What I did and saw: Sacra di San Michele- Also know as Saint Michael’s Abbey, the Sacra di San Michele was built on Mount Pirchiriano just outside the city of Turin. Although I wasn’t able to go inside while I was there I was able to walk around and take advantage of the amazing views of the surrounding countryside and of the city of Turin. This location was also the inspiration for the famous book The Name of the Rose. Reggia di Venaria Reale- The Reggia di Venaria Reale is a massive former royal palace and gardens. It was originally built as a hunting base and was also used by the House of Savoy. It is one of the most visited museums in all of Italy. I spent a good amount of time there and could have still spent much more time there. English Camp- As I did in Volterra and Casalmaggiore, I also taught an ACLE English camp in Ciriè. The camp in Ciriè was the most well organized and had a relatively extravagant final show for the parents. San Giovanni Battista and Chiesa di San Giuseppe- The San Giovanni Battista building was built in the 1300’s, then restored in the 1800’s, and contains some beautiful artwork. The Chiesa di San Giuseppe is easy to walk past as its facade blends in with the surrounding architecture. However, it is worth stopping in the see the beauty this 17th century building contains. Where I ate and drank: Ristorante Lago Grande Pub Bel Sugne'- After visiting the Sacra di San Michele with my host family, we went to eat at Ristorante Lago Grande Pub Bel Sugne’. It is situated beautifully on the lakefront of the Lago Grande di Avigliana. Inside the restaurant there are also a number of life size comic book superheroes. I had the gnocchi to eat while I was there, which was very good. Zen Zero- Zen Zero was a short walk from the location of the English camp, so I went there a couple afternoons with some of the other English teachers to have an Italian aperitivo (which I talked about in my Casalmaggiore post). Casale 93 (Turin)- On my first day in town, my host family showed me around Turin, and we ate at Casale 93. They gave me an excellent suprise there, and I also got to meet some of the other teachers there. Gelateria San Ciriaco and Gelodoc- I had gelato at a few places in Ciriè, but San Ciriaco and Gelodoc were my favorites. Like many gelato places in Italy, they were very tasty (and well priced!). Where I stayed: I stayed with an awesome host family in Ciriè. During my week there, I ate most dinners at their house. They also showed me around Ciriè and the Turin area. How I got around: My host family drive me to camp every morning , as well as to the many places we went to see in the surrounding area. In the afternoons I usually walked to get around, and I also got rides from some of the camp staff for some after camp activities. My favorite thing:
There was a lot to like about Ciriè, but I especially liked the Reggia di Venaria Reale, the Sacra di San Michele, and the kindness of my host family. My least favorite thing: There are not a ton of things to do inside Ciriè itself, but Turin is just a short drive away. For next time: Next time in Ciriè it would be nice to check out more of the Turin area.
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What I did and saw: Mantua- Located a relatively short drive from Casalmaggiore is the city of Mantua (or Mantova in Latin and Italian). It was the city that the famous fictional Romeo was banished to in Shakespeare's famous play. It is a very nice place to walk through and has some very nice plazas such as the Piazza delle Erbe. While I was there they also had a festival going on with things like axe throwing and battle re-enactments. Basilica di Sant'Andrea di Mantova- The Saint Andrew Basilica is a beautiful building that is said to house some of the blood of Jesus. The relic was said to be originally discovered in 804 AD after being hidden underground for nearly 800 years, then rediscovered again in 1048. Construction on the church building itself began in 1472. English Camp- During my week in Casalmaggiore I taught at an ACLE English Camp. While it was not as well run as the camps I taught in Volterra or Cirie, it was still a lot of fun. The kids were great to work with, and it was fun to see their progress after just one week. Festa della Zucca- Every year there is a pumpkin festival in the Casalmaggiore area called the Festa della Zucca. There were a variety of pumpkin based foods, as well as live music and dancing. It was quite interesting to see a live band playing popular songs in English at a pumpkin festival by a cornfield in a small town in Italy. Where I ate and drank: Pizzeria Top 2000- I had a nice meal at Pizzeria Top 200 with some of the other ACLE teachers and their host families. Ristorante Pizzeria Secondo Piano- Towards the end of the camp I taught in Casalmaggiore, I had a meal at Ristorante Pizzeria Secondo Piano with the rest of the teachers and staff from the camp. We were seated on a rooftop terrace and ate some tasty Italian food. Wine & Coffee Sound- To celebrate the end of the week, I went with some of the other teachers to Wine & Coffee Sound for an Italian aperitivo. An Italian aperitivo is when each person orders a drink and a large plate of food to share is brought with the drinks. Gelateria Loggetta (Mantua)- Like many places in Italy, Gelateria Loggetta serves some excellent gelato at great prices. I had some while strolling around and exploring the city of Mantua. Where I stayed: As with the other places I stayed while teaching with ACLE, I stayed with an Italian host family. They were very kind in showing me around and feeding me some amazing food. The host family I stayed with was also next door neighbors with the host family of one of the other ACLE teachers, and we did many things together throughout the week. How I got around: I took a couple trains to get to Casalmaggiore. Once there, my host family lent me a bike to get around town, and to get to and from the camp. When we went to Mantua we traveled by car. My favorite thing:
