San Andrea students in Berlin

After the successful visit to Berlin in June 2002, another group of 10 students from San Andrea School, L-Imselliet, accompanied by Ms Louise Abela and Ms Daniela Borg Ferrante, participated in a Friendship and Youth Festival in the German capital between May 12 and 19.

The purpose of this visit was to join students from different cultures to exchange ideas including language, folk music and traditional dishes. Other students came from Germany, Latvia, Slovenia and Iran.

The San Andrea group had the opportunity to tour Berlin's most famous sites and also its outskirts. On their arrival, the students went round the Königin-Luise-Stiftung, the hosting school organising and participating in this project. The next day the group visited Sans Souci, Frederick II's palace outside Berlin, built in the Rococo style. A guided tour was then organised through the Pergamon Museum, where Greek and Babylonian archaeological remains can be seen.

Half of the Maltese group joined an Art lesson where they were learning how to produce a film by drawing several pictures related to a legend they wanted to present. The other San Andrea students attended an English lesson where the German students interviewed them in English.

In both cases, the Maltese and German students participated and interacted very well together and shared ideas and views related to the subject matter. During the break the school students could admire the Maltese stand in the foyer where they were given an idea of the Maltese Islands, culture and information about San Andrea School and what it entails.

Afterwards the Maltese group visited the Egyptian Museum and toured the Turkish market. In the evening, they were invited to watch a group of Maltese musicians playing string instruments at the Schauspielhaus. The audience included officials of the Maltese embassy and other distinguished guests.

On Saturday morning, the Maltese group, accompanied by some of the Berlin school's teachers and students, visited Peacock Island where about 120 peacocks live freely. Although it was raining and cold, the Maltese students and their teachers enjoyed walking among the peacocks. They also had the opportunity to see other animals and view King Frederick's Hunting Castle.

The highlight of this visit came on Saturday evening, with a Maltese Night at which Ambassador William Spiteri and a number of foreign ambassadors were present. Ms Abela and Ms Borg Ferrante welcomed the visitors and introduced the evening.

Later, all present enjoyed a variety of traditional Maltese dishes including fish soup, sausages, pastizzi, bigilla, hobz biz-zejt, Gozitan ftira, meat pies, spinach and anchovy pie, stuffed olives, nougat, mqaret, honey rings and many more. Besides they were also offered Maltese wine, liqueurs and Kinnie while Maltese folk music was played in the background.

The group also had the chance to watch the Eurovision Song Contest in Turkey and vote for the Maltese song On Again off Again by Ludwig and Julie.

The Latvian group gave a show where they sang a couple of folkloristic songs and played My Heart will Go On with the flute accompanied by the piano, as part of the friendship theme.

Sunday morning was calm and relaxing as the Königin-Luise-Stiftung teachers took the Maltese and other foreign participants on a river trip out of Berlin and close to the Polish border.

The Maltese party visited the 365-metre high TV tower in Alexander Platz from where they could enjoy a bird's eye view of Berlin's landmarks, such as the Brandenburg Gate, the Victory Column, the East-Side Gallery better known as the Berlin Wall, several famous squares and buildings.

Later they headed for the zoo. In the evening, all the students residing at school and those from the participating countries were invited to a friendship party.

On Tuesday it was time to take a guided tour of the Jewish museum and its highly unusual architecture by Daniel Liberkind. The museum features aspects of Jewish life in Berlin from the late 19th century to the 20th century and the Holocaust.

At the Maltese Embassy Ambassador Spiteri and his staff gave the Maltese group a warm welcome. Mr Spiteri gave a talk about the embassy's work.

Late in the afternoon, the Berlin school organised a karaoke night which all students enjoyed tremendously, particularly as for the Maltese group it was their farewell evening.

The group's last morning was spent in Potsdamer Platz, one of Berlin's busiest shopping districts.

Special thanks go to Ms Audrey Galea, headmistress of San Andrea Senior School, who gave the group the opportunity to widen their friendship and experiences, Manfred Gruter, the main co-ordinator of this project, Mrs G. Gruter and Ms B. Klaub who also supported and helped the group throughout their stay; Ms H. Kong, headmistress of Königin-Luise-Stiftung and the staff.

Ambassador Spiteri and Kornelia Klenner and other embassy officials helped make this visit a successful one and a fruitful experience for all the students. Marsovin provided the wine, Master Cellars the Maltese liqueurs and Mosta Bacon the Maltese sausages for the Maltese Night.