Erin Brown | Editor-in-Chief
This year’s S6 had an incredible time on their whistle-stop tour of Rome, spanning from the 13th to the 17th of September. The staff and pupils hit the ground running with a trip to the Coliseum on their arrival, after arriving at the school for 3am that same morning. With the opportunity to take many photographs of the historic amphitheatre in the slightly damp weather before the coach travelled around Rome on a panoramic tour of the city.
The second day was an early rise followed by a morning tour of the Scavi, a historical archaeological site on top of which St Peter’s Basilica was built and where the grave of St Peter is thought to lie. Then in the afternoon, the group visited St Peter’s Basilica and Dome which was only reached by taking an elevator and then climbing the remaining 321 steps (from a total of 551) through narrow, slanted and steep stairways. But the amazing view over all of Rome was worth the tiring climb. On returning to the hotel, Mr Allan hit out with several well-known classic songs and even some more recent ones on his guitar, with an abundance of laughter and crowd participation.
On day three, the group visited the small village of Castel Gandolfo above the picturesque Lake Albano. With the sun aglow and several ice cream parlours on hand, the morning was well enjoyed. After lunch, the coach took the group to the Castel de Paulis Agriturismo Estate, where a guided tour of the vineyard was given with a chance to sample some of the wine for “educational purposes” as the teachers attending put it. The evening was then spent in Frascati where there was time for souvenir shopping before having dinner in a traditional Italian restaurant, complete with opera singers accompanied by a local accordion player.
And on day four, the last full day spent in Rome, the group left the hotel at 6:30 in the morning for a Papal Audience with Pope Francis, everyone had a great view and the weather on their side. That afternoon there was a walking tour in the heart of Rome which was led by group leaders. The stunning Piazza Navona, the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish steps were all visited with some time to spend on last minute shopping, before the last supper in a local pizzeria. When back at the hotel, there was a late night dip in the pool before a final sing-song.
With a 12:00 flight the next day, the group arrived home safely at 14:15, bleary-eyed and wondering how the week had flown in so fast.
Overall, the trip was a great success with everyone returning with terrific stories and memories that will last a lifetime.
A massive thanks to all members of staff who made the trip possible and made it so much fun for all the students there.
