We first visited the island of Capri, where we had a guided walk that explored the beautiful scenery whilst teaching us about the island’s history. This was followed by a boat tour that circled the island which was equally exciting (and a good chance to rest our legs after lots of island exploring).  

The highlight of the trip for many was the next day where we visited Pompeii and found the ‘famous’ house of Caecilius (famous to us as he is a key character in our Latin course). There was so much to see and learn about in Pompeii and we were lucky to have a very enthusiastic guide who managed to keep up a fast pace (our legs felt it again, but it was worth it!). That evening we visited a local family run taverna where we were taught all about making the perfect pizza. We then got to make, and importantly eat, our own delicious dinner. The taverna was based in a lemon grove where we were able to taste the sweetest lemons, all whilst taking in the breathtaking views of the Gulf of Naples. It was an evening of wonderful memories and a perfect end to the day. 

The next day we visited Herculaneum which was interesting as it allowed us to compare the difference in destruction between this town and Pompei due to their position in relation to Vesuvius. We then headed to Mount Vesuvius, with a coach taking us most of the way leaving us the last part to walk to the top.  At the summit the views were incredible, stretching all around and it was fascinating being able to see into the volcano that caused such devastation long ago in 79 AD. On our way back down the volcano we were caught in a hailstorm which was unexpected but funny (afterwards!). 

We weren’t finished there though as on the last day we had a day jam-packed with activity. We started by visiting the Flavian amphitheatre at Pozzuoli where we entered the hypogeum (the network of tunnels and cages underneath the arena). We then visited Cumae to see the ruins of a temple, beautiful views and a cave linked to Roman beliefs. Finally, we visited Naples Archaeological Museum and completed a treasure hunt the teachers had kindly put together in order for us to see the various frescos, busts and other artefacts that we will learn about for the culture section of our GCSE.  

Overall, the trip was an incredible experience which has allowed us some wonderful insights into our Latin studies whilst also having a great deal of fun.   

Jessica, Year 10