The flight from Munich to Valetta was very smooth, so even first-time flyers were not too scared during take-off and landing. After being picked up from the airport, we unpacked our suitcases in Hotel Nr. 11, went to the rocky beach to see huge waves and interesting sea life (mostly found and explained by Travis), and later on made our first contact with famous Paceville – the party district right around the corner. During the first night, some of the boys knocked at Mr. Hofer’s instead of the girls’ door, and one student managed to lock himself up in the shower 😊. What a start!
Second day, Thursday: due to lessons in the afternoon, we went on our excursion to Blue Grotto and Marsaxxlok in the morning. It was a perfect day, not only regarding weather: first swim in the Mediterranean Sea, a beautiful boat ride, and a nice stroll through a market in a typical fishing village. The afternoon was booked for lessons, followed by an already more detailed visit to Paceville in the evening.
Friday had lessons in the morning, then a first walk to a sandy beach called St. George’s Bay, with a lot of swimming, sunbathing, snorkeling and volleyball. In the evening, our choice was Spinola Bay with its more quiet and safer bars, pubs and restaurants for entertainment.
Saturday, usually one of the highlights of the week, turned out to be a very, very, VERY windy highlight in Gozo this year. Ferry ride, bus ride to Dwejra Bay, boat ride through a cave out into the open sea included, then back inland to the Citadella (a beautiful fortress) and finally an hour at Ramla il-hamra beach to enjoy the beautiful red sand and another salty swim. In the evening, everybody was so tired that a short stroll around the hotel area and down to the rocky beach was all the students were still able to do. And the teachers were sooo happy about this 😴G😴K😴T.
The second weekend day was supposed to be a relaxing day at Golden Bay. However, the weather turned out to be too windy and too rainy, so we decided to get a guided tour at the national aquarium, which was definitely worth a visit. As a bit of compensation for not going to Golden Bay, the night out in Paceville was extended till midnight for partying and dancing – with Footloose being the place to be.
Two more weekdays to go, with lessons in the morning and an activity in the afternoon. Monday was shopping afternoon in Valetta and took place a bit later than it had been planned. The students wished to spend their class cash, which they had earned as successful businesspeople back in Rotholz, on lunch in a fancy seafood restaurant in Spinola Bay. Well organized by Hanna E. and Viola, and very much appreciated by the three teachers, who were invited to a free meal by the whole class (!!), everybody enjoyed the sun, the view and, of course, the food. Then, off to Valetta for some souvenir shopping. The last chance to go to Paceville lasted till after midnight, with – as the teachers assume 🙈 – a lot of dancing and having fun. The students had really deserved this treat by always being reliable and punctual during the trip so far.
Tuesday meant finishing a magazine at school in the morning. After lunch, back to Valetta, but from a different angle: the so-called Harbour Cruise revealed the beauty of the city from the seaside, also showing some big ships and a huge cruise ship for thousands of passengers. Returning to St. Julians, we had one more delicious dinner at Cuba restaurant, which had always served a wide range of meals throughout the whole week. Then, off to bed early, as our departure time on the final day was 5.30 a.m.
Not surprisingly, everybody appeared on time, some eyes less opened than others, but everybody found the bus. Sleeping on the bus, packed breakfast at the airport, sleeping on the plane, fetching suitcases, sleeping on the bus, meeting parents and going home for a long weekend. 8 days went by so (too) fast, but it was certainly a unique experience for all 3LMT students. And they did a great job making this trip enjoyable for us teachers as well.
Thank you so much for this! 😍G😍K😍T
Georg Hofer, Kathrin Zauner, Travis Spitzock