To Sorrento and Back Again
After much anticipation, the biennial Geography trip left Cornwall for Italy via Gatwick in the last week of the July term 2018.
All members of our party, 4 staff and 35 students, endured overnight travel and a train journey to arrive at
the beautiful but very hot town of Sorrento. We were immediately immersed in the vibrancy and noises of Italian culture whilst acclimatising to the Mediterranean climate.
Our first full day saw us conquering the crater of the volcano Vesuvius, with a steep climb in very hot conditions following our Volcanologist guide, Roberto. We were rewarded by a fantastic view of Naples below, a better understanding of the volcanic activity in the region and a scramble down the back of the volcano through the ash field. We ate lunch overlooking the ruins of Herculaneum before a guided tour of this Roman town buried in volcanic mud in the AD79 eruption that also buried Pompeii in volcanic ash.
“We were immediately immersed in the vibrancy and noises of Italian culture.”
One of the most scenic drives in the world along the Amalfi coast took us past Positano to Amalfi itself. In the Italian summer heat we sketched the coastal defences and hypothesised how they worked, linking this back to GCSE and A-level questions. We then explored the town, had lunch, and finally went for a bathe in the Mediterranean Sea to cool off. That night the whole group took part in an excellent quiz where prizes were won.
Our last full day in Italy, which was also the 15th birthday of one of our students saw us travel to Pompeii. We had a very knowledgeable, funny guide who showed us around and explained how life was before, during and after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
In traditional CSIA style a gladiator battle ensued at the end of the tour and the birthday boy was victorious. We were then dropped in Sorrento, were we walked through a lemon grove before doing some late shopping. After our final swim and our evening meal we had our evening presentations which were very funny and poignant.
After five days of exploring, we headed back to the UK. The hotel staff, hotel food and pool were fantastic. The CSIA staff and students thoroughly enjoyed the five days and cannot wait to return to the Bay of Naples, Italy.
