Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Abano Terme, Padua, Sardinia

Most everyone knows where Milan, Venice, Florence and Rome is but the places I'll be this summer are a little less known than most major cities in Italy. Here is a little bit of information I thought was interesting and nice to know about the places I will be this summer.



I'll be about 20 minutes from Venice and just at 2 hours train ride from Milan. This summer I will get to experience the north of Italy.



Padua is very close to where I will be the majority of the summer but the actual town I'll be in is called Abano Terme. Southwest of Padua, the Colli Euganei (Euganean Hills) are a dream scape of wall lined hilltop towns, foggy vineyards, the occasional castle and bubbling hot springs.



Terme (Natural Hot Springs) Mountain spring water bubbles from the Prealps north of Padua 85 degrees C and rich in mineral salts.



Abano Terme (Abano Bagni until 1930), population of about 19,062, is a town known for it's hot springs and spa resorts for relaxation. It's close to Padua, which is a university town which should be good for meeting new friends easily.



A luxury spa hotel in A. Terme.

http://www.abanograndhotel.it/



I must mention a little event happening this summer. Guess who I'm going to see in July in concert with my host family?






Padua. Population: 212,500. It has the second oldest university in Italy and among one of the youngest universities in the world. It was only founded in 1222, it's just 789 years old. Copernicus, Galileo, and Casanova taught here and it had the world's first woman doctor of philosophy.










Milan may have da Vinci's The Last Supper but Padua has Giotto's Scrovegni Chapel, da Vinci's greatest influence.



Everyone knows that Italians love their holidays and they love them right! I will be Au pairing the entire summer but will be lucky enough to come along with my host family to Sardinia for the whole month of August! At least until I leave, on the 21 August.



Sardinia is located between Spain and Italy and is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily.



I didn't know much about Sardinia until last summer when I heard all sorts of rumors of how wonderful this place was.





Sardinia. We will be staying near Porto Rotondo & Porto Cervo. It's known as the Emerald Coast, Sardinia's most feted summer destination. It's filled with luxury hotels, secluded beaches, and exclusive yacht clubs. In the 1960s it became the most popular place to be in the summer and soon became a favorite of the European jet set. It still is and every summer paparazzi swarm to the area hoping to find celebrities. Porto Cervo as a sort of pseudo-Moroccan architecture. It's clear waters and gorgeous weather seems to be paradise. What a place it looks, I cannot wait to see!