Paris — Bastille Day

Paris — Bastille Day
Last night we ascended the Tour Eiffel around twilight, so 9.30 or thereabouts, and climbed the stairs to the second level. By the time we got there it was dark, and the fireworks started — all around the perimeter of Paris, like compass-points, were a dozen or so fireworks displays all going at once. They went on and on for what felt like an hour, and finally blew themselves out in a blaze of light and thunder. It was magical.
This morning we watched the Bastille Day Parade on the Champs-Élysées, which was a fairly impressive display of fighter planes and tanks, but the freshness of the wind made everyone very cold.
We are just setting out now for Chartres Cathedral, and I will be asleep, I think, in about 4 minutes!
After seeing the Cathedral, we'll return to Paris in time for the Opera Concert, which culminates in a fantastic fireworks display from the Eiffel Tower. Can't help but love Paris; almost all the boys are thinking of moving here....

Hope you are all well,
Warren B


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Ali Charlesworth - Southern France

Ali Charlesworth - Southern France

Our last day in southern France left us all on a high. After waking up to the gloomiest day of the trip so far, and greeted with a chilly 24 degrees, we headed for our routinely supermarket breakfast when it started raining. Most of us were quite surprised to see this, considering most days were in the thirties and today called for a coat to keep us warm. We hopped in our designated vans of Big Cheese, Golden Eagle and Hairy Mouse, using our walkie talkies to give last minute directions to one another.

After touring the remains of the Orange Theatre, the weather was still looking gloomy. Nevertheless, we decided to make our second trip to our Pont du Gard. Before revisiting our favourite swimming spot, we made one last stop and had lunch around the Triumphal Arch, a baby version of the Arch de Triumph. From there we filled up on food and made our way to the Pont du Gard.

With clouds still over headed, we pulled into the seemingly empty car park, and were even more delighted when we saw barely anyone swimming, meaning we had the entirety of the river and jumping rocks to ourselves. We spent the following four hours diving into the refreshing water and attempted to catch frisbees mid flight.

We cruised back to Hotel "Premiere Class" where we endured our final night before Paris, with excitement running through us.

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Roma — Jack and Theo

Dear diary, Rome is awesome! On the third day in Rome we started the day bright and early, got breakfast from the supermarket at the train station - just as usual - and experienced rush hour traffic which was fun pushing and forcing our way through crowds. We lined up up for three hours for the Vatican in 38 degree weather. Once we got in it was truly amazing. Some of the groups favourites include the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms and Michelangelo's works. Patrick, Luke and Jack got themselves very lost at one point but eventually found there way back to the group. After the Vatican we went to St. Peter's basilica which was crazy busy and has to be one of the top churches in Rome. After looking through there in awe for an hour we were given four and a half hours free time to ourselves. We (Jack Patrick Theo Ben Luke) ate at an average metro cafe then went and caught a train and spent some time walking around Rome ourselves before making our way to the hostel by 9:30
- ready for the night walk. On the walk we visited the Trevi fountain which was really beautiful and relaxing, where many boys got themselves some delish gelato. We then made our way to the Spanish steps, and had lots of interesting interactions with the people there. Teachers are cool!!
Budge and Lotu-I'iga.

Matt Wright — Ostia Antica

The sun blisters on my skin, slowly burning; but wait, is it blocked by my spf 50 sunscreen, not today skin cancer. The ancient ruins, burnt and eroded down to just brick and rubble, with slight hints of what stood strong and tall 2000 years ago. As we wander round these archaic grounds, the brick appears tired and beaten down, relying on the shade from the surrounding new growth of trees to draw out their inevitable total destruction from the sun and weather. With new additions to the site, including current restorations and new museums of delight; it becomes a little more amusing to those not too interested in what seems like some randomly placed stones and brick. But to those who know the history, we can only imagine the original glory and impression of this story. (Matthew Wright)

Ben Peltola in Greece

Whilst in Athens, the temple complex on the top of the Acropolis was a source of continual interest for me, in particular the Parthenon was an especially fascinating monument to behold from various vantage points around Rome. After studying the geometric considerations and engineering techniques used to make the Parthenon as much of a beacon of Athenian power and prosperity as possible and to counter optical and atmospheric phenomena in order to perfect the aesthetic beauty of the building from afar. After first seeing the Parthenon at a distance from a hill, then visiting it directly, I gained an appreciation for the fact that although the Greeks
The following is a reflection on the Parthenon in sonnet form, there are some slight deviations from traditional form, namely stanza lengths and departures from meter.

