Pizza, Pompeii and mud pools on Geography trip to Italy

QE’s young geographers enjoyed a successful trip to Italy – with highlights that ranged from eating pizza to seeing the ruins of Pompeii.

The half-term visit for Years 7-9 began with a day spent at three attractions all connected with volcanic activity. As well as seeing the casts of dead bodies in Pompeii, the boys walked to the rim of Mount Vesuvius – the only active volcano in mainland Europe – and experienced the sulphurous steam jets, bubbling mud pools and crystallised rock formations at Solfatara, thought by the ancient Romans to be the gateway to the Underworld.

On the following day, the party took in a visit to the island of Capri, including a boat trip to see the coastline formations, a walking tour to the Gardens of Augustus and a funicular railway ride.

The final full day in Italy began with a coach trip along the Amalfi Coast, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with the later morning spent enjoying the mediaeval architecture of Amalfi. The afternoon had a food theme, beginning with a visit to the Vannulo Buffalo Mozzarella Farm and then to Olive & Lemon Farm & Mill, where the day ended with a complimentary pizza and soft drink.

Trip organiser and Geography teacher Geraldine Booth said: “We packed a great deal into the trip and the boys had a thoroughly enjoyable time, while also deepening their subject knowledge through visits to some truly spectacular geographical and geological features.”