It’s goodbye UK and hello Venice for Yateley Manor School – Part one

It’s goodbye UK and hello Venice for Yateley Manor School – Part one

Coasting along the charming canals, a stunning performance at St Mark’s Basilica and enough ice cream to last a lifetime – that’s just a glimpse of what Yateley Manor School in Hampshire got up to on their concert tour to Venice. The group spent five days in the beautiful city exploring its many sights and showing off their musical talents at some prestigious venues, all the while soaking up the Italian sun. Rayburn Tours courier, Barbara Morawska, reveals all.

 

 

Day 1 – Friday 27 March

I arrive at Gatwick airport and meet up with the group – everyone grabbing a quick snack before we board to curb any pre-flight hunger pangs. The excitement is beginning to set in… Once our flight touches down, Venice greets us with bright sunshine and it’s not long before we’re on the coach heading towards Lido di Jesolo.

Located near the northern end of the Venetian lagoon, Lido di Jesolo is all about the beach. With golden sands that stretch over 15km, it’s the longest beach in Italy! Staying in this peaceful region is the perfect contrast to the bustling city of Venice which we’ll be exploring later in the week.

After checking into our hotel, the Hotel Bepi, everyone has the chance to settle into their rooms and take in the beautiful surroundings. With so much travelling those pesky hunger pangs have returned, but luckily it’s time for dinner. We are all certainly ready for it – good job there’s such a lot to tuck in to! Bellies stuffed, everyone returns to their rooms for some well-deserved sleep, something that takes a little longer due to the excitement for tomorrow’s activities!

 

 

Day 2 – Saturday 28 March

Ciao! It’s our first morning in Venice and everyone’s still buzzing from yesterday. We start the day with a hearty breakfast, and I then leave the group to rehearse for their performance while I collect our lunch at the nearby bakery. After regrouping, our coach takes us to Punta Sabbioni. All aboard the vaporetto! Also known as a water-bus, it’s great for getting around Venice and nearby islands. Think of it as the London Underground, but on water! We tuck into our sandwiches for lunch as we coast along the canal and admire the spectacular view.

Once we’re off the vaporetto, I take the group through the gardens for some photos – all attracting a lot of attention in their uniforms – and to Doge’s Palace where we crossed the famous Bridge of Sighs. The long walk is one of the best ways to ensure that you don’t miss a thing.

We then make our way to the Campanile, the magnificent bell tower of St Mark’s Bascilica. Once everyone has climbed to the top, we have the shock of our lives when the bell suddenly rings! It caught one group member out so much that he fell to his knees – something the group won’t forget! After a well-earned pizza break, it’s time for everyone to sing their hearts out in their performance at St Mark’s Basilica.

 

 

A Day to Remember

Well, they certainly put on a show – the group were showered with applause and Monsignor Camillotto praised everyone’s fantastic singing. Performing in the main altar was a truly special moment for the group, and everyone felt privileged to be a part of the service. With excitement still in the air, we all left feeling very elated and couldn’t stop chattering about the day’s events. The group were almost skipping back to the vaporetto!

 

Day 3 – Sunday 29 March

After a more leisurely start to the day, it’s back to the vaporetto for the group’s second visit to Venice. I take the group through the city, walking over lots of quaint little bridges, until we reach the Musical Instruments Museum. After a good look around, we cross the oh-so famous Grand Canal for our visit to the Gallerie dell’Accademia – a museum gallery filled with beautiful Venetian art. Everyone was rather taken by the paintings (and thankful for the humidifiers!).

Our journey continues to our next concert venue at the grand church, San Stae, stopping for a little souvenir shopping on the way. With lots of soloists singing today, the church’s fantastic acoustics really helped to project the group’s voices and, once again, the audience were very appreciative.

With the performance over we walk back along the winding alleys, stopping for some authentic Italian gelato (de-licious!) and an impromptu number for the café owners.

The perfect way to end the day.

 

Day 4 – Monday 30 March

Another lovely day! The Italian sun is shining and everyone is relaxing before the group’s third performance, this time at the Gabriele d’Annunzio school. What a reception – the group feel like celebrities as the curtains part! When the show finishes the Italians shower them with questions, giving the group a real boost.

After a quick change of clothes back at the hotel, it’s off to take our private (yes, private!) boat to the islands. We sail for Murano, also known as the Glass Island, where glass has been made for over 700 years. The group have a really interesting explanation of how the glass is blown with a demonstration by the glassblower who makes a plate and a horse. It’s certainly impressive work. We finish with a visit to the showroom to peruse the souvenirs, then make our way to the pretty little island of Burano and its colourful houses.

We walk down the main street and I take the group to another gelateria with lots of lovely flavours to choose from. You can’t go wrong with kids and ice cream (or adults for that matter)! We continue down the street and come across another souvenir stall where the group sweep the stall clean of all the teddy bears.

Feeling pleased with the day, we head back to the hotel. No doubt lots of children will be snuggling up to their teddy bears tonight.

 

Day 5 – Tuesday 31 March

It’s time to bid farewell to Venice. After everyone’s packed up their belongings (not forgetting our souvenirs), we walk down to the beach for a paddle in the sea and treat ourselves to, you guessed it, more gelato! How could we not on our last day?

We all say ciao to the Hotel Bepi as we head for the airport, and hello England as we land back in the UK. Bags collected, we board the coach for our journey home, with everyone full of tales to tell and photos to show.

Until next time Venice!