What part of Eyjafjallajökull don’t you understand? Iceland part 1.

A few weeks back, two members of the Diverse team were lucky enough to spend three days discovering the magnificent country of Iceland! Famous for its spectacular landscapes and infamous for its high levels of tectonic activity – the result of its location on the Eurasian-Atlantic plate boundary – Iceland did not disappoint (not surprisingly, it's our top destination for Geography trips). 

We took a late flight out from Birmingham and arrived into Keflavik airport in the early hours of the morning. Our Icelandic adventure began with a drive through the lava fields of the Reykjanes peninsula, eerily lunar in the darkness, which took us to Reykjavik and the Reykjavik City Hostel, a very popular accommodation choice for our schools.  We checked into the hostel and went straight to bed, excited to see more of Iceland’s breath-taking scenery on our first tour the following day! 

The next day, we were picked up from our hostel for our Golden Circle tour, one of the most popular excursions for school groups visiting Iceland.  This tour focuses mainly on features that students will recognise from their “Restless Earth” module – Þingvellir National Park in Iceland is the only place in the world where a plate boundary can be seen above sea level – but visitors also have the opportunity to see one of Iceland’s most magnificent waterfalls!

Our first stop was the Friðheimer greenhouse, an interesting example of Iceland’s innovative and extensive use of its natural geothermal energy resources, and an excellent brunch opportunity!  The use of geothermal energy to heat greenhouses in Iceland dates back to 1924, and the industry is heavily subsidised by the country’s environmentally-conscious government.

We continued the geothermal theme at Geysir, where we made sure to snap the obligatory “erupting geyser” selfies at Strokkur geyser, a very active fountain geyser which shoots boiling water up to 40 metres into the air every 5 minutes. We had an Icelandic lunch of traditional sourdough bread and stew at the Geysir Exhibition Centre, and then immediately regretted it as we tested out the centre’s earthquake simulator!

After lunch, our tour took us to the spectacular Gulfoss waterfall, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Iceland and the largest volume falls in Europe. According to local legend, Sigriður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of the waterfall’s owner, was so upset by plans to turn the plant into a hydro-electric power station that she threatened to throw herself into Gulfoss and thus saved the waterfall. 

Our final visit was the historic Þingvellir National Park, where the first Icelandic parliament (and the nation of Iceland) was founded in 930. Þingvellir has played a central role in Icelandic culture, although many visitors are more likely to recognise it as a key filming location in the Game of Thrones saga! The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and is famous for the high level of tectonic activity that it experiences. Students visiting Þingvellir can see continental drift in action, the faults in the ground marking the lines where Iceland is slowly being pulled apart.


We arrived back in Reykjavik in the early evening, and headed into the city centre in search of dinner and sightseeing. We weren’t quite brave enough to try the traditional Icelandic delicacy of fermented shark, but did enjoy some of the more easily recognisable fish delicacies! We also fitted in a visit to the ultra-modern Hallgrimskirkja church, whose soaring belltower (built to reflect Iceland’s rugged natural landscape) can be seen from all over Reykjavik. 

We headed back to our hostel exhausted, but delighted with everything that we had seen. Our next daytrip would be to the South Shore, whose breath-taking attractions will need a whole new blog post to describe!

To find out more about Diverse School Travel and our outstanding Geography trips visit our website at www.DiverseSchoolTravel.co.uk. 

By Laura Whitaker and Jamie Gardiner. 

Destination: Venice!

To escape the early grey British summer, we decamped to the south of Italy in search of some sunshine and to investigate further our highly popular Venice school trips. The magical “floating city” of Venice is built on over a hundred separate islands and is one of the most unique (and most beautiful) holiday destinations in the world, and an increasingly popular choice for school trips!

We arrived into Venice in brilliant sunshine, and took a vaporetto around the lagoon to our accommodation.  This “fisherman’s-eye view” of the city whet our appetites for our first afternoon of exploring.

With map firmly in hand we navigated Venice’s maze-like streets and were completely bowled over by how beautiful the city is; walking through it is like stepping back several centuries into the past. After spending several hours admiring the Gothic-style buildings and waving at gondolas, we sat down at a canal-side restaurant for a well-deserved dinner. This was our first taste of real Italian food, and it did not disappoint! We decided that inspecting Venice’s gelaterias should be a key priority of our visit – the sacrifices that we make for the sake of our customers!

On the second day we wandered up to St Mark’s Square and admired the breathtakingly beautiful architecture with the help of yet another gelato. We’d booked a tour of the city for the afternoon, so we headed up towards the starting point at Campo San Geremia.  Among the many famous sites we saw were the Rialto Bridge, Doge's Palace and Jewish Quarter (the setting of Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice"). 

