Fifty-three pupils and six staff enjoyed a very successful tour of mainland Greece over the half term break. Unseasonably hot and sunny weather made for stunning views and an azure background to the bright marble monuments of the Acropolis, all the more beautiful for the fact that, for the first time in decades, the buildings were free of the ugly (but necessary) scaffolding. As the tour-party visited the battlefield of Marathon, the oracle of Delphi and the site of the original Olympics, the pupils were able to appreciate the dramatic setting for crucial events of Greece history that reverberate in the present. Talks and dramatic performances by Sixth Formers helped to bring to life sites going as far back in time as Mycenae, while the crowds in the Theatre at Epidaurus were entertained by readings of the GCSE set-text, Euripides’ Medea, by members of the Fifth Year. Greek cuisine by the sea and evenings perusing the souvenir shops only added to the experience and enjoyment.
