Adam Clark
Yesterday our trip again proved why it holds such a large reputation at Grammar, as we arrived in Venice from Florence. Immediately the first question across my mind and I'm sure others was, was it just canals and really no roads? My question was answered as we left the train terminal and saw gondolas, boats and most water transport cruising the canals that ran throughout the beauty of Venice.
Mr Buckingham produced the first task of the day as he sat us down, to go find in groups of three the Rialto Bridge. It wasn't so much the time that Mr Buckingham said we would accomplish this task-45mins- but actually the mere fact he expected us to get lost. With this confidence of the master in charge under our belt, our groups progressed to the desired location. I found myself with Charlie Douglas, a man who outsmarted me in most ways, and Tommy Hayes, an orienteer and ranked in this sport as top 5 in NZ. Quite confidently I announced we would be alright.
As stated clearly above, I was right. We made it to the Rialto Bridge, under time and in one piece. As the rest of the groups wondered in, we were left taking in an amazing view of Venice. With a few snaps and a group photo we were all off again, this time our destination San Marco square. Though we were meant to travel in a group this time it came very quickly obvious that a small portion of us, thanks to Mr Poulsen's navigation were lost and it would stay this way for another 2 hours. Though not originally planned our new small group came together to find our way to San Marco and other attractions of Venice.
Eventually we found the rest of the group and we carried on seeing the sights and magnificence that Venice held. Our day concluded in Venice with a ferry/bus ride down the main canal and a bit of free time till we were off again on our next adventure. This time an overnight train to France.
We are currently in Beaucaire, a relaxed portion of the trip but definitely not lacking in good times. Our days consist of road trips to certain sights, with interesting car rides and music to a lot of free time in the afternoon. So far the trip has been amazing and I for one can not wait to experience what this last part of the trip holds for us.
Tuesday, April 21
Friday, April 17
Will Cole
Will Cole
Yesterday we unfortunately had to leave Florence and headed to Venice which was just breathtaking. Venice and Florence were definitely 2 of the places I was looking forward to the most and they both lived up to expectation, Florence had absolutely stunning scenery and architecture, most of the building there are older than our country, and Venice had incredible buildings as well, but the best feature of Venice was the canals. The canals were unbelievable, it was like going into assassins creed. It was also amazing seeing all the gondolas and boats on the canals and that they are there main transport around the city.
We only stayed in Venice for about 6 hours but those hours have been some of the best on the trip so far. We first saw the Rialto bridge and San Marco square which were both incredible. The San Marco square was a massive uncovered area surrounded by large columns with shops around the outside and a magnificent church at one end so this was definitely one of the highlights of Venice.
We then went to see the Bridge of Sighs which was great and then took a ferry up the grand canal. The view from the ferry was absolutely stunning as you cold see all the large churches and domes on both sides of the shore so in summary Venice and Florence have probably been my two favourite places so far but Rome did amazing tourist sites.
We are in France on a train to Avignon at the moment. We are all knackered as the overnight train was not the best place to sleep as the rooms were seriously small but it's really exciting to be in France. So far the trip has been amazing so I'm looking forward to another incredible 2 weeks.
Yesterday we unfortunately had to leave Florence and headed to Venice which was just breathtaking. Venice and Florence were definitely 2 of the places I was looking forward to the most and they both lived up to expectation, Florence had absolutely stunning scenery and architecture, most of the building there are older than our country, and Venice had incredible buildings as well, but the best feature of Venice was the canals. The canals were unbelievable, it was like going into assassins creed. It was also amazing seeing all the gondolas and boats on the canals and that they are there main transport around the city.
We only stayed in Venice for about 6 hours but those hours have been some of the best on the trip so far. We first saw the Rialto bridge and San Marco square which were both incredible. The San Marco square was a massive uncovered area surrounded by large columns with shops around the outside and a magnificent church at one end so this was definitely one of the highlights of Venice.
We then went to see the Bridge of Sighs which was great and then took a ferry up the grand canal. The view from the ferry was absolutely stunning as you cold see all the large churches and domes on both sides of the shore so in summary Venice and Florence have probably been my two favourite places so far but Rome did amazing tourist sites.
We are in France on a train to Avignon at the moment. We are all knackered as the overnight train was not the best place to sleep as the rooms were seriously small but it's really exciting to be in France. So far the trip has been amazing so I'm looking forward to another incredible 2 weeks.
George Kirkwood
George Kirkwood
Yesterday the group visited the amazing city of Venice. Venice was definitely one of the places on the trip that I was looking forward to the most, and it didn't disappoint, with much of the day spent looking for buildings from Casino Royale and The Italian Job. The day started with Mr Buckingham sending us off in small groups to find the Rialto Bridge, which for my group was more difficult than we had imagined as Venice is the most confusing city I had ever been in. After many pictures had been taken at the Rialto Bridge, the group then left for San Marco square, or so we thought, in fact the rest of the group had gone to get some food from the supermarket, leaving eight of us lost in Venice, we even considered hiring our own gondola to cruise around but thought that Mr Buckingham may not have been impressed if he saw us on the canals after wondering where we had been for 2 hours.
We eventually found the rest of the group in time for a very long speech about the square from Stapleton, and preceded to enter the main Church of Venice, which was incredible, with over 4000 square metres of gold mosaic on the roof. After returning to the train station on a scenic ferry ride through the city, we met up with Mr Smith who had managed to get lost earlier in the day and hadn't seen us for several hours, we think he wasn't really lost and just wanted to explore the city all by himself. We had a couple of hours of free time in the afternoon to get dinner and found a steakhouse that did amazing burgers.
We left Venice in the evening on an overnight train with very cosy sleeping arrangements, and after being woken at 5:30 this morning to get off the train, I find myself being rather tired whilst writing this blog. I think all the boys are looking for a relaxing few days in Beaucaire after a busy week.
Yesterday the group visited the amazing city of Venice. Venice was definitely one of the places on the trip that I was looking forward to the most, and it didn't disappoint, with much of the day spent looking for buildings from Casino Royale and The Italian Job. The day started with Mr Buckingham sending us off in small groups to find the Rialto Bridge, which for my group was more difficult than we had imagined as Venice is the most confusing city I had ever been in. After many pictures had been taken at the Rialto Bridge, the group then left for San Marco square, or so we thought, in fact the rest of the group had gone to get some food from the supermarket, leaving eight of us lost in Venice, we even considered hiring our own gondola to cruise around but thought that Mr Buckingham may not have been impressed if he saw us on the canals after wondering where we had been for 2 hours.
We eventually found the rest of the group in time for a very long speech about the square from Stapleton, and preceded to enter the main Church of Venice, which was incredible, with over 4000 square metres of gold mosaic on the roof. After returning to the train station on a scenic ferry ride through the city, we met up with Mr Smith who had managed to get lost earlier in the day and hadn't seen us for several hours, we think he wasn't really lost and just wanted to explore the city all by himself. We had a couple of hours of free time in the afternoon to get dinner and found a steakhouse that did amazing burgers.
We left Venice in the evening on an overnight train with very cosy sleeping arrangements, and after being woken at 5:30 this morning to get off the train, I find myself being rather tired whilst writing this blog. I think all the boys are looking for a relaxing few days in Beaucaire after a busy week.
Charlie Hurring
Charlie Hurring
As we cruise along the Italian countryside on our way to Venice, I can reflect on the past few days in Florence. For me, Florence was definitely my favourite place of the trip to date, I loved the low key atmosphere of the streets and the natural beauty of the town, in contrast to the bustling streets of Athens and Rome.
For me the highlight of Florence was Pompeii. About an hour outside Florence, Pompeii is an ancient city that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79AD, and has since been excavated to provide a popular tourist destination. What I found so interesting about Pompeii was how untouched the town has been by modern society; you can see exactly how the locals used to live, which is something that is very hard to find around the world. We roamed around Pompeii for about two hours, and really got a glimpse into the daily life of the Pompeians.
This experience will leave a lasting impression on me as I was able to see just how different, and in most circumstances difficult, life was for most people centuries ago.
Another memorable experience has been a new game that the boys have developed. In the game, the boy giving the speech on the certain historical landmark has been given a word that they must say in their speech several times. For example, Tommy Hayes had to say 'peasant' seven times during his speech on the Duomo, providing outstanding laughs among the boys. Other attempts were very unsuccessful, eg Sam Bassett, who's attempt to incorporate the word 'pingers' three times into his speech caused nothing but awkwardness and cringing among spectators.
As we cruise along the Italian countryside on our way to Venice, I can reflect on the past few days in Florence. For me, Florence was definitely my favourite place of the trip to date, I loved the low key atmosphere of the streets and the natural beauty of the town, in contrast to the bustling streets of Athens and Rome.
For me the highlight of Florence was Pompeii. About an hour outside Florence, Pompeii is an ancient city that was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in 79AD, and has since been excavated to provide a popular tourist destination. What I found so interesting about Pompeii was how untouched the town has been by modern society; you can see exactly how the locals used to live, which is something that is very hard to find around the world. We roamed around Pompeii for about two hours, and really got a glimpse into the daily life of the Pompeians.
This experience will leave a lasting impression on me as I was able to see just how different, and in most circumstances difficult, life was for most people centuries ago.
Another memorable experience has been a new game that the boys have developed. In the game, the boy giving the speech on the certain historical landmark has been given a word that they must say in their speech several times. For example, Tommy Hayes had to say 'peasant' seven times during his speech on the Duomo, providing outstanding laughs among the boys. Other attempts were very unsuccessful, eg Sam Bassett, who's attempt to incorporate the word 'pingers' three times into his speech caused nothing but awkwardness and cringing among spectators.
Monday, April 13
Theo Taylor
Theo Taylor
As the train begins to advance towards Florence I look back on our Roman experience with fond and empowering memories. The highlight in Rome was the visit to the Vatican, St Peter's basilica is the definition of colossal. As I entered through St Peter's giant doors I physically gasped, it's magnificent pillars and immaculate mosaic ceiling are seen first. The grand scale epitomises the history and wealth that the catholic faith have acquired over the years. Upon reaching the left side of the transept myself, Tommy Hayes, Sam Bassett and Andy Black were lucky enough (Perhaps a divine intervention?) to be allowed into a mass at the high alter. A mix of emotions were felt by all of us, as the priests began to sing shivers were sent down all of our spines, Andy said that he was "levitating" towards the ceiling.
The spiritual nature of the Vatican will leave a lasting impression on me. From its ascending walls to the brightly coloured Swiss guard to its mass, it will forever be a highlight of my life.
There is also a strict disciplinary regime in place for those blessed enough to bear wisdom beards. Under the ruling of Buckingham (I) any sign of facial hair must be removed immediately resulting in the loss of successful beard growth and immense wisdom.
Signing off en route to Florence.
As the train begins to advance towards Florence I look back on our Roman experience with fond and empowering memories. The highlight in Rome was the visit to the Vatican, St Peter's basilica is the definition of colossal. As I entered through St Peter's giant doors I physically gasped, it's magnificent pillars and immaculate mosaic ceiling are seen first. The grand scale epitomises the history and wealth that the catholic faith have acquired over the years. Upon reaching the left side of the transept myself, Tommy Hayes, Sam Bassett and Andy Black were lucky enough (Perhaps a divine intervention?) to be allowed into a mass at the high alter. A mix of emotions were felt by all of us, as the priests began to sing shivers were sent down all of our spines, Andy said that he was "levitating" towards the ceiling.
The spiritual nature of the Vatican will leave a lasting impression on me. From its ascending walls to the brightly coloured Swiss guard to its mass, it will forever be a highlight of my life.
There is also a strict disciplinary regime in place for those blessed enough to bear wisdom beards. Under the ruling of Buckingham (I) any sign of facial hair must be removed immediately resulting in the loss of successful beard growth and immense wisdom.
Signing off en route to Florence.
Harry Hornabrook
Harry Hornabrook
Currently we are all on our way to Florence, on easily the fastest train I have ever been on in my life, if only we had these back at home. Looking back on the several days we have spent in Rome I can say that, in my opinion, it has been quite a different experience to Athens. And although Athens had some great icons to visit, the vast quantity of churches that we have spent hours in over the week, and structures such as the colosseum and the ruins of Pompeii, never failed to impress us all.
It was not until we arrived here in Rome however that I realised how important it was to actually keep your money as close to you as possible as I encountered a local trying to reach into my bag on the way home from termini station on the second night. Luckily I caught him in the act. Nevertheless he came back for more 100m down the road, and again he was caught.
My highlight of Rome would have to be the colosseum. To be able to compare that to similar structures we have today for 'similar' purposes such as Eden Park, I am left with so many questions about how they were able to construct such a colossal building with none of the tools we have today back then. When we were there it was more about capturing a photo "for the gram" or Instagram for those who aren't familiar with that phrase, and with 30 minutes left to explore I suggested, after hundreds of photos, that maybe it was time to put the cameras away and take a look at what surrounded us.
Currently we are all on our way to Florence, on easily the fastest train I have ever been on in my life, if only we had these back at home. Looking back on the several days we have spent in Rome I can say that, in my opinion, it has been quite a different experience to Athens. And although Athens had some great icons to visit, the vast quantity of churches that we have spent hours in over the week, and structures such as the colosseum and the ruins of Pompeii, never failed to impress us all.
It was not until we arrived here in Rome however that I realised how important it was to actually keep your money as close to you as possible as I encountered a local trying to reach into my bag on the way home from termini station on the second night. Luckily I caught him in the act. Nevertheless he came back for more 100m down the road, and again he was caught.
My highlight of Rome would have to be the colosseum. To be able to compare that to similar structures we have today for 'similar' purposes such as Eden Park, I am left with so many questions about how they were able to construct such a colossal building with none of the tools we have today back then. When we were there it was more about capturing a photo "for the gram" or Instagram for those who aren't familiar with that phrase, and with 30 minutes left to explore I suggested, after hundreds of photos, that maybe it was time to put the cameras away and take a look at what surrounded us.
Jamie Sandelin
Jamie Sandelin
It's 9.20am here on the 'Frecciarossa' - our mode of transport out of Rome en route to Florence. As much as I'd love to tell you what that translates to in Italian, I've given up on learning the language after I got an interesting look from a Roman security guard after being fooled into saying 'ciao bella' on our way out of St. Mary's, which according to Bucko translates into something like 'later hot stuff'.
As we begin our journey to our next destination I can reflect on the first week and a bit of our travels. Rome for me sits well above Athens on the pecking order. Athens, although blessed with some pretty amazing archaeological sites, is commonly described by the lads as 'a bit of a hole', so Rome was a nice contrast. Our accommodation was most appropriately compared to staying with Grandma- the nuns put on a great show and made us all feel very welcome and loved (much needed for the more sensitive lads in the group as Crooksy, Smithy and Bucko aren't particularly keen on giving out free hugs). I have to admit that I never thought after entering 4 churches in one day I'd be looking forward to the next one, but such is the power and beauty of places like St. Peter's Basilica. The colosseum was as spectacular as I imagined, and I'm yet to become tired of the pizza/carbonara/gelato combo for most meals (kebabs proved to have the same effect in Greece).
