Ostia - the final port of call

As I write we're stuck at Rome airport, waiting for our flight.

Having made the four hour coach drive back to the capital, we popped in to Ostia, the former port of ancient Rome.

Today it's an archeological treasure trove, that reminds us how cosmopolitan Rome was in the first century AD.

In amongst the expected buildings, such as public baths and a splendid theatre (where a music concert will be taking place tonight) there lie symbols of the other cultures that came under Roman rule. Here, one can find a synagogue and several temples dedicated to the Egyptian god Mithras.

We spent just over an hour there, before heading back to the airport. Everyone is well fed and a little fed up that we're having to hang around for our passage home.

I'll put some more photos up tomorrow, but until then, arrivederci!

Mr vS

PS Jamie has blagged possibly the largest number of designer bags (Gucci, Dior, Calvin Klein, Hermes, to name but a few) I have ever seen in the possession of a cheeky boy. A fantasic career in business looks likely.

Capri Sun, Lots of Fun!

There isn't much to say about our annual day trip to Capri, the millionaire's island, except that it's always awe inspiring and romantic, hideously expensive, and everybody loves it.

After days of walking round ancient sites, through bustling cities and up active volcanoes, it's a relief to relax, take in the stunning views, spend the last of the pocket money, and soak up a little Italian indulgence one last time.

The lack of a fast mobile broadband connection means I can only show you some of the stunning photos we took, but I will try to post some more on Saturday once I'm home, so that those of you who can't wait until all the pictures go up on Moodle can see what a brilliant day we had.

As our group this year was smaller, we booked a motor launch and cruised round the island. The views were breath taking and everybody returned to Sorrento feeling invigorated.

Tonight we held our traditional talent show, with Frannie and Sophie crowned joint winners, following some very impressive singing and dancing.

Tomorrow we are having a late start, before heading off to Rome. There is one last Classical adventure to be had - a visit to the former Roman port of Ostia, which we haven't visited before. It's a large site, 30 minutes from the airport, and is well preserved. The Romans were quite a cosmopolitan bunch and the remains here include temples to the Egyptian god Mithras and a synagogue. It should be good.

Depending on how the day goes this may be my last posting from Italy. In case it is can I take this opportunity to publically thank Ian Stewart for organising it and Laura Francis for venturing out on her first foreign foray with the Classics department. The kids have had a wonderful time and have learnt a lot, as much I suspect about each other as they have about the wonders of the ancient world.

I do hope you've enjoyed reading the posts and many thanks for all the comments. It's great to get feedback!

So, until the next time take care and arrivederci.

Mr vS

Vesuvius - Conquered. Herculaneum - Explored.

Another day, another cloudless blue sky.

We set off early for the hour long drive to Vesuvius. Having navigated some terrifying hairpin bends the driver deposited us about two thirds of the way up the volcano. From there we made our ascent to the summit, aided by pairs of wooden walking sticks, available for rent at the princely sum of 50 cents a set.

The quickest groups arrived at the crater's edge within 25 minutes, while those of us who prefer a more leisurely pace arrived some 30 minutes later, having stopped to admire the view.

As you can see from the photo, we were soon above cloud base, but with stunning views down into the fertile plain below, and the Bay of Naples, glistening in the distance.

After an hour or so pottering around and filling our lungs with the clean and cooling mountain air, we descended down and headed for a local cafe, where we ate our packed lunches, bought ice creams and well deserved icy cold drinks.

And then we were on our way again, heading this time for Herculaneum. The city was an upmarket Roman resort, and the houses here were covered in boiling mud and lava, rather than the ash that smothered Pompeii. Some of the houses here are stunning, with exquisite frescoes in a variety of rich and luxurious colours.

We returned home to the Villa Igea for cooling showers, before dinner and a local bus ride into Sorrento. What followed can be described only as a plague of locusts devouring the contents of the charming souvenir shops. Some of the boys returned carrying a very large number of bags for the girls, lured into doing so by the promise of 20 cents a bag. To date I don't think a single boy has been paid. I would like to think the boys were being chivalrous and won't pursue the issue of remuneration for services rendered. I rather suspect the girls have no intention of paying anyway.

And so on to our last full day - where has the time gone? We're off to relax on the island of Capri, where prices for coffee rival those of St Mark's Square in Venice and the prices in the designer shops require a second mortgage! It will be fun to see how far the students get haggling in the likes of Prada and Gucci.

In the afternoon we're planning a boat ride round the island. It should be blissful.

So, until the next time, arrivederci!

Mr vS

Pompeii

Pompeii is always one of the highlights of the trip. It's an arduous day but very rewarding for the students, seeing the topics studied in the Cambridge Latin Course brought to life.

We visited the amphitheatre, the Forum, the house of Caecilius, the House of the Fawn and the theatre, where we practised political speeches.

Next up - Vesuvius and Herculaneum!

First morning in Sorrento

So, the first thing to say is that the mobile broadband modem is struggling to find a signal. I'm online after 20 minutes of trying. Hopefully I'll be able to get a better connection when we're out and about.

