This was my first AEGEE event away from Malta, therefore I had no idea what to expect besides a fun experience! I chose the Summer University (SU) of Napoli as I hadn’t visited that part of Italy, and also because I had heard that the organisers were quite entertaining! Every SU has a theme, mine was to fight the prejudices of Napoli and its people.
In the first few days we were given the welcome pack and programme, these were given to us in a very unusual manner as they were in an empty pizza box, couldn’t have been more appropriate! Together with these things, we were also given a Neapolitan lucky charm.
On the first day we played some ice breaking games to get to know the other participants with whom I was going to spend the following 14 days. The programme was jam packed with siteseeing and activities to keep ourselves busy. The organisers were crazy enough to entertain us on the long bus rides throughout the trip by putting on some music whilst dancing and singing away. Amongst the activities, we had a day trip to Caserta to visit the Royal Palace and also visits to many beautiful beaches such as Gaiola. We also visited the Grotta di Seiano and the archaeological remains of the Pausilypon which consisted of breathtaking views. We also visited Castell del’Uvo which is situated on the famous Lungomare of Naples.
We were guided through the narrow streets and the many churches and cathedrals found in the centre of Naples. The tours were held by our fellow organisers who explained a few of the legends that had been passed down through the ages. A photo contest was also held on these streets for us to familiarise ourselves even more. Along with the photo contest we had to interview Neapolitan people and ask them some basic questions.
On another day we had an esoteric tour where we visited the Cimiterio delle Fontanelle where thousands of skulls can be found. Once again, the tour guide told a few stories and legends which were about this location. On the same day we played a game in Capo Di Monte, a grand, beautiful forest.
Several workshops were held on several days where we were taught about the Italian culture, language and their famous gestures. We also had a workshop about the Camorra, held by the organisation Libera, which explained what takes place when they acquire any form of property from the Camorra.
Like any other AEGEE event there is an optional fee, where one can either choose to attend that certain activity or not. In this case, the optional fee was for Pompeii, I decided to go to Capri instead with a friend of mine. Capri is beyond beautiful, white painted houses, narrow streets filled with luxury shops and hotels which then lead to the most breathtaking views ever!
The last two days of our trip were spent in Salerno, where we met another group who were at the SU of AEGEE Salerno. During these days we resided at Vietri sul Mare and we visited Amalfi and its Coast. We also had an exclusive private boat trip around the coast and were allowed to swim amongst this gorgeous scenery.
Like every other AEGEE event we had a European night, which was held over two days due to the large variety of countries the participants came from.
Last but not least – the food!!! I lost count of how many pizzas I ate in the span of 14 days. We visited the most famous pizzerias in Naples, such as Sorbillo and Pizzeria Oliva – da Concettina ai Tre Santi. We were also lucky enough to have a reservation at the world known pizzeria Da Michele, which was featured in the book ‘Eat, Pray, Love’. This pizzeria always has a queue of people waiting outside, and we were lucky enough to bypass them.
The organisers did their best to take us out every night to different clubs and bars found in the region of Naples, and made sure that we entered for free!
I can conclude by saying that attending an AEGEE Summer University should be on everyone’s bucket list as it is an amazing experience where one can integrate with people from all over Europe, but only a few could be as lucky as me as to find crazy organisers like those found in Naples!
Written by Michela Zahra, AEGEE-Valletta