Sono molto lieta di annunciare il prossimo “Matta” 2016 programma a Lucca
con Lucca Italian School!
I am Happy to announce the 2016 Matta & Lucca Italian School Language Program!
June 19 – 30, 2016
Come with me to LUCCA in TUSCANY in 2016 to PRACTICE & IMPROVE YOUR ITALIAN! Immersing in language and culture and traveling with like-minded individuals is a great way to learn the language in a relaxed and friendly environment. My friends Daniela, Angelo & Eva, teachers at Lucca Italian school and I are planning another exciting language & cultural program in the charming medieval walled town of Lucca, in Tuscany. The 2016 program will include excursions to the Cinque Terre and into the Garfagnana Mountains. To see photos from the 2015 Program click here:
Last year our program sold out! So act now to reserve your spot for the 2016 June Program!
The Matta / Lucca Italian School – 12 Day Language & Cultural Immersion includes:
• 12 Days/ 11 nights at Hotel Puccini a 3-star hotel with updated baths, TV, Internet
• 23 hours of Italian Lessons at Lucca Italian School
• Unlimited Italian conversation practice with teachers & Italian friends
• 9 Meals
• Breakfasts included
• 2 Cooking classes in which we will prepare 4-course meals and dine on what we have prepared
• Wine tastings in wineries located in the hills of Tuscany
• Historical Walking Tour of Lucca with teachers from Lucca Italian School
• Picnic on the Walls of Lucca
• Concert Featuring Puccini arias in Church of San Giovanni
• Day trip to Garfagnana to visit the Fortezza delle Verrucole – Lunch included
• Day trip to le Cinque Terre – Lunch included
• Walking or Biking Lucca’s Walls with picnic supper on the wall
• 2Free Choice afternoons: participants are free to climb the Guinigi Tower, wander Lucca at your own pace, relax, shop, bike the walls, visit S. Frediano, Duomo, S. Michele…or join the Lucca Italian School teachers and students in an activity organized by the school* (i.e., trip to Pisa, Pistoia, local museums, Watercolor Painting in the gardens, Palazzo Mansi, local art exhibits) (small additional cost to join school group activity)
• 1 Full Free Day participants are free to visit Florence, Pisa, Viareggio or other nearby Tuscan towns
Accommodations: We will be staying at Hotel Puccini, a 3-star hotel in the heart of Lucca’s historical center, in Piazza San Michele. (If you would like to arrive earlier or remain past the program dates, please let Melissa know and we will check room availability.)
Book Now! There are only 10 spots! The price for the Matta / Lucca Italian School Language program is $3,500.00. Availability is based on a first-come-first-served basis & a reservation is not guaranteed until the receipt of deposit or full trip payment. A $500 non-refundable deposit is required to secure your reservation.
The balance of the trip fee will be due approximately 60 days before the trip start date (7/3/2016). You may also pay a full trip fee at the time of booking. To book with peace of mind and to safeguard your trip investment, in the case of a personal emergency or a family life event that might prevent you from departing for Italy, you may want to consider purchasing travel insurance through agencies as such as Travel Guard, AAA or American Express. Please read the Cultura Italiana Arezzo Language School/ Matta Refund Policy & Terms of Conditions.
Sunday, June 19: Arrive in Lucca, Meet Melissa and LIS teachers, Dinner at a local trattoria
Monday, June 20: 8:45 am – 1:00 The day of classes. Assessment of Language levels & class assignments.
5:30: Guided walking tour of Lucca with teachers from Lucca Italian School, get bearings and become familiar with Lucca and her history
7:30 pm : Dinner at a local trattoria in the historic city center
Tuesday, June 21: 9:15 am – 1:00 Classes at Lucca Italian School
3:00 pm: Cooking Lesson with Eva in Fattoria. Wine tasting & tour of the winery and dinner. We will prepare 4 course meals and dine on what we have prepared!
Wednesday, June 22: 9:15 am – 1:00 Classes at Lucca Italian School
Free Afternoon: participants are free to climb the Guinigi Tower, wander Lucca at your own pace, relax, shop, bike the walls, visit S. Frediano, Duomo, S. Michele…or join the Lucca Italian School teachers and students in an activity organized by the school* (i.e., trip to Pisa, Pistoia, local museums, Watercolor Painting in the gardens, Palazzo Mansi, local art exhibits) (small additional cost to join school group activity)
Thursday, June 23: 9:15 am – 1:00 Classes at Lucca Italian School
Free Afternoon
7:00 pm: Picnic Supper on the Wall
Friday, June 24: 10:00 am Classes at Lucca Italian School
3:00 pm: Cooking Lesson with Eva at Fubiano Winery, tour of the winery and dinner. We will prepare 4 course meals and dine on what we have prepared!
