The Lake’s the limit on Gaelcholáiste’s recent journey to Italy

AFTER weeks of anticipation, the time had finally arrived for the fifth-year students of Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí to set off on their school tour to Lake Garda. As the bus departed the school just after midnight on Saturday morning, a palpable excitement descended upon everybody, ready for the experience of a lifetime.

We finally reached the picturesque city of Verona. Renowned for its wine, we held more of a longing for pizza and Gelato.

After lunch, we had a ramble around the world-renowned Arena di Verona as the sun’s rays became increasingly hotter. It was then onto Romeo and Juliet’s balcony, before finishing our afternoon by ascending to the summit of the Torre dei Lamberti.

We then made our way to our hotel, which was located just outside the peaceful town of Sirmione.

The second day proved to be a highlight for many as we made our way to the theme park aptly named Gardaland. Some of the roller coasters appeared daunting at first, but after some gentle persuasion, most students were willing to try out some of Europe’s most enthralling adrenaline rides. Upon returning to the hotel, everybody was convinced that this would be the end of our day, however the teachers had different ideas. After a dinner that left much to be desired, we embarked on a two-hour walk which ensured that everybody was indeed ‘tuirseach traochta’ when the group returned in high spirits just after the day’s conclusion.

Venice truly lived up to its billing as sights such as St Mark’s Square along with the Rialto Bridge mesmerized us all. The hustle and bustle of the city was reflected in the swarm of people streaming through the narrow Venetian passageways. A two-hour history tour wasn’t to everybody’s taste, as at times the amount of pigeons engulfing the city’s surroundings proved a more interesting spectacle. However, a small break for shopping added much-needed energy to proceedings as the group made its way towards the small town of Desenzano. As dusk slowly meandered its way into darkness, we returned to our base to begin the same process as the previous evening.

With our flight not departing until the late hours of Tuesday night, we still had time left to create more memories that will undoubtedly last a lifetime. In the morning we took in a short but enjoyable boat trip, before making our way to the fashion capital of Italy, Milan. There was an instant difference between the quieter settings of Verona and Venice and the hectic streets of one of Europe’s biggest cities. Although a long wait outside the Duomo Cathedral threatened to spoil the day, we eventually made our way inside after a few rules had clearly been lost in translation! The view from the top was breathtaking.

However, by this stage the majority of the group had turned their attention to the shopping that lay ahead. After two hours of intense shopping everybody left Milan for home that evening with some new belongings but more importantly with an abundance of life-long memories. On behalf of the group, I would like to thank Inion Ni Artaigh, Iníon Ní Laocha and Máistir Ó Conchuir for all the planning, organisation and effort that our journey entailed. It was an incredible, action-packed trip and an experience that will certainly live with us all for a long time to come.

Gaelcholáiste fifth years chillin’ in Sirmione on the shores of Lake Garda