2017 Italy Trip
A group of Latin students here at NHS traveled to Italy this past April break. The trip consisted of four major stops in Sorrento, Rome, Florence and Venice, with shorter day-trips to Naples, Pompeii, Assisi and Verona.
Sorrento is in Southern Italy on the Amalfi coast, a more relaxed location in comparison to the three other cities in respect to the density of tourists. In Sorrento, students had the opportunity to go swimming in the Mediterranean Sea, shop at the local vendors down narrow streets, and enjoy some amazing gelato during their free time. The group saw the house of Caecilius, whom Latin students have studied for about two years, in the ruins of Pompeii and also hiked Mount Vesuvius.
The Norwell group then stopped in Rome, visiting famous ancient ruins such as the Baths of Caracalla and the Colosseum. In addition, the traveling students beheld historical monuments including the Vatican and the breathtaking Sistine Chapel. Students even got the chance to race in the Circus Maximus on Easter for the prize of a giant chocolate egg. Near the end of the trip, the Latin students attended gladiator school, in which they learned about the tactics and strategies of ancient Roman fighters and “trained” with these skills.
From Rome, students made the trip to Florence, stopping in Assisi, a quaint hill town with shops and small restaurants, along the way. Students enjoyed their free time in Florence as well, taking advantage of the leather vendors and restaurants in the city. The group also climbed to the top of the Duomo (all 463 steps) to reach an amazing view of the city at the top. On the last night in Florence, students attended a cooking class, making homemade pasta, sauce, meatloaf and orange sponge cake for dinner.
The final stop of the trip was Venice, following a visit to Verona, wherein the balcony of Romeo and Juliet resides. Although the group was only in Venice for one day, they partook in many activities including a visit to a glass-blowing factory and, of course, a gondola ride.
Overall, the trip was an amazing and unique experience for all the students who attended. Being in a foreign country with friends and seeing in person the locations they studied for years made the students more worldly as people and as travelers.
