The first week of June 2014 (June 1st-12th) you will find the Studentessa Matta in LUCCA Italy! I would like to invite you to join me to spend TEN days in Tuscany studying at Lucca Italian School, immersing in language & Italian culture!
My friends & teachers at Lucca Italian school, Daniela, Angelo & Eva and I are planning the next Matta Language & Cultural Immersion trip in Italy and YOU ARE INVITED to join us! During our stay in Lucca, we will study Italian in the mornings at Lucca Italian School & in the afternoons we will explore Lucca and surrounding hill towns. Look what we have in store: 2 cooking classes/preparing 5-course meals in local agriturismo/farmhouses, guided tours of Lucca & Pisa & surrounding hill towns, wine & olive oil tastings, a bike excursion and picnic along the walls of Lucca AND tickets to a concert featuring arias by Puccini and other Italian composers, as well as plenty of free time to explore the city at your own pace! We have selected the lovely Piccolo Albergo Puccini, in the historic city center of Lucca where our group will reside during our stay in Lucca. The Matta Language & Cultural Immersion in Lucca will be a relaxing & enjoyable vacation, open to all levels of language learners. We welcome advanced as well as beginning students, as well as any “significant others” who might not speak the language, but who want to experience Lucca’s amazing culture and cuisine.
To Learn more about Lucca Italian School & it’s philosophy follow this link.
Deposit: Availability is based on first-come-first-served basis & a reservation is not guaranteed until the receipt of deposit or full trip payment. You may elect to pay a full trip fee at the time of booking, or pay a $500 non-refundable deposit & then pay the balance of the trip fee which is due 60 days before the trip start date (4/2/2014).
Prior to making a reservation, Melissa requests a phone conversation with you. To set up an appointment, please contact Melissa at: melissa@studentessamatta.com. During the call we will discuss trip details, your comfort level with the language & travel expectations, accommodations and any questions you might have regarding traveling in Italy. You can read the Studentessa Matta Travel Philosophy and access the 3 required Trip Forms by following this link: 1) Welcome/Registration, 2) Survey/Terms/Waiver, 3) Program Itinerary. Please fill out the forms and submit with payment or deposit.
The Lucca Italian School / Studentessa Matta Language & Cultural Immersion includes:
• 11 nights at Hotel Puccini a 3 star hotel with updated baths, TV, Internet
• 30 hours of Italian instruction
• Welcome Lunch Buffet at the School
• 9 Meals: 5 in Lucca including a picnic on top of the wall, 1 in Montecarlo, 1 in Pietrasanta & 2 full 5-course meals prepared during our cooking classes
• Bus excursion to Garfagnana with guide – lunch included
• Bus excursion to Versilia with guide
• Wine & Olive Oil tasting at a farm and visit to Montecarlo with guide
• Excursion to Pisa with guide & aperativo (round trip train ticket included)
• Tour of Lucca with a professional guide
• Bike excursion along the walls of Lucca with picnic
• Ticket for Concert in City center featuring Puccini arias
Accommodations: We will be staying in the heart of Lucca’s historial center, in Piazza San Michele in a 3 star hotel. Prices are based on double room occupancy. For a single room please add a single payment of $135 / 100E per person, to cover the entire week’s stay. Please see photos to the right of the hotel.
Transport to Lucca: The nearest airport is Pisa, which is about 30 minutes by car from Lucca. If you are coming from Pisa/Airport, we can arrange a private transport in a small bus that will accommodate up to 7 people for 80E. Florence is about a 1 hr drive by car from Lucca and we can also arrange a private transport in a small bus that will accommodate up to 7 people: 130E. If you arrive during the day from either location there are frequent train or bus connections with a cost of about 6/10E per person. If you arrive after 8pm you must arrange for private transport (see above). Please contact us with your specific transport questions and we will be happy to help you with your travel arrangements.
The Lucca Italian School / Studentessa Matta Language Daily Itinerario: Download a pdf version of the Itinerary
Sunday, June 1: Settle into Hotel in Lucca
7pm Welcome dinner in Trattoria in the city center
Monday, June 2nd: Festa Nazionale/National Holiday: School open only for our group.
10:00am – 12:00pm : Italian lessons (Depending on the number of students & levels, there will be 2 groups for beginners and advanced)
12:00pm: Lunch Buffet at the School
Free Afternoon
5:00pm: Guided tour of Lucca & Dinner at a Trattoria
Tuesday, June 3rd
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
3pm: Cooking Lesson in an agriturismo in the hills outside of Lucca followed by dinner. We will arrive by private bus. (The cooking lessons will consist of preparing a complete meal, inspired by seasonal ingredients: antipasto, homemade pasta, piatto secondo, contorno (veggie dish) and a dessert. With wine of course! Students will help prepare the meal under the direction of Eva, Italian teacher and delightful chef. There will be 2 cooking classes (Tuesday & Friday) and each will take place in a different agriturismo in the hills outside of Lucca where the views are breathtaking!)
Wednesday, June 4th
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
Free afternoon
7pm: Concert in historic city center church – featuring Puccini arias & other Italian composers. (aprox. 1 hour)
Dinner in a pizzeria Napoletana in Lucca
Thursday, June 5th
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
4pm: Bike ride along the wall of Lucca
5:30pm Picnic Supper along the wall of Lucca
Friday, June 6th
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
3pm: Cooking Lesson in an agriturismo in the hills outside of Lucca followed by dinner. We will arrive by private bus.
Saturday, June 7th
9am: Private Bus trip to Garfagnana with lunch
We will arrive back to Lucca in the late afternoon / No dinner scheduled: Free evening
Sunday, June 8th
Free morning. No lunch is scheduled – you are free to make your own arrangements
2:30 Private Bus trip to Forte dei Marmi & Pietrasanta
Apericena in Pietrasanta (light evening meal consisting of cold plates, meats, cheeses veggies & salads)
10pm Return to Lucca
Monday, June 9th
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
Pisa (via train). Guided tour of city on foot, Visit Cathedral & Bell Tower (Note: we will not have time to climb the tower with the group on this outing due to logistics, but you may return during a free day during your stay, as Pisa is only 1/2 by train from Lucca)
Aperativo in Pisa
Arrive in Lucca in the early evening. No dinner scheduled: Free evening
Tuesday, June 10th
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
4:30 Private Bus trip for Wine & Olive Oil tasting at a farm in the country, Walk around Montecarlo a medieval village in the hills outside of Lucca, famous for it wine production
Dinner in a trattoria near Montecarlo
Wednesday, June 11th
9:15am – 1:00pm : Italian lesson / with 25 minute coffee break
Free Afternoon
Farewell dinner in a trattoria in Lucca
Thursday, June 12th
Baci & Abbracci! Goodbye!
WOW! This sounds wonderful! My parents and grandparents are from Lucca and I have cousins who live there. I have never been to Italy but would love to go especially to see the city of my heritage!
Lisa Spragia
Ciao Lisa! You should definitely see Lucca since you have roots and family there! I personally would love to have you with our group this June! It is a beautiful city! Check out the trip page with a recording the teachers made about what we will be doing! https://www.studentessamatta.com/cultural-language-immersion-lucca-italian-school/
Let me know if you have questions! A presto!