ifmsa exchange in catania - social programme 2015
DESCRIPTION
Made by Gabriele CostanzoTRANSCRIPT
“Dear colleagues,
We are proud and excited of your choice of Italy for your IFMSA Exchange. We are planning
everything in order to make this experience the best of your life and honestly, we are looking
forward to meeting all of you!!!
Research and Professional Exchange is about not only the lab and the hospital life…
IT IS ALSO FUN!
Here we show you the main trips and activities you are going to enjoy during your stay in Catania.
As you can see, we will take you to some outstanding places we have in Sicily and of course, we
are going to have a great time with some night parties.
The price to take part in all this “awesomeness” is only 180 euros. If you wonder not to join each
activity, you will decide to pay only for those you like the most. Check out all the details at the
end of the document.
Catania is waiting for you, and so are we.”
Emanuele Distefano (LEO)
Francesca Privitera (LORE)
Andrea Scarfia (ClerkITA Project coordinator)
Mind the following symbols while you read about our trips
This trip is supposed to be a little tiring – especially if the weather is hot –
and there is a lot to walk. We suggest you put on a comfortable pair of shoes.
Why don’t you include a cap for your head as well?
It’s finally time to relax and go for a sunbathe!
Don’t be shy and wear a swimsuit: a wonderful sea is waiting for you.
Now lie in the sun and enjoy your holiday!
Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
Week 1 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
6th
WELCOME
PARTY 7th
8th
TAORMINA
Week 2 9th
AGRIGENTO 10th
MT. ETNA 11th 12th 13th 14th
FERRAGOSTO 15th
Week 3
16th
P. ARMERINA AND
CALTAGIRONE
17th 18th
TOGA PARTY 19th
20th
INTERNATIONAL
F&D PARTY 21st
22nd
SIRACUSA
Week 4
23rd
MARINELLO AND
TINDARI
24th 25th 26th
27th
GOODBYE
PARTY
28th 29th
Founded in 729 BC by the Ancient
Greeks, Catania is a sunny city
situated in the eastern coast of
Sicily. It offers very different
landscapes: bathed by the Ionian
Sea in the East (you can choose
among sandy beaches – the so-
called PLAYA – and rocky ones –
named SCOGLIERA) and surrounded by Mount ETNA and other elevations in
the North. Your dormitory is really close to the city centre, few steps from the
main street in Catania: VIA ETNEA. Walking down the street, you will discover
the city centre little by little, from VILLA BELLINI – the main park – to the major
square, PIAZZA DUOMO – which offers great examples of Baroque
Architecture. You will immediately fall in
love with the symbol of our city, the Elephant
“LIOTRU”. The city centre is also rich in shops
and restaurants. By the way, it is your chance
to become aware Sicilian food is definitely
awesome: ask for specialties such as
ARANCINO or GRANITA and enjoy the taste
of Sicily! At last, but surely not least, Catania is even
famous for its amazing NIGHTLIFE. Piazza Teatro is the
main place where to find pubs
and music all night long.
Moreover, Playa becomes the
best place for unforgettable
BEACH PARTIES.
Catania never sleeps!
WEEK 1
Thursday 6th
WELCOME PARTY 3, 2, 1…Go!
Your holiday is getting started!
At first we surely would not
know much about each other, so
what is better than a POOL
PARTY to break the ice? Wearing
a swimsuit might be a reasonable
idea, just in case someone
decides to push you into the
WEEK 1
pool! Have a great time and enjoy
the party with our music and
drinks:
this is just the beginning
of a great experience all
together!
WEEK 1
Saturday 8th
TAORMINA Taormina is a wonderful little town about 45
min far from Catania. It is settled on a hill of
Monte Tauro and dominates two large,
sweeping bays below, offering to the visitors a
breathtaking, dramatic
and memorable view
over almost one
hundred miles of
Mediterranean Sea. We
will let you discover
Isola Bella (literally
WEEK 1
“Beautiful Isle”): it is a very small island attached to the coast of Sicily by a little
slide of land and surrounded by an extremely colorful sea. Once we get relaxed
enough, then it will be time to visit the Taormina old centre. Goethe and many
other artists appreciated the town as a "patch of
paradise“ and elected it as their “escapade place”
from chaotic city life. Taormina has become one of
the world top tourist destinations where visitors
can experience a perfect combination of old times
charming atmosphere,
preservation of history
and culture, an elegant
and lively way of life to be
enjoyed in relaxing walks
through the old town
pedestrian areas.
