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The Cactus
Scoop - August 2004
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* Il Palio di Siena: 16th August 2004 *
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Just an hour from Florence, Siena is a breathtaking display
of Gothic architecture, Renaissance palazzos and Tuscan art,
set in the beautiful patchwork hills of Chianti. Within its
medieval walls lies a maze of curving, narrow streets with
enough nooks and crannies to keep you occupied for days. As
is to be expected of any Italian town, food is essential to
your cultural experience - and according to the Sienese it's
their town that boasts the origin of many delicious
Tuscan specialities.
It's not always so tranquil though: for 2 days each year
the town plays host to the wild bareback horse race of Il
Palio, which sees horses representing the various Contrade,
or districts, of Siena charging round the Piazza Il Campo
- which for the rest of the year is an otherwise peaceful
place to sip your morning cappuccino and watch the world go
by. The race doesn't last long, but Il Palio is the culmination
of an entire year's plotting and the party afterwards is worth
the wait...
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"I just returned from my Italian trip, and wanted to
let you know what a wonderful time I had in Siena. The classes
at the school were excellent, and the family with whom I stayed
was wonderful. Siena is such a beautiful spot! My Italian
has improved, and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire two weeks.
I then went on to Florence 'to practice my Italian'. All went
well! Ciao, Mary Roberts."
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2 week General
Italian Course (20 lessons per week) = £269
* accommodation available in a host family or shared apartment.
More Info: For details of all programmes email
Laura or see
our website >>
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Book Now! 5th-11th Sept 2004
Firstly a big thank you to everyone who came to our Spanish &
Salsa Taster Evening in London on 20th July. We hope that the sangria,
tapas and introductory Spanish and salsa classes were enough to
whet your appetite for our upcoming Spanish
& Salsa Group Holiday in Barcelona in September! We are
also excited to have a film crew from the BBC
Holiday Programme join us at the beginning of the holiday,
to film a piece for their autumn Holiday series (NB. if you don't
want to be filmed please just let us know). So come and join us
in the buzzing Catalan capital - we guarantee it's the most fun-filled
and action-packed week you'll ever have!
Dates: Sun 5th-Sat 11th Sept
Price: £499
What's Included: Welcome evening, bilingual tour host &
orientation pack, Spanish & Salsa classes, 3 star hotel with
breakfast, airport transfer from Barcelona airport, activities.
More Info: Please email
Laura or see
our website.
Get into the mood with feedback
from our May holiday >>
Feel free to ask us for a flight quote!
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Enjoy The Summer...Then Why Not Learn Something
New!
Languages available: German, French, Italian, Spanish
& Japanese
Location: opposite Green Park, 3 mins walk from
Green Park or Hyde Park Corner tube
Time: 6.30-8.30pm
Small Group Size: max 12 students
Teachers: fully qualified, native speakers
Complete Beginners: Survival Course (1 or 2 evenings
per week, 6 weeks).
Next course week starting Sept 20th. Only £94 online!
All Levels (including beginners): Longterm Course (1 evening
per week, 11 weeks).
Next course week starting Oct 4th. Only £194 online!
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Even More Language Courses in Brighton!
We are excited to be running even more language courses at our school
in Brighton this autumn. We have new courses starting the weeks
commencing 6th Sept and 1st Nov, in Spanish (Beginners &
Beginners Plus), and in French and Italian (Beginners
Plus). All courses run for 8 weeks and cost just £99 - or
£94 if you book online!
More
Info: Please email
Anna or see
our website >>
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La Tomatina, Valencia:
25th August
La Tomatina
is the largest tomato war in the world. There are no rules - simply
that you must squash the fruit before launching as many as possible
into the red blur of people before you. There is an arsenal of 125,000
kilos of tomatoes at your disposal, and you have two hours. Simple!
But if you want to do more than wage war with tomatoes, why not
pick up some Spanish at our excellent new school in the buzzing
nearby city of Valencia...
1 week General
Spanish Course (20+5) in Valencia = £199
More Info: Please email
Sarah or see
our website >>
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Olympic Games, Athens: 13th-29th August
In just a couple of weeks the Olympic Games returns to its birthplace,
Athens. With over 10,000 athletes from some 200 nations competing
in more than 300 different competitions, this promises to be an
exciting and historic event. Not only could you be here, you can
also take some classes in Greek language, stay in excellent local
accommodation, and add some dancing classes while you're at it!
Let us arrange your stay in Athens or Chania (Crete)...
1 week Individual
Greek Course = £449
2 week General
Greek Course = £409
More Info: For details of all programmes in Greece email
Laura or see
our website >>
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Carnival, Havana: 15th July-15th August
Carnival in Cuba is a time when everyone forgets about the difficulties
of daily life and celebrates like there's no tomorrow! You can expect
music, dancing, processions, fireworks, bright costumes, rum, more
rum, and above all lots of fun. At the Havana
Carnival, the Malecón is the perfect view-point for the
many parades and processions. And if this gets you in the mood,
why not head down to Santiago de Cuba at the end of July for their
week-long street party known as the Fiesta
del Fuego. Oh, and did we mention you could also learn Spanish,
salsa and music in between all the festivities..?
1 week Individual
Spanish Course in Havana = £159
More Info: For details of all programmes in Cuba email
Sarah or see
our website >>
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Global City 2004, Berlin: 13th-15th August
For 3 days in August Berlins' famous shopping mile, the Kurfürstendamm,
is closed off for a huge and explosive street party. Accommodating
up to 3 million visitors, the Global
City party dates back to 1988 and today offers 10 stages of
music of every description, with hundreds of stands of food and
other items. So you can tell everyone you're going to Berlin to
learn German...but we'll know you're really there for one of Europe's
best summer parties...
