St Paul's in Italy - October Remedy 2007

For the third year running the Italian department at St Paul's offered two different trips to Italy for its 6th form. One group headed to Bologna, whilst another headed to the coastal town of Alghero in Sardinia.

The Bologna trip, which was accompanied by Miss Garner and Mr Maudsley, is a more traditional exchange.  The Liceo Copernico played host to 15 Paulines, who in return will welcome their Italian 'corrispondenti' to London in the new year. Over the course of their stay, the group took in the sights of Venice and Florence in addition to Bologna - a whirlwind tour of some of the best Italy has to offer!

Attractions included the Basilica di Santo Stefano and a visit to the Ducati factory in Bologna, St Mark's and its pigeon population in Venice, and the Uffizi and the Ponte Vecchio in Florence. However the real highpoint came towards the end of the week, with the 3.5 kilometre hill-climb under the porticoes outside Bologna up to the Basilica of San Luca - and the accompanying discovery of Billy's Bar. For those who haven't had the pleasure, Billy's Bar is a labyrinthine treasure-chest of culinary delights, filled with piles of sparkling sweets, stacks of chocolates, display cabinets heaving with Italian cakes and pastries, and the aroma of decades of espresso-making wafting pleasantly around it all. Billy himself was generosity incarnate, showering us with freebies and making us promise to return the following year - a promise that will certainly be a pleasure to fulfil.

The Sardinia trip, accompanied by Mr Wood and Mr Williams, is a homestay / study trip. Italian families, all with children of a similar age, hosted twelve Paulines. The trip provided an excellent opportunity for some intensive language practice, with 4 hours of small group Italian tuition every morning at the Pintadera language school. The afternoons were taken up with more leisurely activities as the group got to experience some of the sights that Alghero has to offer, including the spectacular Grotte di Nettuno, the idyllic Bombarde beach, and further inland the regional capital Sassari.

However, the abiding memory for the boys was the hospitality of their Italian hosts. Everyone came away feeling thoroughly spoilt and extremely well fed. The success of a trip like this depends on the willingness of the group to throw themselves into life in Italy and they did this in all respects.