Italian Riviera – inspection visit
March 26th, 2010Wow what an amazing new destination! Perfect for all music groups wanting outdoor performances!
Day 1 – Arrive at Nice airport and took the coastal road towards San Remo. The first hotel that we inspected was a lovely family run hotel. The interior is tastefully decorated with an art nouveau feel. The hoteliers are extremely friendly and accommodating to the needs of youth groups. Across the road is a wonderful concert venue situated in an amphitheater where you can catch glimpses of the sea through trees in the park. The organiser of the concerts here showed us pictures of packed out audiences and is extremely exited about further future groups from the UK performing here!
Day 2 – This day was spent travelling further up the coast to Savona, stopping in many coastal towns to view concert venues. Nearly all the concert venues that we visited were just as welcoming, excited and professionally equipped!
The evening was spent in a second hotel nearby. Again this hotel is perfect for student groups. Our evening meal was served alongside a young Italian group who were amply fed and very well looked after. Again this hotel was clean and safe the only differences were that it is located in a busier town and has a swimming pool.
Day 3 – Before departing there was a bit of time to visit various towns that had been recommended during our time here and what worthwhile visits they were! Nearby Bordighera is a gem of a town! It is like stepping back in time with a 1940’s feel to it. The buildings are extremely grand and the Italians very well dressed. This is a beautiful setting for a concert or a visit alone! San Remo itself also surprised us being a much larger town that we expected, with many options for concerts dotted in various different locations!
Return back to the UK from Nice airport
The beauty of the Italian Riviera is that it is so close to the South of France but at the same time they are worlds apart!
In contrast to the idyllic Italian coastal towns, the Cote d’Azur oozes wealth with a completely different feel. Monaco and Nice are the 2 main attractions in the South of France whilst staying in the Riviera! The boats docked in the harbours are immense, a sight to be seen! There are also plenty of attractions here, such as the perfumery, a water-park. Or a full day out to Monaco to see the changing of the Guards, visit the Oceanographic Museum or the casino in Monte Carlo to name but a few excursion! There are also plenty of performance opportunities on the French side, should you choose too!
All in all a wonderful destination to take your students!