My favorite thing about my time in Casalmaggiore was the food the host family nicely prepared for me and the food at (and general randomness of) the pumpkin festival. My least favorite thing: Casalmaggiore is a relatively small town and there is not a lot to do in the town itself. However, it seemed like a very safe town, and there were more things to do in the surrounding area. For next time: Next time in Casalmaggiore I would be interested in visiting more of the surrounding area. What I did and saw: ACLE City Camp- I taught week-long (M-F) camp in Volterra. It was my first camp with ACLE, but after teaching in the US, teaching English abroad, and participating in the ACLE orientation the previous week I felt well prepared. I worked mostly with 2nd grade students, and it was a lot of fun to see their progress in just one week. A.D. 1398 Medieval Festival- Every year in August Volterra has a festival set in the Middle Ages. Most of the town dresses up in traditional outfits, and there are many activities available to try that were common in the 1300's. There are even bands using traditional instruments, and a parade of marching bands. Enrico Fiumi Park- Volterra has a nice park where many of the Medieval Festival events were taking place. Just outside the park is a Medicean Fortress and old city walls. Medieval Buildings and great views- Volterra is full of ancient architecture. I got to see the Roman Theater, as well as some of the old churches and baptistries in the city. There are also some amazing sunsets over the varied terrain. Where I ate and drank: Host family and City Camp- I stayed with an incredibly kind family during my week in Volterra. They served me some excellent, local food for dinner. They also made a nice lunch for me to take with me to the camp each day. Additionally, I also had an excellent meal at the house of one of the other host families. L'Otto Pizzorante- One night during the week the camp staff went out to dinner at L'Otto Pizzorante. The pizza was great, and the conversation was very fun. Bar Priori- When I first arrived in Volterra with the other teachers, we went to Bar Priori with the camp director in the beautiful Piazza dei Priori. Here we had a snack and a short orientation, then our host families came to pick us up. L'isola Del Gusto Gelateria- L'isola Del Gusto is an excellent, award winning gelateria. It is a very small place with no real sitting area, but the gelato is very tasty. Where I stayed: As mentioned above, I stayed with a local host family during my time in Volterra. They were incredibly nice, and I spent much of my time playing basketball, soccer, video games, and nerf gun wars with the kids there. How I got around: I arrived in Volterra by bus, and was given rides by my host family to and from their house. While inside the city I walked to get around and took in some of the old architecture. My favorite thing:
There were many things to like about Volterra. The food I ate was amazing and the camp was a fun experience. My favorite things were the amazing views of the surrounding area, the medieval festival, and the kindness of my host family. My least favorite thing: My least favorite thing about Volterra was the bus ride there. I can tend to get carsick, and the roads up the mountanside wind quite a bit. For next time: Next time in Volterra it would be interesting to learn more about the history of the town and explore some of the town's museums. What I did: This past summer I had the opportunity to teach in Italy with an organization called ACLE. It was a great opportunity and a lot of fun. For my first week I attended an orientation in the city of Arcore (just outside Milan). Here are a few of my thoughts on it:
Where I ate and drank (and stayed): Hotel Ristorante La Bergamina- During the orientation week I stayed at La Bergamina, a four star hotel, and shared a room with one of the other teacher trainees. It was a nice, comfortable place to stay (although there were quite a few mosquitos out in summertime in the courtyard area). I ate most of my meals there during the week, and the food was very good. Malibu Gelato- Arcore is not a very big city, but one day I walked into town with a few of the other teachers and got some gelato at Malibu. Like most places in Italy, the gelato was very good (although not as good as the gelato I had in Rome). Beat Restaurant- While we ate most of our meals at the hotel, one of the nights we went out for dinner at Beat Restaurant. The food and drink was very good, but the conversation and fun I had with the people I got to share the meal with was even better. How I got around:
After giving clear directions to get to the train station in Arcore, a member of the ACLE staff picked me up from train and drove me and some other teachers to the hotel. We were all also given rides back to the train station at the end of the week and sent off (well prepared) to our camps. My favorite thing: There were so many fun, amazing, and hilarious moments throughout the week, but I think I laughed the hardest during the mock final show put on by the camp leaders. Thanks again Jordan, Helen, Kieran, Sammy, and Joe! My least favorite thing: The biggest downside to the orientation in my opinion is I can’t do it again. The experience was amazing, but the orientation is only for new ACLE teachers. For next time: I didn’t get to see much of the city of Arcore during the orientation. Although there is not a whole lot to see there, it would be nice to explore and possibly visit the nearby area of Monza. Most people that have the internet access to be able to read this already know what Netflix is. However, many people do not know that it can be used offline. This makes it a nice tool to use while traveling. Here is how to do it:
I have used Netflix while on planes, trains, and automobiles. Here are some of the benefits to utilizing Netflix.
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About MeWelcome to the Healthy Explorer Blog. If you like travel stories have a look around my blog and check out my podcast— maybe you'll find an extra spark for your own adventures.
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