Our final day in Venice took us away from the mainland and across to the islands of Murano and Burano. These two islands are very popular excursions for our schools, and so we wanted to see for ourselves the glass artisans of Murano and the famous coloured houses of Burano. Our tour of Murano commenced with a fascinating glass-blowing demonstration; we learned how this traditional craft is usually passed down between generations of families, and how the artisans use heat and an incredible amount of skill to create the most intricate designs. After picking up the obligatory mountain of Murano glass trinkets and jewellery, we took the boat over to Burano, an island traditionally famous for lace-making.  We spent a very pleasant afternoon browsing the shops and admiring the island’s multi-coloured houses, before heading back into the city to spend our last evening in Venice in St Mark’s Square.

Finally, we headed down to Pisa to catch our flight home.  Pisa’s well-connected airport is the most popular choice for schools, and we spent a short time in the city before moving on, cramming as much sight-seeing as possible into half a day. The first port of call had to be the leaning tower, Pisa’s world-famous architectural mistake. We had a lot of laughs trying to angle ourselves for the perfect “propping up the tower” picture, and then grabbed a “leaning tower of pizza” lunch at a nearby restaurant. We spent our last few hours in Italy admiring the Piazza dei Miracoli - especially the spectacular Duomo - and cooling off by the river.

We were all very sad to leave by the time evening rolled around; we’d all fallen in love with the culture, food, the climate and the beauty of Italy. We can’t wait to put our new-found knowledge into practice by creating some really spectacular Italian tours for our school groups – have a look at our website to see our ideas!

If you’d like to find out more about our tours of Italy, your will find plenty of information on our website or give us a call on 0121 271 0121.

www.diverseschooltravel.co.uk

To CERN with love! On our best selling physics school trip to Geneva.

Two members of the Diverse team recently visited Geneva to see the incredible facility at CERN for themselves.  Our science trips to CERN have proved to be exceptionally popular for both GCSE and A-Level physics students – we’ve had schools from all over the UK book with us to visit CERN - and now it was our turn to really understand why!

There are good-value flights to Geneva from many UK airports and we flew from Birmingham. Our flight arrived into Geneva Airport on a late Tuesday afternoon. About fifteen minutes after breezing through passport control we were at Geneva’s central station, Gare Cornavin.  From here it was a short walk to our accommodation for the trip: the Geneva Youth Hostel (GYH).

The Geneva Youth Hostel is by far the most popular choice of our schools for visits to Geneva, with its great location, spacious rooms and perfect atmosphere for school groups.  We were well looked after by Veronica who gave us a tour of the facilities along with a brief introduction to the city, which concluded with the stunning view of Lake Geneva and the Jet d’Eau from the top of the main building.  

The next morning we were up bright and early to get to CERN in time for our morning guided tour which was led by a resident scientist.  An intriguing introductory presentation was followed by a short coach journey to the Cryogenic Centre and then to the Atlas Centre (our highlight!) which houses the Hadron Collider’s control centre.   It’s remarkable to think that the gigantic particle detector sits 96 metres directly below the Atlas Centre.  The guided tour concluded with a 3D film detailing the proud history of CERN.

"Mork calling Orson; come in, Orson."

After a tasty lunch in the cafeteria alongside countless scientists and research staff, we took the time to explore the permanent exhibitions of the Microcosm and admittedly got rather too comfortable in the interactive pod-like chairs in the Universe of Particles Exhibition.

Our visit to CERN was an amazing experience, and one which will never be forgotten.  It’s hard to imagine anything more inspiring for those interested in science or studying physics. 




 
Who knows, perhaps the next Einstein will shortly be visiting CERN on one of our trips…. 

Physicist Humour at CERN

By Dan Isaacs

Inspection visit of the Opal Coast, the perfect destination for primary school trips!

Our “Tour de France” continued with a visit to the Northern Opal Coast region, our most popular destination for primary school trips. We set off from Normandy looking forward to an exciting couple of days of beaches, cheese and chocolate and generally embracing our “inner child”!

We arrived in the picturesque seaside town of Le Touquet just before lunchtime, and checked into the Riva Bella Hotel. The hotel’s location was fantastic, right in the heart of Le Touquet and just 100m from the beach, meaning that we had time for a brief paddle in the sea before heading off for our next visit!

