In September a friend and I are going to Gozo for twelve days. We are flying Alitalia to Rome and then on to Malta. We have friends on Gozo and will stay with them. Gozo is a tiny island just a twenty minute ferry ride from Malta. I can't wait!
After teaching seven days a week for the last seven months, I think I deserve a good holiday! Has anyone been there?
I believe there are no supermarkets on Gozo. There is a grocery truck that drives along the roads, hopefully every day. The best thing is that on Malta they drive on the left hand side of the road like they do in the UK and here in South Africa too. I remember when I went to Spain to teach English. I came out of the underground in Madrid after a long flight from South Africa via Doha, severely jet lagged and dehydrated, stepped off the pavement after looking looking right and then left and nearly got myself run over.
Apparently the language, Maltese, stems from a very ancient version of Arabic with some Latin, Italian and French thrown in too. However, many people speak English so I will not have to take a crash course in Maltese. But, if there is a teacher of Maltese among you, I would love to exchange our languages.
Have a fantastic trip, Leigh!
It is a great idea to learn the language a bit! Of course, the majority of new acquaintances will be happy to speak English with you. But... When you speak in THEIR NATIVE language only a few words, you will speak to the hearts of the people. So, it is a good possibility to make sincere friends.