A great day in Gozo

On June 2,2010 we took a day trip out to Gozo. Gozo is a slightly smaller island than Malta where the Maltese like to go there for the weekends. You can get there by taking a ferry that goes between Malta and Gozo. The first thing we did when we arrived there was go hiking in Xlendi (pronounced Shlendy). We eventually came to a beach like place, except instead of being covered in sand, it's covered in soft rock that crumbles when you touch it. We also discovered that if you mix it with water, it becomes a clay like substance. Our next stop was a craft village. We stopped at Gozo glass, bought some for some of our friends and family, and looked around at some of the other shops there. I bought a cute little parasol for my American girl dolls before we left for my favorite part of the day. Ramla bay! It's my favorite beach in the whole world, not only because it has alot of rocks scattered around so its easier to make forts, but the sand is a really pretty red color instead of the usual yellowish brown color. We played there for an hour or so and then left for our favorite restaurant on Gozo called Oleanders (we like to call it Olivanders). Another place that we like to visit on Gozo, though we didn't go there on this day trip, is a place called the Azure window. It's a very nice place, especially for those people who really like to clime (like me). I just thought I might as well mention it since we went there the other two times we went to Gozo on this trip.

London and the Potter sites

On May 20, 2010 Mom, Annika, and I traveled to London. Dad would be traveling with the students and would meet up with us later while the students get on a plane to America. Yes, sadly their time here is over, but we still have some time.

When we arrive, It's very late, so we board a bus that took us within a few blocks from our hotel so we had to walk the rest of the way. Now if it was daytime, we would've just taken the London underground, but it wasn't, and since the underground isn't open at night, we had to walk.

The next day we took the London underground and saw the building that was used for the inside of Gringotts! Even though we couldn't go inside, it was still nice to know that I've seen one of the buildings that was used in one of the HP films. Our next stop was an underground station (not Kings cross) that was also used in the HP films. It had been closed down awhile ago and is now used for filming all kinds of movies like Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix.

We then went to Covent Garden market to wait for Dad. We seemed to wait forever, but it turned out he was waiting on the other side of the market. Once we found him we had lunch and then went to Cecil Court. It's believed that Cecil Court gave JKR the Idea for Diagon Alley. We also got to follow the path of the Death Eaters in the opening sequence of Harry Potter and the Half - Blood Prince. By then we were getting pretty tired, so we went back to the hotel to rest before our big night out.

At around 7:00 we left to see the Lion King. I have to say that it was the absolute best performed play I've seen in my whole entire life. I could write pages about how amazing it was, but as I don't want to bore you, I shall just move on.

The next day we saw Big Ben! We also saw the building that they used for the Ministry of Magic! Then we saw the Household Cavalry and walked on Westminster bridge which Harry and the order flew under in HP movie #5. We then went down into the basement of St. Martin in the Fields and did some brass rubbings. We then went back to the hotel to rest.

The next place we went to was Buckingham palace! Of course we couldn't go inside, but we did have a nice stroll in one of the gardens. We then went to one of my favorite places in the whole world - Waterstons bookstore! It was awesome! We then went to Fortnum and Masons which Annika and I really enjoyed because the main floor is all candy, chocolate and other desserts! Mom even let us buy a piece! It was really good.

The next day Dad and I went to a science museum while Mom and Annika went to a quilt exhibit. When we met up again we went to Liberty of London (which Dad and I didn't much care about), and then went to Hanleys, the biggest toy store in England! It was really neat! Also, the walls around the staircase were decorated with scenes from Narnia, so we took a lot of pictures.

We spent most of the next day at the London tower. We did a lot of walking that day. We saw the royal crowns that the kings and queens wore on special occasions. They were really fancy. We did have time for a couple things in the afternoon, so walked across Blackfriars bridge and the tower bridge where Harry and the Order fly under in #5. We also walked across the bridge that collapsed in the opening sequence of HP #6! Then we saw the place that was used as The leaky cauldron in #3! For our last stop of the day (and most exiting) we saw the building that was used for the outside of Kings Cross, and saw platform 9 3/4!!! It was awesome.

This entry seems to be getting a little long, so I'll just tell you the most exiting stuff. We went to St. Paul's cathedral (I've been to the 3 biggest churches on the world now!) and we saw the leaky cauldron used in #4! Personally, I don't remember the Leaky Cauldron in #4. We also had lunch in Diagon Alley!!! It was really sweet. We also rode the London eye! The last thing we did in London was go to the British museum. That is all of my time in London (and yes, I know I wrote a lot).

