31 October 2017
As I stepped onto the coach at 3:50 on Monday morning, I found it hard to be optimistic about the trip with a long journey looming ahead of us. However once the Eurostar had suddenly appeared in France, I felt happy to be abroad and to be on a trip that looked to be very promising. This trip not only provided us students with an excellent opportunity to see the Roman monuments of the area, but also allowed us to plot the evolution of the civilisation of the area from Celtic times through periods of Greek influence and Roman conquest right up to the modern day. During our six days in Provence, we visited memorable Roman sites in Orange, Glanum, Arles, Vaison, Nîmes, and the misnamed Pont du Gard, and upper-sixth formers gave talks on various aspects of Gallo-Roman culture such as the theatre and the imperial cult of Augustus. We also got an unparalleled glimpse of French culture on our visit to Marseille, where we explored Europe’s Alcatraz, Le Château D’If, and got first-hand experience of the unique French style of queuing. These excursions were made all the better by the perfect weather throughout the week and the great knowledge and planning of all the staff who led the party. Another year, another superb classics trip.
Written by Harry Donoghue
