It seems like an age ago – probably because everyone is now immersed in the work of revision – but just four weeks back, 19 sixth formers and three teachers visited the gloriously beautiful island of Sicily, and surely if they close their eyes they can recall it all: temples, theatres, cafes, guides, beaches, bars, basalt (there is a lot of that; Sicily is made of basalt. We were told so many times...) We visited a range of sites, including some which UNESCO deigned to be World Heritage Sites. From temples (be it standing, or destroyed by the Carthaginians) to theatres set in the picturesque mountains of Selinunte and Taormina. At Selinunte, the ‘valley of the temples’ presented us with example after example of extraordinary precision and refinement in building. Piazza Armerina proved as amazing as the guides said it would be, with room upon room of the most colourful and exotic mosaics. Social life apart, the six days spent in Sicily were packed with visits to a wide range of Greek and Roman sites of extraordinary richness, and most of the party filled their iPhones with pictures! Even the weather was kind, starting dull but ending with a taste of summer (by British standards anyway). Read more
By Christopher Grocock, Head of Classics
