Meet Mr. Maurizio Crognale, our CCI driver. Yet he is much more than that. Maurizio is a person that we count on to help us plan trips and execute them in a timely manner. At the same time, he is a level headed and a very skilled driver who ensures that our students are safe at all times. We owe him a great debt of gratitude and appreciation for this.
CCI students and staff spent two days travelling on a trip to southern Italy.
Imagine a Sunday morning with clear blue skies and temperatures above 20 degrees before 10 a.m. That is how we started our trip.
Our first destination was Pompeii an ancient Roman city near Naples and in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. In 79 A.D., the volcano erupted destroying and burying the entire city and its inhabitants under 6 meters of pumice and ash. For 1700 years it was a lost if not legendary city before being accidentally discovered in 1749 when the people of the day were building an aqueduct.
Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site that provides thousands of modern visitors an appreciation of the level of sophistication of ancient Roman art, politics and culture.
The frescoes on the walls in the shops and houses are evidence of a sophisticated and thriving artistic community in ancient Pompeii.
The streets and forum demonstrate their urban planning and again, their artistic abilities.
Of course, for the modern visitor the casts of the bodies of some of the people and animals killed in the devastation are reminders of the force of nature.
Of course, we wanted group shot of the students.
Having toured Pompeii, we soon arrived in Sorrento, itself an ancient port town. We enjoyed a dinner together at our hotel.
Despite its rich historical heritage, it is quite modern with shops that offer high fashion and one that offers over 70 varieties of gelato...
... and buskers that attract attention.
There is nothing like a Monday spent cruising down the Amalfi coast. First, it’s Monday and we were not in school. Secondly, it’s the Amalfi coast, one of the most rugged and picturesque in Italy. Lastly, the temperatures crept up to 30 degrees as the day progressed.
The teachers were ready to start our second day.
The teachers were ready to start our second day.
We left the cliffs and harbour of Sorrento...
and down the coast to Positano.
Some even saw movie star, Kirstie Alley having lunch.
Reluctantly we turned away from Positano and went south to Amalfi.
From there we sailed south to Salerno to meet Maurizio.
Our last and final stop on this trip was to Monte Cassino, the home of the Benedictine monks. St. Benedict founded the monastery about 529 A.D. making it one of the oldest if not the oldest monastery in Italy and Europe. A rich tradition arose from St. Benedict’s writing on Catholic monastic life.
During WWII, the town of Cassino and monastery itself were virtually levelled during the hostilities. After the war, the Italian government financed the reconstruction of the monastery. The craftsmanship evident is modern and done to celebrate the work and skill of past masters.
No comments:
Post a Comment