Over the Easter holidays twenty-three students from Great Baddow High School were excited to be going on a 4 day Geography trip to Italy to see the sights of Naples, Pompeii and Sorrento. 

Their adventure began at 2.15 am on the 5th April when the sleepy students embarked on the coach outside school which took them to Gatwick Airport. They finally arrived in Naples at around 9.30am and, despite the extreme lack of sleep, they went on an underground tour of the City. 

Naples was noisy and colourful but they also saw a lot of deprivation. 

Once underground, they descended into the dark and saw an area that had been found when a farmer dug a well. It was originally built in 79AD and had been covered by the Super volcano eruption of Vesuvius. It was an area where the slaves tended their wealthy owners and was fascinating. 

There was time for a little shopping  and the boys had a lot of fun haggling with the shop owners. 

The next morning they set off for Vesuvius and Pompeii. The views from the coach were impressive but they were all amused, but mainly horrified by how people drove. Yet there seems to be no road rage, it’s all expected and accepted in Italy! 

The guide for the ascent of Vesuvius was very knowledgeable and made sure the students all understood that the volcano is active and as it tends to erupt every 80 years, they are all watching and waiting. If it’s another super eruption like in 79 AD it would take 3 days to evacuate the 1 million people living there! 

The walk was tough but the views were worth every blister! 

The first sight at Pompeii was of the bodies that had been uncovered. Most of the students were shocked at how tiny and fragile they seemed. They got to walk where the Gladiators had fought for their lives against lions and men. To see how people lived 2000 years ago was almost unbelievable. 

The next day was an early start and then off to the Amalfi Coast. We did a little shopping in Portofino and our students were incredibly well behaved and polite. Then off to Salerno for lunch and a browse and then they hopped aboard a boat. The skies had cleared and they could see the most stunning views of coloured houses built into the hills and a coastline that took their breath away! 

On the last morning there was a trip to Sorrento, a lovely historic town and a chance for some lunch and a final browse before they caught the flight home. 

Our students were a real pleasure to be with. They were polite, friendly and very funny! We were very proud to accompany them. 

Mrs S English - Communication Support Worker