Swimming with the dolphins

On May 11, 2010 we went to a water park. The water park not only had water slides and other rides like that, but there was also a section that held a couple water animals. The first thing we did was swim with the dolphins! The dolphin we swam with was named Lukas. He was 11 years old, the youngest dolphin they had at the water park. He was very friendly. We were able to pet him , do a trick with him, and swim with him. It was so much fun!

After we changed out of the wet suits they lent us we watched the sea lion show. It was really cool! Sea lions can actually do hand stands (or flipper stands) and can be quite funny. Then we saw the dolphin show. It was even cooler than the sea lion show! They swim really fast and jump really high. It was really fun to watch.

After the show we were feeling hungry so we had lunch and then visited the reptile house. It was really small, but we did see a couple turtles including a snapping turtle, and a couple of snakes. Then we took a break and played at the kids center. After our break we watched the parrot show. It was really funny! One parrot drove a toy car, another pulled a small chariot, and yet another rode a unicycle on a tightrope! After that we were all quite tired so we left.

A concert in Valleta

On May 8, 2010 we went to a concert in Valletta. It was performed by Maltese. The best part about it was that every song came from a well known movie, such as the ones I've seen:
1. The Incredibles
2. The Lion King
3. E.T. (Well, I only saw the beginning, but it still counts)
4. Gone with the Wind
5. Madagascar
And the ones I haven't seen:
6. Indiana Jones
7. Pirates of the Caribbean
8. Hook
9. Robin Hood (Not the Disney one)
10. Schindler's List
11. The DaVinci code
12. James Bond
13. Rocky 4
I really enjoyed it, it was really fun to recognize a theme song from a movie you've seen.

Playmobile

On May 5, 2010 we went to the Playmobil factory. Now the factory is located at the other end of Malta, but lucky for us, Malta is a small island so it wasn't as bad a drive as it could've been. We had alot of fun there. We looked in the store, Annika bought a few things, and had lunch in the cafeteria there. There is also a room where you can play with about any playmobil set you want to, including the pyramid, the mansion, and etc. There is also a park behind the store part of it that has life size playmobil figures, horses, cows that you can actually milk, and alot more. We played there for much of our time at the factory. We also got a tour of the factory! We got to make our own playmobil guy and watch the workers make and box them. We also learned that all the small stuff was made in Malta and all the big stuff was sent to be made in Germany. It was really neat.

Turkey

On April 8th we left for Turkey. When we arrived in Istanbul we took another plane to Izmir. After a long ride to our hotel we got settled in and then we visited the ruins of the church of St. John (Not the one that visited Malta.) It was really big.

Then we went to a small town nearby. The owner in one of the shops was really nice, mostly because she knew one of our guides and students from this program had visited her shop before. She gave us discounts on everything! Annika bought a very pretty lantern and I bought a journal which was surprisingly more expensive than Annika's lantern. She also gave each of us a really pretty pouch, and since Annika is collecting coins, one Lyra for free! Mostly because, like most people over here, the lady who owns the store is really fond of Annika. She was Queen in Egypt and now her nickname is princess. Next thing you know she'll be sitting on a throne! And no, I'm not jealous.

We also tried Turkish tea which is actually really good.

The next day we went to see the last standing pillar of the temple of Artemis.

Then we saw the Ephesus museum. Then we went back to the store that we went to the day before. We bought some bracelets for our friends and then we had lunch. We found out that Turkish pizza is really good.

Then we visited some Greek and roman ruins including two theaters and a library. They were really neat.

Then we visited another town which was on the top of one of the mountain/hills (The drive was not fun).We didn't stay long though because we had to fly back to Istanbul.

It was very late when we got there so after the long drive to the hotel we went straight to bed.

On April 10th we went to the spice market. It was really cool! We also found out that we like Turkish delight!

After looking around for a bit we went to the Grand Bazaar. Wow it was huge! Not only that, but it was a maze down there. There were shops everywhere. We spent forever down there. I bought a beautiful (Not to mention expensive) traditional Turkish dress and Annika bought a whole bunch of stuff with the evil eye on it.

The next day we went to the Blue Mosque. My it was grand. We also visited the Aya Sofia. It was cool, but not nearly as grand as the Blue Mosque.

For our last event we visited the Tokapi palace. It wasn't really what most people would envision as a palace, but I still liked it. We saw where the Sultan slept and his mother's quarters. We saw much of the treasury too.

On April 12 we returned to Malta.

A Holiday in Spain

On the 28th of March during spring break we left for Spain. We arrived in Madrid very late at night, though luckily not as late as we where in Egypt.