Parthenon

Blessed by Athena, ruled by Theseus,
Protected from Persia by Pericles,
Once the citadel of the Delian League
And filled with reminders of what once was,
Within this city remains a building,
Chiseled from marble, fortified and bombed,
Embattled, reduced to rubble, rebuilt.
Sacred to local Peloponnesians,
To Romans, Byzantines and Ottomans,
Having housed many gods it still stands,
Restoration continues, a labour of pride,
Intent on redeeming former glory.
How blessed we are to have places like these
And to behold this gem of the Peloponnese.

Roma Lewis Creed

After the first, late, long day/night in Rome which was great, seeing all the main stuff for the first time (Colosseum, Trajan's Column, Imperial forums), it was much better on the second day to see the sights with a good nights sleep. We started just past 8 AM and went off to the supermarket to grab breakfast and lunch. I, like most of the group, got yogurt and pizza again which was cheap but comes in large cups which are tricky to drink. We started with two some churches which were incredibly ornate, the amount of gold, marble and other precious materials in those ceilings and walls. I have to be honest here, having toured about 12 churches and seen countless others today their names begin to blend together a bit but are by no means unmemorable. The one with the ceiling painting and baroque sculpture that seems to fall down towards the viewer was excellent and impressive. The one with statues of the saints holding how they were martyred, like St. Bartholomew who held his peeled skin drooping in his hands, which were breathtaking. And of course The Pantheon, or Saint Mary and the Martyrs (I remember that one as I had a speech on it!) with its massive concrete dome and beam of light pouring down from the Oculus (which was the best church I saw today). Actually, just as I started my speech this "busker" with a violin randomly started playing right next to me. He shortly went away but about an hour later he came back during our lunch break and handed Mr. Buckingham the violin and he managed a barely passable version of 'Mary had a little lamb'; the man went away only after Mr. Poward sacrificed some coins for the good of the group. We also saw some other cool stuff like the fountain of the four main rivers and the Ara Pacis Augustae. We also had our first true metro experience on the trip with incredibly crowded carriages which you can barely fit into. Luckily we all made it out in one piece. We were running a bit late by the end and we had to hurry onto a hot bus for an hour ride to Tivoli in order to have a look around Hadrian's palace (or what's left of it). We made it with two minutes to spare and we looked about the ruins, imagining what was, with its extensive baths and subterranean passages for his slaves to keep the 1km2 complex running (as he didn't want to see them). We got back at 9pm and we split up for dinner, I grabbed yet more pizza (Cheese and Tuna). Tomorrow we are going to the Vatican. Overall it was another great day (even if my feet and my legs would disagree!)

(P.S. My foot is fine now, in case you were worrying Mum)

Creed

Ciao from Italy

Ciao tutti,

We're currently about to embark upon our second day in Rome, on fairly sweltering temperatures of 37-38 degrees, which is rather pleasant. I shan't even mention the temperatures back home....
The boys are coping well, and bar the odd blood nose from air con and a bit of diarrhea, everyone is in pretty good health.
Athens went very well, and the boys showed good interest in the sites. Highlights were the Acropolis and Mycenae, and buying trinkets in the Flea Market.
Unfortunately our ferry out of Patras was late by a whopping 8 hours, which has upset our programme a little. We had the option of staying on board for an extra night, but disembarkation was around 2 am Greek time, or 1 am Italian time, in Ancona, sonI thought it better to stick to the original plan, get lots of sleep on the ferry, and then take the horrid 3.50 am train to Rome. The journey was fought, but the sights of picturesque hillside towns like Trevi and fields full of bright yellow sunflowers along the way were wonderful.
The group was pretty tired when we got in at 7.47 am, but we headed out for a full day nevertheless.
After seeing the wonders of Santa Maria Maggiore, the Roman fora, and the Capitoline Museum, we ended with the Circus Maximus before calling it a day. I abandoned getting out to Hadrian's Villa and the night trip as the boys were shattered, so instead we explored places for dinner, and then went to a large ice cream emporium that I remembered and sang happy birthday to Luke while licking gelato. Not gonna lie, the mango was a taste sensation!!
We'll head back out to more churches today, and see some great art and sculpture, and we should be able to squeeze in Hadrian's Villa and perhaps a cheeky night walk to the Trevi Fountain and Spanish Steps, but we'll see how we go.
The boys tell me constantly how much they are missing you, and how dearly they would like to write, but time and fatigue are enormous barriers for them to overcome. I'm sure you understand all too well....
Hopefully more updates soon.

Hope everyone is warm and well,
Warren B