italia.

I am amazingly lucky to have been brought up by parents who earnt enough to be able to take their family on holidays every year. I have been to Italy twice before, once to Florence and Pisa, and once to Tuscany. I do remember being in awe of Florence's beauty, but I was only 10 years old - not quite old enough to really absorb and appreciate the atmosphere, history and culture of the place.


While I was at school (again, hugely grateful to my parents for spending their money to send me to a private school), I learnt Latin, and chose to continue it all the way up to A2 level. I loved the language, and still continue to relish in finding English words which I don't know but can decipher simply from my knowledge of Latin. I also really enjoyed the history involved in the subject, and I still find it exciting that we have links to people who lived and loved and worked hundreds of years ago. Rome was the centre of the Roman empire in those days, and is a key city which has shaped the development of Europe and most probably the rest of the world. When I was studying Latin, I also read some of Pliny the Younger's letters about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius and the destruction of nearby Pompei. So, Rome and Pompei are two places which I very much want to visit!


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I am now 22 years old, and am half way through my medical training. I haven't had the combination of enough money and time in order to have a holiday (one where I can really explore) since I started my degree. But I feel that now is the time...


My grandparents love Italy, and really understand that I would like to have some time there to see the places which I have read about; explore the language of Italian which is quite close to Latin (but obviously can actually be used in the modern day!); immerse myself in the country's art and culture; and scoff loads of proper Italian pastas and pizzas!


So, after months of speculating whether to go, when to go, and who to go with, I have decided to go it alone and spend 10 days travelling around Italy this April. So far my plan is to fly into Pisa, and work my way down through the country through Florence, Siena, Rome, Naples and Pompei.

I can't describe how excited I am!