Adventure Awaits: 7 Tips to Make Your Next Italy Trip Unforgettable

For the first time since 2019, 14 middle school students, their parents, and two teachers (Magistra Paff and Mr. Grogan) traveled to Italy during Ski Week. To prepare for the trip students met with Magistra during their lunch break to learn a few Italian phrases, get a general overview of the history of Italy, and prepare a short presentation about one of the sites or objects they were to visit during the trip. This year’s trip mimicked the passage of time by starting with the Romans in Pompeii and Herculaneum and following the history of Italy through Rome and ending with the Renaissance in Florence. 

To make your next Italy trip as memorable as this one, here are some tips:

1. Take a pizza making class -  Apparently, we have excellent cooks at HDS as each student and parent declared their pizza to be the best. If you choose the right class, you too might get invited to the owner’s apartment on Tiber Island.

2. Explore the Capua Amphitheater - This place is always a highlight of our Italy trip. Located on the outskirts of Naples, the amphitheater is the second largest built by the Romans. Moreover, it is still relatively unknown, which makes the space below the arena even more fun to explore. 

3. Climb inside an aqueduct - Tucked away in the suburbs of Rome, the Parco degli Acquedotti is another unknown gem. While many of the aqueducts in this park are below the ground, you can still climb inside the channel of one. Aqueducts were the lifeblood of Roman society and a symbol of its power. Without functioning aqueducts, the city collapsed and lost its technology to recreate them for the next 1000 years. Parco degli Acquedotti is a picturesque setting to walk around while contemplating the importance of water.

4. Sing the “Caesar Song” next to Caesar’s Temple in the Roman Forum - Music has the power to move and inspire. By singing the Caesar song next to Caesar’s temple, you are sure to seize the moment.

5. Go to a football match - One of Harbor Day’s more ambitious parents single handedly organized an extra special extra curricular outing for the families on this trip to go to a football match, A.S. Roma vs. R.B. Salzburg. Forza Roma!

6. Test your mettle in the arena - Gladiator school is a great team building exercise for any adventurous family. Will you be able to survive?

7. Carpe diem - When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Put olive oil and salt on your bread. Eat only the best gelato. Hop on a carousel. 

Now you too know the secret of an amazing Roman holiday! 

Grazie mille! Arrivederci!