The next day we went downtown and saw a museum which held some of Monet's paintings. That was probably the most boring part of our trip.

Next we went to a humongous park. It was mostly trees and flowers (which smelled REALLY good) with a big lake at the center of it all but there were also at least three playgrounds. Annika and I also got the chance to row a boat on the lake. It was hard work but I think it was fun too. We spent the rest of the day downtown. I bought a really pretty shawl and a fan for souvenirs.

On March 30th we spent most of the morning in Puerta Del Sol. And guess who we saw? Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Pooh Bear! We also saw a couple other people dressed up in costumes but they weren't Disney characters. The people in Spain really seem to like to dress up because we saw Mickey at the park the day before. Later in the morning we had to leave so we could catch a train to Seville. It was a very long train ride so we only had time to have dinner and go to bed.

On the 31st we went downtown Seville. Yet again we saw more people in costumes. No Disney characters though. Then we saw the Cathedral of Seville. It looked more like a palace than a cathedral. It's the third largest church in the world! Now we've been to the largest and the 3rd largest and Mom has been to the top 3! Later we bought Annika a flamenco dress and a hair clip that matches it. In the evening we saw flamenco dancing! It looked really hard.

On April 1st we had a guided tour of Seville. We saw the cathedral again but we also saw another church and some other places I can't remember.

April 2nd was pretty much the same except later at night we saw a procession that was held because of holy week. They actually handed out candy! Though unfortunately since I'm 1/2 an inch shorter than Mom I look more like a grown up so I didn't get much. Luckily Annika shared some.

The next day we had to get up really early so we could catch the train to Madrid. We took a REALLY long nap when we arrived at our hotel. In the late afternoon we went downtown and bought two pairs of castanets. The next day we woke up at 3:15 so we could head back to Malta.

An Adventure in Egypt

On Wednesday March 3 we left for Egypt. First we had a short flight to Rome. I have to say that was the easiest part of the trip. After we left the airplane we had to wait in the airport for about 4 hours to wait for our next plane to Egypt. We had dinner while we waited. By the time the plane came it was very late. We tried to sleep on the plane because this flight was alot longer but I didn't sleep at all.

We arrived in Egypt very early in the morning and met one of our guides whose name was Osama. We went to our hotel and managed to sleep for a couple of hours. Later after we had breakfast we met another guide named Sam.

We visited the Step Pyramid and a couple temples with neat ancient Egyptian drawings on the walls. In the afternoon we visited the Three Pyramids of Giza, went inside the second one, and visited the Sphinx. Annika, Dad, and some of the students rode camels! It looked really fun.

The next day we visited some old churches and two mosques. Women and girls have to cover their hair when they enter a mosque so we wore scarves over our hair when we went inside.

That night we went on a sleeper train. We each had a roommate. My roommate was a student named Erin. I've known her longer than any other student (Though not that much longer). I didn't sleep at all that night. They woke us up at around 6:00 am when we arrived in Luxor (not as early as we thought it would be) and met another guide named Hani.

After we checked into our hotel we visited the Valley of the Kings. It was pretty neat except it was about 100 degrees Fahrenheit and we couldn't take any pictures. After that we saw the temple of Queen Hatshipsut (We call it Hot chicken soup, it's way easier to remember). It was really neat except, of course, it was nearly 100 degrees out.

We finally left for the hotel and Annika and I swam in the pool (Yes, they actually have a pool), though by then the weather had cooled down a little and the pool was absolutely freezing.

The next day we had the morning off so in the afternoon we visited the temple of Karnak. It was almost as hot as the day before, almost, but not quite.

After lunch Annika and I were really tired (not surprising) and one of the students wasn't feeling well so we went back to the hotel to rest while the others went to the temple of Luxor.

That night we went on another sleeper train (I think I actually slept on this one) and went back to Cairo and met up with Osama and Sam. We then had a three hour drive to Alexandria. Most of us took a nap along the way.

When we arrived in Alexandria (Named after Alexander the Great) we saw two catacombs (That we couldn't take pictures in) and a Roman theater.

After lunch we saw one of the biggest libraries in the world!!!! It was totally awesome! But we didn't get to spend enough time there because Osama took us to one of his houses.

We had dinner and then chatted for a couple hours. We then had to leave for a three hour drive back to Cairo so we could get to the airport on time.

Tour of Valletta

Today we went on a tour of Valletta. We've been to Valletta plenty of times before but today we had a guide who explained it's history. She really knew alot. We learned that The walls of Valletta were built so the enemy's that approached on ships couldn't see it. Of course that didn't help in WWII.

