| Here is what the
Blue Guide to Northern Italy said in its 1978 version: |
| The most important port of Italy,
[Genoa] is built on the irregular sea-ward slopes of an
amphitheatre of hills. Preserving many relics of an ancient
and honourable history, and adorned with the palaces,
churches and parks of its great maritime families, it
well merits its title 'La Superba.'
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During this century the G8 summit in 2001, and Genoa's year
as European City of Culture in 2004 led to enormous improvements
in the fabric of the city. Genoa now combines the attractions
of modern metropolitan liveliness and vibrancy with the pleasures
of a famously temperate climate. It's also a cheap place to
be, with lots of restaurants, a very good internal transport
system, and an airport served by Ryanair.
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| Genoa is a busy, bustling,
exciting city, divided between roaring traffic in the centre,
several noble streets lined with seventeenth- and eighteenth-century
palaces, peaceful upper suburbs of turn-the-century apartment
blocks, and the port with the huge medieval quarter behind it,
once a notorious no-go area, but now cleaned up and fascinating
to wander around. There are several art galleries (though I
found only a few compelling pictures), dozens of little squares
dominated by palaces and churches (mostly combining Romanesque
facades with perfect baroque interiors), and hundreds of places
to eat the local snacks - foccaccia, a kind of soft, deep pizza
(not at all like the soggy bread sold here under this name);
and farinata, a thin salty pancake made with chick-pea flour.
You can have a substantial carbohydrate lunch for about 70p.
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| For 12 Euros you can travel
in Genoa on all kinds of public transport for a full week. This
includes buses, local trains as far as Nervi to the east and
Pegli to the west, and funiculars and lifts. Yes, Genoa is so
precipitous that you may have travel to the school by public
lift. |
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| This is not a must-see Italian
city, like Florence or Siena; but it is a very interesting place
to spend a week, a working town rather than a tourist spectacle,
yet with its own very proud and interesting history and local
culture. Its startling geographical situation - it occupies
a strip of flat land by the sea and the steep hillsides rising
above this - makes it quite easy to find your way around. To
the east, the riviera ponente, there are attractive sea-side
resorts, famous for their warm micro-climates. |
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| Further on is Rapallo, and
then the Cinque Terre. Inland northwards, a small private railway
runs into the mountains. Milan is only an hour-and-a-half away
by train, so a visit to the Brera gallery might be a possibility
one afternoon. If you study for two weeks at the school, there
are plenty of interesting places to visit during your weekend
in Liguria. |
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The strange name - 'a door
to Italy' - refers to the Latin word for a door - janua - which
is the origin of the name 'Genoa': Genoa is the door to Italy,
and the school intends to be a door to Italian language and
culture. It is quite a new institution, run by three enthusiastic
women. All the teachers have degrees in teaching Italian as
a foreign language.
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| It is best to choose times
that are out-of-season (i.e. avoiding any week when European
university students might be taking their holidays); otherwise
the school can be very crowded with youth. Most of the students
at A Door to Italy are young, but during my visits, there have
always been a number of mature persons in attendance. |
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| On your first morning you will
undergo a short written exam to establish which of the five
levels will be best for you. Classes are in the morning (9am
till 1pm with a coffee break). All teaching is in Italian. The
teachers introduce grammatical points suitable to your level;
they use exercises in the school's own work-book to illustrate
and practise this grammar; some homework is usually set; but
above all every class offers a great deal of conversation and
listening. Maximum class size is eight persons. A morning's
work can be quite exhausting. |
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The school offers some social activities, such as guided tours
of the nearby ancient town centre, or a cocktail at a city-centre
bar. Classes on cookery, Italian film, and even diving are also
available at extra cost. |
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| (I have
extracted the following costs for 2007 from material sent
to me by the school.) |
One week
standard course at A Door to Italy -
20 hours at your appropriate level: |
195
Euros
plus 50 Euros enrolment fee |
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| Two weeks
standard course: |
300
Euros
plus 50 Euros enrolment fee |
| If you wish
you can create a more intensive course for yourself by
adding one-to-one lessons. For example, the fee for one
week with 20 hours of classes plus four hours of individual
tuition would be 300 Euro plus enrolment fee of
50 Euro. |
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| The school can arrange your
accommodation, with a wide variation in cost, according to the
facilities available. Cheapest are rooms in private houses,
some centrally located, some up to half an hour's travel from
the school. They provide the ingredients for a serve-yourself
continental breakfast, plus the use of the kitchen for dinner. |
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| Intermediate
category, sharing bathroom with other guests: |
Per person
per week, single room:
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216
Euros |
| Per person
per week, double room: |
180
Euros |
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| Superior
category, with exclusive use of a bathroom: |
Per person
per week, single room:
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252
Euros |
| Per person
per week, double room: |
214
Euros |
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| More expensive - and more private
- are a number of hotels of different standards at various distances
from the school. If you book through A Door to Italy, you will
receive five per cent off the prices below. Of course, availability
will be restricted at certain times in the year, so some negotiation
will almost always be necessary. |
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OSingle room,
BB:
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50
(300) Euros |
Double room,
single use BB:
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67
(402) Euros |
| Double room
BB: |
75
(450) Euros |
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Single room,
BB:
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60-70
(360- 420) Euros |
| Double room
BB: |
90
(540) Euros |
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Single room,
BB:
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111
(666) Euros |
| Double room
BB: |
148
(888) Euros |
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| A return ticket from Stansted
to Genoa with Ryanair, flying out on Sunday 5 May 2007 (departure
at 9:50) and back on Saturday 12 May (departure at 13:20) is
at present c. £75. With British Airways you can fly from
Heathrow to Milan at various times of the day at prices around
£130; you could then travel on to Genoa by train (costing
about 16). Birmingham to Milan is about £150. Both
Ryanair and BA sometimes have sales of tickets at which it might
be possible to find a cheaper fare than these. |
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| You can travel to Genoa by
train, leaving London at 13:40 on Saturday and arriving at 9:40
on Sunday (changes at Paris and Milan): cost is dependent on
whether you have a couchette or a berth in a sleeping car, but
could be achieved for under £200. |
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| As well as information about
how to contact the school, I can offer more particular advice
about travelling to (and within) Genoa, the various kinds of
accommodation available and its whereabouts, and so on. Please
do give me a ring if you wish to proceed, or find out more. |
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| Martin Gray |
01865 860984 |
martin.gray9@btopenword.com |
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If you wish to
join this study week, please contact Martin Gray
at
01865 860984 or
enquiries@learn-italy.com
to receive a booking form.
Places on the holiday will be first-come, first-served,
based on receipt of the booking form and deposit.
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Cost of Tuition:
