Transition year students from Oaklands Community College have been experienced some of the highlights of Italy on their recent tour to Venice and Lake Garda. The students had a packed itinerary from Wednesday the 1st to Sunday the 5th of May.
The trip was a new experience for both students and teachers as it was the first time for the school to visit Italy. It was also the largest group ever to travel from the school with 71 students in attendance.
The group departed Dublin airport at 6.50am for Italy. First stop was Sirmione where they briefly had some free time before their boat tour of Lake Garda. The tour provided an opportunity to see beautiful scenery and architecture, such as the Grotte di Catullo and Jamaica Beach.
Following the boat tour, the group took a bus ride to Verona where they saw the Amphitheatre, Juliet’s House and Juliet’s Tomb. This marked the end of a busy first day for the tourists.
The next day, after having caught up on some much needed sleep, transition years travelled from their hotel to Venice. The group took a ferry into the city and had the opportunity for some free time before their guided tour. They saw various beautiful buildings and areas including The Basilica of Saint Mark, The Doge’s Palace and The Bridge of Sighs amongst others. It was very interesting to learn about Venice and its history. Following dinner, the students departed the city and headed to Le Grande Mela shopping centre. Here they participated in some entertaining disco bowling, even getting competitive with Mr. Hines who set down a challenge and a wager for students.
Day three began with a birthday celebration for classmate Sean Owens, who received a cake during breakfast and the group sang for him. They then spent the day at Gardaland theme park. Although it did rain for a short period, it didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits. There were many thrilling rides and rollercoasters that everyone enjoyed as well as the delicious food and treats available there.
The final day of the trip commenced with a tour of the San Siro Stadium (home of AC and Inter Milan). Although brief, this tour was nonetheless entertaining and interesting. Students then proceeded to board their bus and travel further into Milan where they visited the Duomo Cathedral. They had a tour which allowed them to go all the way to the top of the cathedral and experience the amazing views. This was followed by some short leisure and eating time prior to departure for home.
