Italy and Greece Trip of 2009

Spring break for some fortunate Worthington Christian high school students meant spending a week in Italy and Greece. Mr. Heath and Mrs. Heath led a group of students on a weeklong tour from March 29th to April 6th, experiencing firsthand the history and culture of these major cities: Rome, Pompeii, Athens, and Delphi.

Students from all grades can sign up for this trip, and it does not matter if you are in a history class, either. This year, twelve students signed up for the trip: seniors Gwen Dreyer, Kelsey Eggenschwiler, Renae Vagnier, and Bailey Walters; juniors Abby Camp, Cristina Mace, and Sarah Morford; sophomore Megan Walls; and freshmen Ruthie Cathers, Tom Dreyer, Angia Grant, and Sammy Head. Renae Vagnier’s parents and Abby Camp’s dad came along for the ride as well.

Before leaving, junior Abby Camp said, smiling, “I’m extremely excited and can not wait to go! It is going to be amazing!” She was especially looking forward to seeing Rome, Pompeii, and Athens. Sarah Morford, who was standing next to her, agreed: “I can’t really pick a certain place: I am excited for all of them!”

The first day, they arrived in Rome, Italy, and began touring the city. They started their tour by going to see the Catacombs, which are ancient underground tunnels used as tombs. Freshman Sammy Head said “Rome was my favorite place; it was really pretty!” Afterward, the students walked around downtown where they had free time to shop and eat lunch.

On Day Two, they stayed in Rome and kept touring the city. They visited the Vatican Museum to see the Sistine Chapel and took a tour through St. Peter’s Basilica. “If I had to pick my favorite place, it would have to be the Sistine Chapel; then everything else follows,” said senior Gwen Dreyer. “It is so hard to choose: the whole trip was incredible!” After their time in St. Peter’s, they visited the Coliseum, and the Pantheon. Then, to top off the day, they walked around the city at night to see all the cities and fountains lit up.

The next day, they drove down to Pompeii and toured the city. Later that night, they took a ferry over to Greece to begin their next set of tours. Most of their tours were led by tour guides from Italy and Greece but when there was free time, Mr. Heath would teach them what he knew.

To begin their tour of Greece, the group drove to the Corinthian Canal; afterward, they went to see the former capitol of Greece, which was called Mafpii. Then, after a long day of tours, they retreated to their hotel on the beach.

On Day Five, they continued to explore Greece. Some of the places they visited were Ampudarous, an ancient theater in Greece; Mycenae; and they took an hour and a half cruise on the canal. Abby Camp and Tom Dreyer thought “The cruise was fun but it was too short!” After the cruise, the group drove to Athens where they experienced a walking tour and ate dinner.

Continuing their tour in Athens, the next day they visited the Parthenon, and the national museum—and they saw the changing of the guards as well. To end the day, they had dinner and free time to explore the city some more.

On the last day, the group went to Delphi in Greece and toured the city. Freshman Tom Dreyer said “Delphi was my favorite city in Greece. There were not a lot of people and the scenery was really pretty.” He also commented that “There was just so much history everywhere.” Finally, on Monday April 6th, the group took a flight back home and arrived in Columbus around 7:30 pm.

Overall, this trip was an incredible experience for these Worthington Christian students. Chaperone and WC history teacher Mr. Heath said “This trip was a really rewarding experience! This trip caused us to be able to come out of our comfort zones and see both biblical and secular history come to life while finding out a little bit more about ourselves and where we came from.”