Menu
Back to News ListPreviousNext

Year 10 Geography Trip to Sicily

During the half term holidays, 55 bleary-eyed Year 10 Geography students and six members of staff departed for the Italian island of Sicily to experience some of the wonders of the natural and ancient world. 

 

A feast was in store for them as they journeyed along the east coast to the village of Aci Trezza. The pretty village is home to the legend of the Cyclops and Faraglioni rocks which according to myth, were thrown by the beast in rage to seek revenge for Odysseus blinding him. Here the students enjoyed a range of local foods, such as arancini and gelato ice creams, before settling into their hotel on the seafront at Letojanni. 

 

The next day our students experienced almost all four seasons in one day as they journeyed 3,000 metres up the North West crater of Mount Etna, finding it to be covered in deep snow with thunder echoing around them. Alpine guides showed the students the 2001 lava flow and craters which they travelled up on large jeeps before spending the afternoon in glorious sunshine on the beach. With the sea being very calm it was perfect for some supervised swimming for some whilst others had the opportunity to play beach volleyball and collect stones. The next day, students visited the Alcantara gorge where they saw ancient lava flows and basaltic columns shaped by the meeting of tectonic plates and local rivers. It was interesting to discover that the island had once been home to dwarf elephants and hippos before it was separated from the mainland during the last ice age. The afternoon was spent journeying to the pretty hilltop town of Taormina, home to an amazing Greek and Roman Amphitheatre, which is still in use today. The final stops were some souvenir shopping and pizza making before the students headed back to base. It was a  fantastic adventure for everyone, with new friendships and great memories being made. 

 

Back to News ListPreviousNext

Categories

Category / All Articles

Archives