Volcanoes at close quarters

Geography and Classics Field Trip to Sorrento

Twenty-six teachers and sixth-form pupils spent the second week of half-term in the Bay of Naples, Italy. The weather was hot and sunny. The group stayed in the pretty Marina Grande of Sorrento: a lovely little fishing port surrounded by high cliffs. The standard of accommodation was exceptionally high and they enjoyed some superb meals.

The tour started in Solfatara, the most active zone of the Phlegrean Fields, an area littered with bubbling volcanic mud puddles and gushing fumaroles. The guide was keen to stress the health benefits of the mud and sulphurous air and even tried to encourage the party to taste some of the more lurid yellow rocks: they politely declined.

A memorable morning was spent in Pompeii, the Roman town which was buried in ash and pumice by the AD79 eruption of Vesuvius. For the Classicists this was a chance to see the ruined villas, shops and streets described in their Latin textbooks. The geographers marvelled at the sights and also at the proximity of the volcano. The visit to Pompeii was followed by a climb to the summit of Vesuvius; the sight of Naples and other towns in the shadow of the volcano prompted discussion of risk and hazard management.

The pupils had the opportunity to explore Sorrento, Herculaneum and Naples and to travel on the Circumvesuviana railway (while being serenaded by a travelling band). For many, the highlight of the tour was the day spent on Capri, a fashionable island a 40-minute hydrofoil ride from Sorrento. After soaking up the atmosphere in the town’s main square and trying to spot the rich and famous as they visited designer shops, they walked to the island’s south shore. Their walk took them to a wonderful natural arch, some sea stacks and a nympharium in a cave. Round every corner was another wonderful view, often framed by a lemon tree or cactus.

It was a memorable and happy trip. The pupils were lucky to have two experts, Mr Davidson and Mr Keyes, on hand to explain and interpret the sights, and it was good to have the support and help of Mr Corke and Miss Trica in assisting its smooth running.