2 week General
German Course in Berlin = £309
More Info: For details of all programmes email
Laura or see
our website >>
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Pyromelodic Festival, Antibes/Juan-les-Pins: 8th, 15th, 22nd August
France's Côte d'Azur is a hot place to be this month, and
its long sandy beaches, gorgeous weather, chic bars and culture
are only half the story. On Sundays throughout August the sun-kissed
town of Antibes-Juan les Pins is treated to a fantastic fireworks
display set dramatically to music, exploding over the bay of Siesta
Beach but visible from restaurants and beaches all around. You'll
certainly hear ooh la la...and the rest you can perfect in class
the next day.
2 week General
French Course in Antibes = £339
More Info: For details of all programmes email
Laura or see
our website >>
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Nova Thomas: 1 Week Intensive Spanish Course in Guanajuato, July
04
"We have had an excellent week in Guanajuato and the course
has been great. All the teachers have been wonderful: they are very
positive and enthusiastic, the lessons have been really interesting,
and we have learnt a lot. We would definitely recommend this school
to anyone, and hope maybe to return one day ourselves. Our host
family was also great; very welcoming and accommodating. And the
town itself is an excellent location to learn Spanish! Kindest regards,
Nova."
To find out more about Nova's Spanish
Course in Guanajuato>>
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Vivian McCaffrey: 2 week General
& Juniors French Courses in Montpellier, July 04
"I booked the Montpellier program because it could accommodate
both my husband and myself and our two daughters, aged 15
and 12. My husband and I both thoroughly enjoyed our two weeks
of classes in Montpellier. Our instructors were very good,
and the location of the school was great. Our daughters also
enjoyed the experience and during the second week the teacher
introduced a lot of fun activities that heightened their enjoyment
and engagement.
Montpellier is a great location. The town is interesting
and well located for touring the region. We visited Avignon,
Arles, Pont du Gard, Uzes, Aigues-Mortes and Sete while we
were there. The close proximity to wonderful beaches was also
a great feature for our daughters.
We stayed in a one-bedroom apartment in the Les Consuls du
Mer. The apartment was a bit tight for four people, but well-located
and well-equipped. It was a bonus to have the roof-top pool!
The staff at the reception were always very helpful. There
is a laundry next door. The tramway stopped right at the door,
which was a great advantage for getting to class in the morning.
Grocery shopping was the only thing that wasn't terribly convenient
- one has to drive a long distance to huge supermarchés
or stop in town. We avoided the supermarchés and used
the tramway to shop in the smaller stores.
All in all the French classes were very rewarding, and we
would have liked to have stayed longer to really make substantive
progress. Thanks, Vivian."
To find out more about Vivian's French
Course in Montpellier >>
...and her childrens' French
Junior Programme >>
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Rolf Veling: 2 Week Mini-Group Super-Intensive
Spanish Course in Seville, June 2004
"The school was located in a small side street in the
centre, in a stylish old building with the interior redesigned
as a modern office. The staff throughout were welcoming, courteous,
helpful and very professional. I stayed with a host family
in the Triana district, which has many modern apartment blocks
of working class/middle income locals. I very much enjoyed
frequenting the numerous tapas bars there, mixing with the
locals and making friends. They enjoyed having 'El Ingles'
with them as we were watching Euro 2004 on the telly!
I can't claim that I now can get by in Spanish as a tourist,
but I am determined to dedicate an hour a day at home now
to the theory/excersise books, my written notes, CDs of songs
I bought and various magazines, to get more acquainted with
the spoken word. I am certain I'll get there in the end! Finally,
I found your booking staff pleasant, helpful and efficient
- just as I found staff at the school very nice. Rolf."
To find out more about Rolf's Spanish
Course in Seville >>
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Julie Screech: 8 week Volunteer
Programme in Cusco + 8 week Volunteer Programme in Antigua
"The school in Peru was great and the teachers were wonderful
- all very patient and knowledgeable, and very professional
as well as friendly and affable. Personally I preferred the
atmosphere at the school in Guatemala, and the school gives
the impression of really looking after the welfare of students
there. Excellent activities and social events were run either
free or at very reasonable prices.
Begging is a real issue in Peru, and being prepared and taking
materials with you is a good idea. I would suggest not going
in the rainy season like I did, because it can restrict your
ability to get out and explore the rest of Peru. Antigua has
a fabulous location and I would definitely recommend getting
out to see Tikal, Honduras, Pacaya, Rio Dulce and Livingston.
On the volunteer front, in Cusco I most enjoyed seeing the
things I was able to achieve with the kids in the project,
and in Guatemala it would be the plans I was able to implement
to help with future fundraising, and the ability to travel
across the whole country really easily from Antigua."
To find out more about Julie's Volunteer
Programmes >>
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Are you looking for a holiday home, or planning a move? Have you
had enough of the hustle and bustle of city life, and are aching
for a home by the sea in the UK, or even a place abroad? If the
answer is ‘yes’ - then A Place in the Sun want to hear
from you! Freeform Productions, producers of the Channel 4 programme,
are looking for people to appear in two new series being filmed
over the summer '04: 'A Place in the Sun, Home or Away',
for people who are torn between buying a house in the UK or abroad
in Europe, especially Italy, and 'A Place by the Sea', for
folk who are seeking a second home or are relocating to the UK’s
coast.
If this sounds like you, and you’re looking to buy a place
in the next few months, please call Kirsty on 020 7749 1949, or
email kirstyf@fftv.co.uk.
And of course if you want to learn the lingo find out about our
Italian
courses in Italy >>
A Dictionary of Slang - A large selection of English slang and informal expressions currently in use in Britain, updated regularly.
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This newsletter is for you. If there is anything you would
like to see covered in this newsletter, please e-mail
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©
2004 Cactus Language
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