Quickly addressing the facial hair status of some of the lads, I can quite happily admit Theo Taylor and Adam Clark are two of the most beautiful men on the planet. The sharp stubble on their jawline is the envy of the group, however how long they can sustain it is beyond me with Bucko policing them with admirable dedication. Harry Hornabrook is convinced something is growing under his chin, but that observation is about as true as Kirkwood developing a golden tan in the Roma sun.
It's 9.20am here on the 'Frecciarossa' - our mode of transport out of Rome en route to Florence. As much as I'd love to tell you what that translates to in Italian, I've given up on learning the language after I got an interesting look from a Roman security guard after being fooled into saying 'ciao bella' on our way out of St. Mary's, which according to Bucko translates into something like 'later hot stuff'.
As we begin our journey to our next destination I can reflect on the first week and a bit of our travels. Rome for me sits well above Athens on the pecking order. Athens, although blessed with some pretty amazing archaeological sites, is commonly described by the lads as 'a bit of a hole', so Rome was a nice contrast. Our accommodation was most appropriately compared to staying with Grandma- the nuns put on a great show and made us all feel very welcome and loved (much needed for the more sensitive lads in the group as Crooksy, Smithy and Bucko aren't particularly keen on giving out free hugs). I have to admit that I never thought after entering 4 churches in one day I'd be looking forward to the next one, but such is the power and beauty of places like St. Peter's Basilica. The colosseum was as spectacular as I imagined, and I'm yet to become tired of the pizza/carbonara/gelato combo for most meals (kebabs proved to have the same effect in Greece).
Quickly addressing the facial hair status of some of the lads, I can quite happily admit Theo Taylor and Adam Clark are two of the most beautiful men on the planet. The sharp stubble on their jawline is the envy of the group, however how long they can sustain it is beyond me with Bucko policing them with admirable dedication. Harry Hornabrook is convinced something is growing under his chin, but that observation is about as true as Kirkwood developing a golden tan in the Roma sun.
Sunday, April 12
Napoli
Napoli
Well, the train to Naples was pretty swift, with a top speed of just under 300 km per hour, so we made it in very good time. We headed first up the hill from the station to Naples Museum, and while I'm prepared to admit that it was the cleanest I've ever seen Naples, nevertheless the city still has some way to go. The graffiti, the litter on the streets, in the parks, around houses, and the dilapidated nature of the buildings in general, makes for a poor picture. But, it's improving.
The statues in the Museum were wonderful, especially the Farnese Collection, and I enjoyed the bronzes upstairs as always. The boys thought the Cabinetto Secreto was hilarious, and I have to say that the excited herm made me laugh, as it always does!
We then scooted out to Pompeii, and the excavations were lovely under the warm spring sun. We have been very lucky with the weather, and our days are filled with sunshine although the mornings are brisk.
This will be our last night in Rome, and I am looking forward to Florence and the artworks in the Uffizi Gallery.
The boys wish me to tell you that they are missing you heaps, but just don't have a spare minute to write!
Hope you are all well.
Well, the train to Naples was pretty swift, with a top speed of just under 300 km per hour, so we made it in very good time. We headed first up the hill from the station to Naples Museum, and while I'm prepared to admit that it was the cleanest I've ever seen Naples, nevertheless the city still has some way to go. The graffiti, the litter on the streets, in the parks, around houses, and the dilapidated nature of the buildings in general, makes for a poor picture. But, it's improving.
The statues in the Museum were wonderful, especially the Farnese Collection, and I enjoyed the bronzes upstairs as always. The boys thought the Cabinetto Secreto was hilarious, and I have to say that the excited herm made me laugh, as it always does!
We then scooted out to Pompeii, and the excavations were lovely under the warm spring sun. We have been very lucky with the weather, and our days are filled with sunshine although the mornings are brisk.
This will be our last night in Rome, and I am looking forward to Florence and the artworks in the Uffizi Gallery.
The boys wish me to tell you that they are missing you heaps, but just don't have a spare minute to write!
Hope you are all well.
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