After the tour we went to a house that originally belonged to one of the knights of Malta. The outside was very plain but the inside was very fancy. The house had two dining rooms, one for winter and one for summer, a green room, at least two other sitting rooms a small but highly decorated chapel, a nursery, a library, a small porch, a garden, and a couple other rooms I can't remember. Sadly we couldn't take any pictures.

But what I thought was really cool was when we got to go into the garden (Where you could take pictures) and have tea and canoli. I can't remember what it was made out of but it was really good. Only our guide, the students and my family were able to, none of the other people who were touring the house did. I felt really lucky (Though really I've felt lucky ever since the beginning of the trip). After we ate we left.

Carnival

On Saturday February 13th we went to see Carnival. Every year the Maltese have a Carnival celebration. (I don't know why yet) The kids like to dress up in costumes and they have a parade with floats and marching bands. We've seen some very elaborate costumes. We spent most of the morning at Carnival and then headed back. We had lunch on the roof and we relaxed for awhile. In the evening Dad and Mom went out to eat and one of the students took us out to see the movie Shorts. We then ate at Pizza Hut.

On Sunday February 14th we had a Valentines party! We spent most of the morning decorating and getting ready. We had lunch and then Annika and Mom baked some delicious cupcakes. Finally the students came. Three students brought valentines and Annika and I handed out ours. Then we had dinner. After dinner I finally got enough students recruited for the "school play!" The students talked for awhile and then gradually left.

The rest of the week was slow but on Saturday night we went out to see the movie Invictus. It was actually pretty good. Then we went to a restaurant called Peppi's. They had really good food.

Yesterday was the normal Sunday walk and the students in flat 13 made dinner.

The Festival of St. Paul/Mdina

On Wednesday we went to see the festival of the shipwreck of St. Paul. Sadly the festival was canceled because of the rain. But we did get to see the church of St. Paul's shipwreck. It was heavily decorated with silver. We also saw a huge statue of St. Paul that was made out of wood.

We wandered around a bit and saw a huge library that survived WWII! It was one of the last buildings that the knights of Malta built.But we eventually had to leave because it was cold, windy and rainy. And for some reason Annika got cotton candy. But she did share.

Yesterday was also very busy. We went to Mdina, the old capitol of Malta. The bus ride over there was not fun at all. Dad, Annika, and I had to stand up the entire ride! (Though near the end I found a seat but then let Annika sit in it) We had to sit for awhile when we got off the bus. Mom and the college students met us there.

We then visited the catacombs. They were so totally awesome! I found some stairs that led to a place so dark that some of the students actually had to use their camera flash to see! It was actually kind of creepy. Especially when everyone was quiet. Even some of the students were creeped out! It was also very dusty down there.

We went to a couple other places and then we went to Fontanellas! It's a restaurant that has the best chocolate cake ever!

We then left and went to a glass making place. It was really cool. I also bought Annika a valentines present. We left shortly after that.

Our first Saturday

Saturday morning was very busy. First we went to the University of Malta where the college students listened to an hour long speech, I read, and Annika and Dad went for a walk and saw some people marching and playing "Yankee Doodle." After that we went to see two temples that were the oldest man made structures on earth. They certainly looked old. That took up the rest of the morning and the weather was also very pleasant though the ride to and from the temples was not fun at all. It got really hot in there and I got a stomach ache. Annika said she had a headache after the ride. She looked really pale too, though her freckles really showed up. The afternoon was more laid back. We had lunch and then I read for quite awhile, we called some of our friends on Skype. Later we played Monopoly. Since today is Sunday, it was more laid back than the other days of the week. We slept in and then after breakfast we went grocery shopping. We came back and laid around, had lunch, and went for a short walk. It was colder and windier than yesterday, but it was still nice. I certainly am enjoying our stay in Malta.

My First Week in Malta

When I first came to Malta I was very surprised at how warm the weather was. When we left Minnesota the ground was covered in snow, but now when I look out the window I see crowded buildings and warm sunshine! Though the building that my family and I are living in is chilly, I like it not only because I can go up on the roof and have a picnic, but it's also very comfortable. On our first day there my mom took us and the students for a walk by the beach (My mom is leading a group of college students on a semester abroad trip). It was very beautiful. The sea sparkled like silk in the sunshine. The next day we went shopping (Which stunk cause I hate shopping), and on Tuesday and today my sister and I are preparing for the "school play." Since we're missing school, my dad is home-schooling us. Since we're also missing our school plays (We go to different schools) we've decided to do our own "school play." We're trying to recruit some students for the play so we'll see how that goes.