Saturday, June 25: 9:15 am – 1:00 Classes at Lucca Italian School (special lesson for our group)
7:00 pm: Puccini Concert in the Church of San Giovanni
8:30 pm: Dinner in pizzeria
Sunday, June 26th: 10:00 pm: Excursion to Garfagnana the mountain region to the north or Lucca by private transport, an area rich in natural beauty and history with many scenic villages and a visit to the Devil’s Bridge
Lunch included
Monday, June 27th: 10:00 pm: Free Day participants are free to visit Florence, Pisa, Viareggio or other nearby Tuscan towns
Tuesday, June 28th: 10:00 Excursion to le Cinque Terre by private transport
Lunch included
Wednesday, June 29th: Free Day
8:00 pm: Farewell Dinner
Thursday, June 30th: Baci & Abbracci! Goodbye! Students depart
Transport to Lucca: Private Transport to Lucca from Florence or Pisa can be arranged for E100. Closer to arrival date, we will do our best to coordinate & compare arrival times to organize group ride sharing to reduce the cost of transport.
If you would like more information please contact melissa@studentessamatta.com
To make a reservation please fill out automated form above. Ci vediamo a Lucca!
Cheers from 2015 Group!
Rhonda Williams (Physical Trainer): I’ve Just returned from an amazing adventure in Lucca coordinated by Melissa Muldoon and Studentessa Matta. Her blog educated and inspired me to join her and an awesome group of people in Lucca this past September. While there I attended Lucca Italian School and began to learn how to speak Italian. The teachers were so kind and giving of their talents. Whether it was Angelo singing and playing songs on his guitar and accordian or Ava and her crew teaching us how to make amazing Italian fare. Stephanie our language instructor was patient as she guided us through classes with grace and humor. They also served as hospitality guides. They escorted us through many guided journeys educating us on culture, music and teaching us culinary skills. Through these events, Melissa and her blog have gifted me with new friends and a passion for all things Italian. I cannot be more grateful and excited for my next journey with her.
Diane Peak (Registered Nurse): I have been following Melissa’s blog, for approximately five years. Every time she came back from a Lucca tour, she would post the most fascinating pictures. I knew I had to go! Melissa, along with the teachers from the Lucca Italian School had planned the most exciting tour! While we had Italian language classes in the morning, after lunch, meant, tours, cooking classes, wine tasting, etc. The teachers from the Lucca school were always with us. It was TOTAL IMMERSION! In addition to the Italian language, the teachers provided very interesting cultural information regarding various towns, buildings, and Italian history. The group we were with was awesome! We had so much fun on the tour—-I hated to see it end! My compliments for a job well done, Melissa!
Sherry Rogers (Professor, retired): My husband and I participated in the wonderful Lucca 2015 trip. Normally, we travel on our own, but we found traveling with Studentessa Matta well worth it. Melissa puts together an imaginative, informative, and fun package around the language learning experience. Cultural tours, wine tasting and cooking lessons, biking, a concert: there was lots to do but also free time for a nap or independent exploration. We can highly recommend the Lucca Italian School, the third such school in Italy we have attended. The teachers are welcoming, and they provide a terrific mix of language fundamentals, cultural information, and engaging activities. Through the Studentessa Matta Blog, we made connections with another language teacher so we could continue our language learning experience beyond Lucca. Melissa provides great opportunities to read and listen to Italian on her blog and has assembled a whole network of learning opportunities online and in Italy. Grazie, Melissa, e complimenti!
Sheree Isola (Accountant, State of Montana): Melissa took great care to find very interesting and fun activities that appealed to all of the different ages and personalities of the people who attended The Lucca School of Italian and Studessa Matta Language program. She is very bright and fun. She was attentive to each of us. All of this and still highly professional. I recommend!
Judy Hathaway (Italophile): About 5 years ago, I decided to audit Italian language classes at the University of Kansas. Not long after that, a friend told me about Melissa Muldoon’s blog, the Studentessa Matta, which I have followed since then. Thanks to Melissa and her love of the Italian language and culture, I have just returned from a fantastic experience in Lucca as a participant in Melissa’s most recent group adventure in Italy. The staff and teachers at the Lucca Italian School gave us a warm welcome, quickly sorted us into appropriate levels for instruction, and then the fun began! The teachers provided plenty of challenging exercises, games, worksheets, and listening experiences for four hours each weekday. Fellow students were from all over the world, so the Italian language was the common denominator. It was just the kind of language immersion I needed to gain confidence and improve my ability to communicate! Best of all, Melissa and the folks at the Lucca Italian School treated us like family and provided many additional experiences including dinners, cooking classes, Italian movie night, and trips to Pisa and the Cinque Terre.