Our first visit was to the Chevrerie de Montcavrel goat farm, where we were warmly welcomed by two excited sheepdogs and Eliane, our tour guide. The farm was a dream come true for animal-loving Dan: as well as the goats (les chèvres), Eliane introduced us to all the various rabbits, horses and cats that lived on the farm and explained the fascinating process of making cheese in the farm kitchen.  We were all rewarded by delicious cheesy samples and even bought some to take home.



Continuing the gastronomic theme, our next visit was to the Chocolaterie de Beussant-Lachelle, a chocolate shop well-known for its spectacular artisan chocolates, and very popular with school groups of all ages. We were greeted by our tour guide, who gave us a brief talk about the process of chocolate-making and (even better) some more free samples! 

We made a quick stop at Hippotel, a lovely two-star hotel where many of our Opal Coast groups choose to stay, to say hello to Francois, the exuberant manager of the hotel.  As ever, he welcomed us warmly and showed us around. We were all very impressed with the hotel’s green, peaceful location and top-of-the-range facilities - it is certainly our favourite hotel for our primary school groups! 

The next day was our final day in France, but there was still one more visit to make before catching the Eurotunnel home. We drove to the nearby town of Montreuil-sur-Mer to visit Hannah France, an Englishwoman abroad who set up an excellent French language school in a beautiful old maison. We loved Hannah's classes and activities for school groups, and were particularly impressed with her French language-themed town trail. We were also interested to learn about the importance of Montreuil-sur-Mer as a reconnaissance base during WW1, and Hannah’s ideas for combining French language classes with historical visits.  Can't wait to offer Hannah's classes to our school groups!

We set off back to Calais in high spirits, full of enthusiasm and ideas. These were a fantastic few days and our school groups will now benefit from our in-depth knowledge of the location. If you’d like to find out more about our tours of the Opal Coast, your will find plenty of information on our website or give us a call on 0121 271 0121.

www.diverseschooltravel.co.uk

By Laura Whitaker

Normandy for school groups. Intrepid travellers from Diverse carry on with their adventures!

Another couple of days out of the office - a familiarisation trip to Northern France - Normandy and Opal Coast in particular - both very popular destinations for primary and secondary schools. 

We hit the road towards Normandy bright and early.  First we arrived at the Village Vacances Cap France in Merville-Franceville, and were delighted to be staying there: it’s right on a beautiful beach, has its own mini golf course, and much, much more. Really the perfect accommodation for school groups!

From there it was a short drive to the Mémorial de Caen, which consists of three buildings, each dedicated to a specific section of modern history.  This museum is quite particular in that it has a slightly different approach to most war museums - it doesn't just focus on historical artefacts (though it does, of course, display some) but the emphasis is laid on different media, such as photographs, posters and films from the selected era, which give a more visual experience. We particularly enjoyed the museum’s literal interpretation of Europe’s “downward spiral” into the Second World War: the 1919-1933 exhibition is laid out along a sloping corridor, which itself spirals downwards towards the next exhibition.

It’s a really interesting visit on a school trip to Normandy, and one we highly recommend!

It was there that we met our guide Olivier, who gave us some time to explore the museum before taking us on a tour of the D-Day landing beaches, and dazzled us with his intimate knowledge of the area.  He helped us spot traces of the conflict, still visible in the landscape today. Being there, where it all happened (especially after having seen archive footage from 1945), is a truly humbling experience, the full scale of which is virtually impossible to put into words.

Jenn and Laura at the Landing Beaches

Afterwards, we had just enough time to catch the last showing at Arromanches’ 360 cinema, a totally unique experience. A mixture of archive footage and historical fiction is projected onto 12 different screens in a circular room. 

Another great feature of this cinema is its cliff-top location: by stepping onto the roof there is an amazing view of the beach below, where sections of Mulberry Harbour still stand. We were lucky enough to be there at dusk, and the breath-taking view was the perfect end to an enriching day. We just wished we’d had more time to spend there!

This year from March through to the end of August Normandy will commemorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy with ceremonies, firework displays, street dances, parades and re-enactments.

There is a huge variety of rewarding, educational and memorable trips we can organise in Normandy for your school group - please see our website here and get in touch! 

But, onwards and upwards, we moved onto the Opal Coast next - which deserves a blog post all of its own!  Watch this space...

www.DiverseSchoolTravel.co.uk

by Jennifer Leonard

In search of Ernest Hemingway in Pamplona

Many places in the world can claim a special attachment to Ernest Hemingway: he spent years in Paris, Cuba and Kenya, treading the streets and writing novels. But it is Pamplona that was his first obsession and greatest love. The small Navarrese capital was virtually unknown when Hemingway first visited it in 1923 to attend the bull running festival of San Fermín: it was Hemingway’s first and most celebrated novel, The Sun Also Rises, that put the sanfermines, and consequently Pamplona, on the map.  A day trip to Pamplona is a highly recommended addition to our school trips to the Basque country.


