lessons, it really does everything to help make your stay in Sorrento an amazing experience!

The staff are always on hand to help you, but I must say that staying in Sorrento is usually a trouble free experience as there is hardly any crime and the people of the town are friendly and helpful. But my school has made such a difference to my stay, they have organized pizza parties for myself and other students, they take us on tours of Sorrento and the surroundings and explain the location and its history. We also have organized evenings out with the other students for a real fun way of getting to know other people from all over the world.

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My Academic Year in Rome

Ciao!

I don’t know how to start here… Maybe I should tell a little about myself first. My name is Camilla, I’m Norwegian and 19 years old. I’m totally fascinated about Italy, and I’ve always dreamed about learning Italian, a language I consider as the world’s most beautiful.

So, I decided to take the plunge and learn the language by signing up for an Academic Year Italian language course programme in Rome!

I remember the first day of school: I was nervous and curious at the same time……

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Sorrento and its Processions!

Hi all, you know when you experience something so different from what you are used to that it leaves a lasting impression on you and makes you think about life? Well, that is just what happened to us when we went to the Easter Processions that take place in Sorrento and along its coastline.

It was a fantastic, moving and thought provoking night. It starts in Sorrento on Thursday night when many people of the town form a procession which moves through the town along with a statue of the Madonna, all people are dressed in white, symbolizing life. I think you have to be there to feel the energy and the beauty of the procession because it sure is difficult to describe! There was another procession the following night and for me these two nights really made my Easter meaningful ….and not just about eating loads of chocolate and cake!

Mind you, eating loads of chocolate and cake isn’t a bad pastime and in Sorrento – You are spoilt for choice for delicacies like Baba’ ( a cake soaked in rum,), ice-cream, lemon cakes and crepes. Sorrento and its Dolce Vita is just right for me!

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Taking it easy in Sorrento!

The weather is definitely better here than when I left UK!

I’m in Sorrento at the moment, after travelling around Italy for a while and its such a cool place, I have decided to stay here for a while. My American friend was doing an Italian language course at a language school in Sorrento and she convinced me that as we both want to stay in this fair country, we might as well use our time to learn some of its language!

I think I will also get a job, so I don’t have to go home for a time. But as I would like to be able to order a cappuccino at a bar, buy a pair of jeans in the great shops here, get on the bus to Positano and talk to some Italian guys, I agreed with my friend that it was about time we throw our well thumbed phrase books in the bin and start some lessons!

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Milano is shopping HEAVEN!

I LOVE Milan!! Like most girls, I really like shopping – Milano is the capital of fashion and really one of the best places in the WORLD for shopping!! You should really come during the sales, if you can, you will be truly amazed at the bargains you can get!

Actually, any time of the year is good for shopping, in Milan. Right now, the Winter sales are still on, they started after New Year’s, on the first days of January. I missed the opening days as I wasn’t in Milan, but as soon as I got back I immediately went searching for the best bargains…

I NEEDED a new bag, a pair of jeans, possibly a pair of shoes and a coat. During a lunch break I went to a very good shop near the school called Renna Sport. They sell all the best brands and they were all 50% off. Well, I couldn’t find what I was looking for, but I came out with two Armani jumpers and a belt … not bad for the first attempt! The next day I tried La Rinascente to look for the bag and the jeans.

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Buonasera a tutti!

I’m writing you this from my host family house here in SORRENTO! I have been going out far too much recently so I’ve decided to stay at home and study a bit of Italian grammar, il presente semplice! (The present tense)….The host family are great… a mum, a dad and two teenage kids. The house is so clean and the parents cook like a dream!

I have never felt like that they host students for a job, it feels more like they do it because they really like people and want to meet as many different cultures as possible. Italians are really good at making people feel at home and their natural hospitality means that even if you are far away from home, you never feel lonely and if you feel homesick they often take you under their wing. They always ask me what I’m studying and of course, staying with a host family is an excellent way to back up what you have learnt in the classroom.

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Fantastical Florence!

Florence is a very special city- pretty and stylish, romantic and arty. Studying Italian here couldn’t have been dreamier! I found so much to do and see whether walking around the city, marveling at the art, learning how to cook Tuscan specialties, or simply just relaxing by the picturesque Arno River- I truly enjoyed myself!

The school is fantastic; it is actually a beautiful 17th century palace! It is situated right in the historic centre of Florence, which makes the most famous bridge in Italy – the Ponte Vecchio, its backdrop. While sitting in class, the bridge was in clear view from my window, which was perfect for taking impressive photographs! All of the staff in the school welcomed me in straight away, and it was obvious that the teachers loved their job. Each Italian class was more fun than the next!

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STILL in Sorrento!

I’m still in Sorrento, we had a really interesting week this week. Some new students from the UK arrived so my school organised a pizza party for us all. Have you ever eaten a true Neapolitan pizza? They are SO much nicer than a pizza you can buy at home. REALLY tasty with lots of Mozzarella cheese and fresh tomatoes! My new friends really enjoyed it and it was such a good way to introduce the new students to the school. Oh and we also visited the volcano Vesuvio, an incredible view from the top and lunch in a nearby farmhouse, my Italian course is turning into a gastronomic tour!

But seriously, travelling around is such a good way to practice what you have learnt. I can now ask for tickets for transport, I can understand basic directions and I m meeting the true Italians who make you realise that a language has a living cultural aspect to it which is difficult to grasp when you just have lessons.

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Enjoy Yourself When in Rome!!

After an awesome trip to Italy, I am convinced that the number one city for an Italian course is ROME! It has such a unique atmosphere, incredible sites and sounds, and friendly locals everywhere you turn. I loved it so much I found it hard to say goodbye!

Everyone knows Rome for its incredible ancient remains, and I had done plenty of research in guidebooks before my trip… but no matter how many photographs you see of Rome nothing can compare to the feelings of awe when you actually see the Pantheon, the Vatican, or the Trevi fountain up close. Most amazing of all is the beautiful Colosseum for the first time – I was mesmerized! I imagined the arena being full of Romans watching gladiator fights, cheering and booing as they used to do. And the sheer scale of the Colosseum is breathtaking – it is enormous! I simply can’t imagine how it was ever built. The only word that I can use to sum it up is: “WOW!”

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It’s fun in Sorrento!

I’m in Sorrento, on the beautiful Amalfi coast and I just can’t believe it! I’m here studying Italian in a school just off the main square and I’m having a great time. Why go anywhere else in Italy to learn Italian when you can do it in a place which is slap bang on the Mediterranean, stunningly beautiful, with great weather, steeped in thousands of years of history and culture… and lots of fun!

Well, actually I’m not supposed to be having too much fun as I’ve really got to get my head around the “passato remoto”, amongst other things!… but I’m feeling really good about coming here and my teachers are great. I’d mistakenly thought that learning a language in the country of origin was only for the rich… but its really not that expensive and being here really makes the language work for you – you can ask for real things in shops, you can buy a real bus ticket, you can order and eat a real pizza and you can get some real sun!

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