WEEK 2
Sunday 9th
AGRIGENTO Agrigento is a city of southern Sicily;
it is rich in Ancient Greek History,
culture and unique places. Pindaro
the poet described it as “the most
beautiful city among mortals”. The
trip starts with the so-called SCALA DEI
TURCHI (literally “The Stair of the Turks”),
a white rocky cliff made of marlstone and
eroded into stairs. The legend says that
once the Turks reached the Sicilian coast,
WEEK 2
they climbed up the
land by this white
stair: this explains
the origins of the
name. After the
Staircase, we would
be glad to let you
discover the great VALLE DEI TEMPLI
(“Valley of the Temples”). It is the
largest archaeological site on Earth
and one of the most outstanding
examples of Magna Grecia Art and
Architecture. Both the Valley and the
Staircase are listed as UNESCO Heritage sites.
WEEK 2
Monday 10th
MOUNT ETNA Mount Etna is an active volcano on the east coast of
Sicily between Messina and Catania. It is the tallest
active volcano in Europe, currently 3,329m high. In
2013, it has been listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Maybe you are wondering how is living next to an
active volcano which may erupt in
any moment of our lives. Actually,
we do not have fear of the
volcano; instead, every Sicilian
has a real affection to the
Volcano. We usually look forward
WEEK 2
to having the spectacular view of the Eruption. Mount Etna is named as the
GOOD VOLCANO because eruptions never have explosive components so it is
not as dangerous as it seems. Our trip ends up at
"Rifugio Sapienza", the most important Shelter of
the Volcano. We are going to stay there until night:
on the 10th of August we celebrate Saint Lawrence,
also known as the night of SHOOTING STARS. It is
very common tradition to spend the
night watching the falling stars and
make a secret wish as soon as you
see one falling. The night is very well
organized and apart from the natural
beauty, we will be enjoying music
and fireworks.
WEEK 2
Friday 14th
FERRAGOSTO People who come from abroad
might not know much
about this particular
festival, since it is only
celebrated in Italy.
It consists in one
ALL-NIGHT-LONG
BEACH PARTY:
every year hundreds of
boys and girls join the
festival by dancing, singing, drinking or
WEEK 2
simply laying on the beach watching the
falling stars and waiting for the dawn.
There is no doubt Ferragosto is the
MAIN SUMMER EVENT! Do not forget to
wear your swimsuit: MIDNIGHT SWIM is
mandatory! If you feel cold, do not worry:
tradition says to
light a fire on the
beach – the so-
called falò –
everyone can get
warmer.
WEEK 3
Sunday 16th
PIAZZA ARMERINA… The VILLA ROMANA DEL CASALE is a Roman villa built in the first quarter of the 4th century and located about 3 km outside the town of Piazza Armerina. It contains the richest, largest and most complex collection of Roman mosaics in the world. The villa was probably the center of a huge latifundium (agricultural estate) covering the surrounding area. Early in the 19th century, pieces of mosaics and some columns were found. The first official archaeological excavations were carried out later in that century.
WEEK 3
…AND CALTAGIRONE Caltagirone is a town in the province of Catania which is really famous for the production of pottery, particularly maiolica and terra-cotta wares. The city's name derives from the Arabic "qal'at-al-jarar" ("Castle of [pottery] jars") - a name that attests to the antiquity of the pottery works which are still thriving. The main landmark of the city is the 142-step monumental Staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, built from 1608 in the old part of the town. The peculiarity is that each step is decorated with different hand-decorated ceramics, using styles and figures derived from the millennial tradition of pottery making.
WEEK 3
Tuesday 18th
TOGA PARTY Are you keen on Ancient History? Have
you ever wondered how a party should
have looked like during the Roman
Empire? Is having fun your main
“philosophy”? Well
then: take your own
bed sheet and wrap it
around your body...
TOGA PARTY needs you!
WEEK 3
There is no reason to be shy, we are
absolutely sure Plato and Aristotle would
have been really proud of you! Raise up
your glass of wine in honor of Bacchus and
dance like the three Graces.
Imperator Caesar would have
said “Veni. Vidi. Party.”
WEEK 3
Thursday 20th
INTERNATIONAL
FOOD&DRINK PARTY Are you proud of your country?
Are you looking forward to waving your flag and show
everyone where you come from?
Do you really like cooking, eating and
drinking? Well, there is no doubt this is
the party for you!
Think about everything exemplary from
your own nation and let your mates
discover your culture: cook your best
WEEK 3
food, bring bottles filled with your typical
drinks, wear like the people of your
community and sing aloud your national
anthems until you run out of voice!
Never forget to show your flag! Which
country will be the best one
at cooking?
WEEK 3
Saturday 22nd
SIRACUSA
Siracusa was built in VIII b.C.
by Greek colonizers from
Corinth and according to its
lucky geographic position, it
was conquered and
inhabited by several people:
because of it today the city shows a mixture of
artistic and architectural styles from Greek to
Roman, from Arab to Normand, from Spanish to
Baroque. Cicero considered it "The biggest and most
beautiful city of Magna Graecia". The distinctive
WEEK 3
color that characterizes Siracusa is the white of its rocks, in
opposition to the light blue of its sea. All this makes it a
fantastic place where to spend your time, accompanied by
great food and a romantic landscape, walking down the little
streets of the city centre and relaxing.
