CATANIA HOMESTAY > MARIAGRAZIA

TEACHING QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Degree in Political Sciences at the University of Sassari;
• Diploma in foreign languages (Deutsch, English, French) at the Gymnasium of Catania
• 2 years of professional experience as private teacher in Catania

I am educated to a degree level in foreign languages. Before I became a teacher, I worked in other business fields for some years in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Teaching foreign languages has always been my passion and now this dream has taken shape because I have been teaching Italian with great enthusiasm and success to German students as well as German to Italian students.

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS
In my spare time I love swimming, having long walks, cooking,
reading etc. I’m also interested in learning more and staying up-dated about environmental issues as well as visiting organic farms. I have the defence of the nature close to my heart.

EXCURSIONS AND LOCAL ATTRACTIONS
Catania is full of cultural sites, thanks to its rich history. From my apartment, located 10 minutes driving from Catania’s city centre, you can look out and enjoy, Mount Etna in the northern direction and the Ionian Sea in the southern direction. Next to the main entrance of the building there is a bus stop to go to the city centre or alternatively in less than five minutes walking distance, there are facilities such as a bakery, supermarkets, a couple of pastry shops, a butcher shop, a tobacconist, a pharmacy, a petrol station, a florist and a coffee shop.

ACCOMMODATION, FACILITIES AND LOCAL AREA
I have a cosy, bright, furnished apartment with air conditioning and Wi-Fi connection, on the fourth floor with lift. It consists of two bedrooms, one of which with a double bed, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a laundry room.
In each room, there are separate balconies with a partial sea view plus a small terrace next to the kitchen for outside lunch or dinner.

CATANIA
Catania, the second largest city in Sicily by population, spreads out over the plain between the Ionian Sea and the slopes of Etna. In 2002, its historic center and seven municipalities of the nearby Val di Noto were included on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. There are a numerous buildings and monuments dating from the Roman period such as the Thermal Baths, the Roman Theatre, the Amphitheatre and, in the Piazza del Duomo, the ‘liotru’ (the ancient symbol of Catania built on lava stone depicting an elephant with an Egyptian obelisk). The city also contains many Baroque buildings that were built in the eighteenth century following an earthquake that destroyed the city. Among them should be mentioned the Cathedral and the Abbey of St. Agatha, the Church of St. Benedict, the Palace of the Elephants . For those who love nature walks, it's very fascinating to spend a day in the beautiful Bellini Gardens or in the Boschetto Plaia.