6abTrip to Malta – diary entries
We woke up at around 5 a.m. in the morning. It was not only a very exciting day for the whole class but also for our teachers who accompanied us. At around 6:45 a.m., we drove to "Vienna International Airport" by bus. At the airport, we had the possibility to buy some snacks for our flight. After that, we flew about 2 hours until we finally arrived at "Malta International Airport". We were welcomed and told some details by our "Guides". After that, we met our host families for the first time.
On the second day of our language trip to Malta, our school group was welcomed to the ESE school. In the afternoon we were taken to Valletta, the capital of Malta, and set off on a guided tour. Our tour guide led us through the scenic streets of the capital and gave us an overview of the city's history and culture. We saw impressive architecture such as the Parliament of Malta, visited the National Library of Malta, and enjoyed stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea. It was an exciting and educational start to our language trip.
On Tuesday we had language school in the morning. After that, we took the bus to a paintball area near the town Attard. We were separated into 4 teams and got a quick instruction on how to play. After putting on an overall and face mask for protection we were good to go. All in all, we played 4 games and had a lot of fun. Some bruises from the paintballs all over our bodies will constantly remind us of this exciting day the next week.
After we finally got a bit used to the unbearable hot weather in Malta, our journey has nearly come to an end. However, before we say goodbye to Malta, we still have some new places to visit.
On Thursday we had school until midday and then took a bus to Mdina. The bus ride took around 45 minutes. The city was stunning. The small paths that run through the whole city weren’t built straight. Because of that the residents of the city could quickly flee in the case of a pursuer. Our tour guide, Herbert, told us many interesting things about the city. For example: The town’s baroque gate can be seen in the first season of Game of Thrones.
Today we visited the Mdina-the old capital city of Malta. We also had a glance of the neighbouring city-Rabat. Mdina is a small historic city with several cathedrals and narrow streets. With the vivid explanation from our tour guide, we were immersed in the medieval times as if we were the invaders who got confused by the labyrinth-like structure, and were going to be finished by the locals waiting beside the corners.
Our Friday in the language week in Malta began with a normal breakfast. Afterwards, we were picked up at our pick-up point at 8:30am, and driven to school. There we did a treasure hunt and talked to our teacher for the last minutes. Later we took the bus to Valetta and enjoyed the city. Our teachers allowed us 4 hours of free time and bought us a tasty ice cream. At the end of the day we had dinner at our host family and went to bed.
On our last full day in Malta, we went on a Malta Tour. Our first stop was the crafts village Ta’ Qali where we got to watch the technique of glass blowing and had the possibility to buy beautiful artefacts. Next, we went to Limestone Heritage, an open-air museum. After a brief introduction video, we had an interactive walkthrough learning about the history of Maltese quarries. Thereafter, we made our way down to the South-eastern part of Malta to see the Blue Grotto. By taking a boat trip in a traditional Maltese fishing boat we were able to go inside the impressive caves. Lastly, we stopped at the fishing village Marsaxlokk. There we walked around the picturesque harbour featured by many colourful Luzzu´s (fishing boats).
Diary entries from the students of 6ab