The memory of Hemingway can be felt throughout the city, on the many plaques and statues dedicated to him and the many bars, hotels and hostels named after him. However, he can best be found in the modern Pamplona in the same place where he could most often be found in life: leaning against the bar in the Café Iruña. Hemingway felt that the city of Pamplona had something of a timeless quality, and the Café Iruña is one of the places that most clearly demonstrates this: an eye-catchingly ornate 19th century building, it remains virtually unchanged since the 1920s.

Café Iruña

Our Pamplona itineraries follow Hemingway’s footsteps through the city. You begin your visit with a guided walking tour of the route of the Encierro – the traditional bull running which inspired The Sun Also Rises. After a bull running photo opportunity at the Monumento al Encierro, you continue on to some of Hemingway’s favourite haunts: first of all, the Pamplona bull ring, where the author discovered a fascination with bullfighting that inspired him to write Death In The Afternoon, a non-fictional celebration of the ceremony and traditions of el toreo. The tour carries on to the Hotel La Perla, where Hemingway often stayed during his many visits to Pamplona, and then to the Plaza Consistorial, where the famous opening ceremony for the sanfermines (the chupinazo) is held. The day finishes with a meal at the Café Iruña, stepping right into a scene from one of the author’s books:

"We had coffee at the Iruña," Barnes continues, "sitting in the comfortable wicker chairs, looking out from the cool of the arcade at the big square." – The Sun Also Rises, Ernest Hemingway

You can add a Pamplona daytrip to our Basque Country Art and Design tour from just £30 per person. Get in touch with us on 0121 271 0121.

www.diverseschooltravel.co.uk

By Laura Whitaker

WW1 Battlefields familiarisation trip. Ypres Salient and the Somme.

Last week three of us enjoyed a week out of the office.  We went on a familiarisation trip to Belgium and France, the main focus of the trip being to visit the locations of our WW1 Battlefields school trips, both the Ypres Salient and the Somme.

Battlefield school trips are very popular at the moment, and although always sobering, they are very fulfilling to organise.

Our first day was spent discovering some new and exciting trips in the Ypres Salient, organised by the Peace Village Messines, one of the best school hotels we know. The day’s itinerary was jam-packed and included visits to little hidden gems that were described as “off the beaten track”.  Our highlights were: the Passchendaele 1917 Museum, where we explored some replica trenches; and the Hooge Crater Museum, a privately owned museum that recently opened a new wing.

The Peace Village also treated us to a tour based on extracts from the book “Age 14: An Irish Boy Soldier”, a novel based on the story of John Condon who was allegedly the youngest Allied soldier to lose his life. The novel’s depictions of real places on the Western Front, described in detail from the point of view of the boy soldier, really brought the events of First World War to life for me.

A visit to Talbot House proved to be a welcome way to end a busy and sombre day: a guided tour of the one and only “Every Man’s Club” followed by a cup of real English tea!  The club is also now launching a new tour: Tubby’s Story Tablets, which allows students to tour the House using a tablet for a really interactive and interesting experience.

Day two of the trip took us to the Somme.  There are three fantastic museums here, including Bullecourt 1917, Jean and Denise Letaille museum; the Historial de la Grande Guerre in Péronne; and Musée Somme 1916 in Albert. On the guided tours of these museums we were able to get a close-up view of an array of authentic artefacts from the many Battles of the Somme – an experience you just can’t get from textbooks or websites.

The museum visits were followed by a brilliant tour of the Somme Battlefields with Myriam Thompson, an Australian Battlefields Guide, who really helped to bring the tour to life!  The main stops on this tour included the Lochnagar Crater, Thiepval Memorial, Ulster  Tower and Newfoundland Memorial. The two most memorable moments of the tour for me were seeing the Newfoundland Memorial’s “Danger Tree” and being lucky enough to witness a stunning rainbow at the Thiepval Memorial after being caught in a shower – not something we can promise to all our groups!

Thiepval Memorial and the rainbow

After a busy second day of visits we were able to unwind at the Auberge des Remparts in Péronne and also took the chance to sample some of the delicious local, er…liquid refreshments, and of course some chocolate.

These were an unforgettable couple of days and it is certainly an outstanding visit for school groups.  We travelled on to Normandy and Opal Coast next - watch out for our next blog installment!

Visit our website for more information about WW1 centenary battlefield tours

www.diverseschooltravel.co.uk

By Daniel Isaacs