ELBA ISLAND
Elba, the pearl of the Tuscan Archipelago, the island without frontiers: the sea, the beaches, the green of the countryside, the small fortress towns, archaeological treasures, chestnut woods and more, has existed for what seems like an eternity. Elba is the largest among the Tuscan islands and the third largest island in Italy after Sicily and Sardinia. It is 10 km far from the mainland and it has an area of 224 square kilometres. Its coast stretches for 147 km and its main roads cover totally 190 km. It has a population of about 30000 and it is divided into 8 municipalities. Elba is famous, of course, for Napoleon’s stay which altered its history (you can visit Napoleon’s San Martino a few minutes away from the school site at Biodola) but by no means summarizes it; throughout the island you find traces of successive civilizations, from the Etruscans to the Romans, the Saracens, the Pisans and the French.
Elba gives the sensation of so much in so little, as in the small spaces of the island we travel over tourist attractions and natural landscapes of such contrast; areas dried out by sun and wind, others green with life, sandy or pebble stone beaches, rocky coastlines and cliffs. Elba has modern and well-equipped tourist facilities: museums, sport centers, diving centers, a golf club, amusement parks for children and adults, as well as sailing schools. The Hotel del Golfo has its own private facilities, all accessible to the LASER participants.
SOCIAL ACTIVITIES
Sea, sun, and software
Software Engineering is our topic number one but we do not forget that one has to relax in order to learn efficiently. The hotel’s private beach and Elba’s other beautiful beaches are available to all the participants at no additional cost. We have also booked sunny weather for the whole duration of the school.
Excursion
An island tour by bus (with stops for sightseeing and shopping) will be organized on the last day.
Welcome party, conference dinner etc.
We strongly encourage the participants to discuss their research with other people and exchange ideas. The school provides many opportunities for interaction with the speakers and between the participants. Among them are the lecture-free afternoon followed by the conference dinner, free time in early afternoons every day, dinners taken together every evening at the hotel’s restaurant, the final boat trip, and countless other occasions to start interesting collaborations.
TRAVELING TO ELBA
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By air
The Marina di Campo Airport offers direct links to a small number of Italian and European cities: Bergamo, Berne, Frankfurt, Friedrichshafen, Milano (Orio al Serio), Munich, Vienna, and Zürich. For most travellers, flying to the Pisa Airport is more convenient. Many traditional and low-cost airlines fly to Pisa. Note that the school will provide transfer from/to Pisa (see details below). A taxi from Marina di Campo Airport to Hotel del Golfo costs about 25 EUR.
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By train and ferry
The main ferry terminal in Elba is Portoferraio. The nearest ferry terminal on the mainland is located in Piombino. Piombino is located 70 km south of Pisa and can be reached by train (from Pisa Centrale, it takes 1.5 hours and costs about 10 EUR). The ferry terminal in Piombino is right next to the train station. From Piombino, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to get to Elba. For ferry schedules see Moby or Toremar websites. The ferry costs about 20 EUR. A taxi from Portoferraio to Hotel del Golfo costs about 35-40 EUR.
TRANSFER PISA -> ELBA -> PISA
We will organise a transfer from Pisa to Hotel del Golfo and back to Pisa. The cost is EUR 100. This is an extra, not included in the registration and accommodation costs.
Schedule:
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Saturday 1 June 2019
13:45 Meeting point is “Bar Famoso”, located on the ground floor, arrivals area of the Pisa International Airport. We will take a shuttle train called “Pisa Mover” for one stop and get off at the exchange parking called “San Giusto/Aurelia”, where the bus will wait for us.
14:00 Departure from the exchange parking called “San Giusto/Aurelia” close to Pisa airport (bus)
16:30 Departure from Piombino Marittima (ferry)
18:30 Arrival at Hotel del Golfo (bus)
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Sunday 9 June 2019
07:00 Departure from Hotel del Golfo (bus)
08:30 Departure from Portoferraio (ferry)
11:30 Arrival in Pisa (bus)