We first stayed at the Villa Igea last year and it's a lovely hotel, occupying a commanding position overlooking the bay of Naples. We have some glorious views and I'll take a photo later to show you all. The picture accompanying this post is from yesterday in St Peter's Basilica. I skimmed through the photos Caroline took at the Vatican and they are fantastic. I'll aim to get a few of them online too, so you can see what we did. Incidentally, I'll put the hundreds of photos the students are taking onto the school system when we get back so you can view them all. The lack of a very high speed web connection makes it impractical to do so now.

The good news this morning, as we get ready to spend the day at Pompeii, is that the temperature has dropped. It's still hot, but the hideous humidity we encountered in Rome has vanished.

Anyway, I can hear the sound of small feet outside and the boys on the balcony next to mine are anxious to eat breakfast. I'd best be off.

With kind regards,

Mr vS

Ave Roma. Salve Sorrento.

It's been another boiling hot day,as we made our last foray into the centre of Rome.

This morning we set off early for the Vatican and after a 20 minute walk arrrived at the ramparts of the state within a state.

As those of you have been into St Peter's will know, it's an awe inspiring sight, and a number of students sat in quiet contemplation, surrounded by the magnificent statues, fresoces and the mighty cupola, that reaches up to the heavens. A few students asked if they could pray and were taken to one of the chapels, where they could find some solitude amongst the hubbub of the trip.

Mr Stewart took a lively group round to study some of the lesser known saints, including St Longinus, while everybody found the catacombs a sombre experience; especially the tomb of Pope John Paul II, where many pilgrims kneeled on the marble floor, deep in devotional prayer.

As I write we are on the bus making the long four-hour journey south to Sorrento. Carolione and Ben were on photogarpahic duties with my digital SLR and have produced some stunning photos; as did Carmen using my smaller digital camera. Hopefully the mobile broadband will work in Sorrento and I can post some of the 200 photos from this morning onto the blog.

All the best,

Mr vS

PS Frankie's dad - don't worry. We'll all be cheering for the Reds!! The atmosphere was warming up nicely as we left.

A hot day in an ancient city

Hello everybody.

Today has been action packed, very hot, and rather busy.

After a continental breakfast at the hotel we set off on the Metro for the Colosseum. For many of the students it was a breathtaking example of Rome's might, and her ability to astound with the sheer size of the architecture.

Ben F summed it up nicely when he said, in astonishment, 'It's amazing to think this was built 2000 years ago, it's still here today, and here I am now! That's real skill, isn't it Sir?' Absolutely. And once we were inside the arena the gripping views of this macabre temple to the basest of human emotions, framed against a cloudless blue sky, made for a sombre vista. It's reckoned over 500,000 people lost their lives inside the Colosseum and the sheer scale of the place brought most students to a stunned silence. We did make a video clip but the intense heat seems to have melted my little Flip camcorder! If I can revive it then I'll put the video online as soon as possible.

After the Colosseum we headed off to the Palatine and the Forum, but not before we were presented with community worship of a somewhat more contemporary kind. The European football cup final takes place in Rome tomorrow, between Manchester United and Barcelona. The city is filling with fans and we were able to see the magnificent cup on show. Although we're leaving Rome tomorrow lunchtime we're hoping to catch the match on TV at our new hotel in Sorrento. The charged atmosphere was a reminder of the heady emotions whipped up by the roar and pomp of the Colosseum in times gone past.

We moved through the Forum at a fair pace as the heat was rapidly becoming too much. Instead, we moved on the area around the Pantheon, the only surviving intact Roman temple. It's all the more remarkable because it's a perfect spherical shape, and that was achieved 2000 years ago without computers or precision tools. An opera singer was giving a recital when we arrived, and it provided a suitably dramatic atmosphere.

Lunch was taken at delightful restaurant, where the service approached the speed of a slumbering snail! However, since the Monaco grand prix was playing on the overhead TV most people seemed happy to take a break away from the heat.

Finally we walked up the Spanish steps, pausing for a group photo. By this time we were ready for a shower and a break, so we abandoned our plans to head on to the Piazza Navona and instead took the Metro home.

Dinner was filling - more pasta, a beef dish with croquette potatoes and salad, followed by ice cream.

To end the day we had an excellent quiz, compiled by Mr Stuart and Mrs Francis. It was a great event, with all the teams showing a rather determined competitive streak.

And so on to tomorrow morning, our last one in Rome. We're off to the Vatican first thing, to see St Paul's, then returning for lunch at the hotel, before the long drive south to Sorrento.

In Rome I've had excellent reception for the Mobile Broadband USB key I purchased in the UK. I'm hoping the same will be true in Sorrento but won't know for sure until we get there. So, don't panic if I fall silent for 24 hours. It will be because I can't get onto the 3 Italia network and will need to make the nightly dash to the town's only internet cafe (which is nowhere near the tourist areas).

We've all got through the first day with a better sense of what the Romans did and the reasons why. We've also practised our Latin on the Metro, much to the amusement of Italian passengers, and one or two people have realised that trendy shoes give you nasty blisters if you walk too far in them. Rest assured, all tootsies have been tended to and the wearing of 'sensible' shoes will be enforced tomorrow!

I've posted a small selection of photos in the post below, but I must publically thank Ben P and Tom, who have taken hundreds of stunning photos using my camera kit today. Once we're back I'll put them onto the school network so that you can see them all. There are some stunning shots in there. We hope you enjoy them.

Until the next posting, take care and arrivederci!

Mr vS