Tipperary students enjoy a wonderful trip to Italy

Written by Kate Buckeridge, TY student

This year, us TY’s went to Italy for our trip aboard. It was an amazing experience, and we all enjoyed it.

The first day was very busy. Getting the bus from the school at midnight and getting on the plane at 8 in the morning! We then headed into Rome for about 12. It was absolutely gorgeous. The city was full of old buildings and ruins, which gave it a great atmosphere.

Our tour guide told us about everything as we toured around the city. We saw the colosseum, the Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps, and much more.

Soon we were back on the bus, heading for Sorrento, a beautiful coastal town hidden in the cliffs of southern Italy. The small, twisty roads were full of scooters and small cars that didn’t seem to slow down for anyone. Sorrento had so many lovely hotels, and the Hotel Villa Maria (the hotel we stayed at) was no different.

When we got to our rooms after dinner, we were all so tired we collapsed into our beds.

Waking up early on the second day, we all enjoyed a hotel breakfast with both savoury and sweet options. Fresh fruit and pastries with lots of different jams and spreads filled us up as we headed for our Italian tastings.

The day was chock a block with Espressos, fresh honey and marmalade, mozzarella, olive oil, as well as gelato. For dinner we had a pasta cooking class, where we learned how to make gnocchi. It was delicious!

On the third day, we headed for the Amalfi coast. The roads were even more twisty and thin. Looking out the window of the bus, and seeing there wasn’t a lot of space between you and the side of a cliff was a bit stomach churning, but the gorgeous view was worth it. We stopped in a town with a beautiful church covered in murals and mosaics, as well as a beach with crystal clear water.

The town had so many shops and restaurants, but the streets were quite steep. Heading back to Sorrento we had a bit of time to buy our lunch or do a bit of shopping and look around. For dinner at the cooking class, we made dough, dug into some pizza and a lot of garlic bread.

On the fourth and, unfortunately our last day, we all packed up our suitcases, said our goodbyes to our hotel and Sorrento, and got on a bus to mount Vesuvius. I was most excited for Pompeii, and I was not disappointed.

We saw the casts of the people who lived in Pompeii almost two thousand years ago, mansions belonging to the wealthy people of Pompeii, as well as an amphitheatre, the town square, bakeries and even the ruins of fast food restaurants! Pompeii was breath-taking, but so was the shop outside of the ancient city that sold hand carved jewellery made from sea shells. For lunch, we had a three course meal before getting onto our final bus and drove straight to the airport, getting home for Newport at 1am.

It was a trip filled to the brim with various activities and beautiful views. I think all of us TY’s would recommend a trip to Italy after. Thanks to all the teachers of St Mary’s for giving us such a great opportunity to explore a different part of the world in the middle of a school year!