Due to its history,
monuments and
wonderful seaside,
Syracuse is a World
Heritage Site of Unesco
since 2005.
WEEK 4
Sunday 23rd
MARINELLO… According to the legend, many years
ago a woman whose daughter was gravely ill
made a vow to the famous black Mary of Tindari.
When the little girl felt better, the woman went to
Tindari to thank Blessed Virgin, but she found out
the statue of Mary had black skin, so said 'I came
here to see an uglier woman than me'. Then she
was just coming back home, but she could not
manage to find her child. She had fallen down of the
mountain! The desperate woman begged again Holy
WEEK 4
…AND TINDARI
Mary of Tindari 'Please, if you saved her the first time, save
her again'. Her prayers were listened by Mary, and
suddenly the sea got dried out in the place the girl was
falling on. Later, the girl was found safe and sound, playing
on the sand. This is how, according to the legend, the salty
lakes of Marinello, under Tindari Shrine,
formed. Today in Tindari you can see the
big Shrine with his particular black Mary
statue carved out of wood, the
breathtaking view of the natural
reservation of Marinello, and the old
ruins of the Greek and Roman period.
WEEK 4
Thursday 27th
GOODBYE PARTY
We know it is hard to accept it, but
everything comes to an end. We would like to
complete this awesome experience
together by another, amazing,
ALL-DAY-LONG
POOL PARTY.
WEEK 4
We hope you really enjoyed your stay
here in Catania; we always do our best in
order to let you keep a good memory
about Sicily and, of course,
about us. .
We probably started this
adventure as simply mates,
we end up as
great friends.
Now it is time to
say goodbye, but
we are sure we
will meet again
one day!
Rosario Emanuele Distefano (LEO) [email protected] - https://www.facebook.com/emanuele.distefano3 Andrea Scarfia (ClerkITA Project coordinator) [email protected] - https://www.facebook.com/andrea.scarfia
Marco Astuti https://www.facebook.com/marco.astuti
Andrea Barbagallo https://www.facebook.com/andrea.barbagallo1 Maria Caccamo https://www.facebook.com/mcaccamo1 Giulia Cammarata https://www.facebook.com/giulia.cammarata.94 Carlo Chessari https://www.facebook.com/carloch90 Salvatore Esposito https://www.facebook.com/salvoesp Luigi Ferrarotto https://www.facebook.com/luigi.ferrarotto Luca Geraci https://www.facebook.com/luca.geraci
Cristiano Girlando https://www.facebook.com/cristiano.girlando Francesco Impellizzeri https://www.facebook.com/fimpellizzeri1 Umberto Lizzio https://www.facebook.com/umberto.lizzio Aurelio Lomeo https://www.facebook.com/aurelio.lomeo Mario Mannino https://www.facebook.com/mario.mannino3 Pierpaolo Panebianco https://www.facebook.com/pierpaolo.panebianco.9 Isabella Pennisi https://www.facebook.com/isabella.pennisi.52 Carla Spadaro
https://www.facebook.com/carlaspdr Marco Spagnolo https://www.facebook.com/marco.spagnolo.984 Jacopo Tudisco https://www.facebook.com/jacopo.tudisco Antonio Valastro https://www.facebook.com/antonio.valastro.79 Francesca Vinci https://www.facebook.com/PaccaFranca
If you join all the trips we will be glad to
give you a gift: let us know your size and
you will receive your own
“IFMSA Exchange in Catania 2015” T-shirt!
If you don’t go for the all-inclusive pack but
you still desire one of those T-shirts, you
can buy your own at the cost of €10,00.
Contact us before your arrival and we will
order your T-shirt. Are you not sure about
the size you should ask for?
Consult the following link for more details:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B0mQxvQFsrV1WFdmX0h6MWFYVVE/view
DAY ACTIVITY COST Thu 6th WELCOME PARTY / Sat 8th TAORMINA 35€ Sun 9th AGRIGENTO 35€
Mon 10th MOUNT ETNA 40€ Fri 14th FERRAGOSTO 25€
Sun 16th PIAZZA ARMERINA AND CALTAGIRONE 25€ Tue 18th TOGA PARTY / Thu 20th INTERNATIONAL FOOD&DRINK PARTY / Sat 22th SIRACUSA 35€ Sun 23rd MARINELLO AND TINDARI 25€ Thu 27th GOODBYE PARTY /
OR
ALL-INCLUSIVE
PACK
JOIN EACH ACTIVITY + T-SHIRT 180€
Created by Gabriele Costanzo
Special thanks to Giulia Cammarata, Luca Geraci, Aurelio Lomeo, Andrea Scarfia (The Legend) and Carla Spadaro.