Sunday, February 19, 2012 Welcome-to-Gozo Sunday’s Carnival Highlights: In Victoria: Gozo Regional Carnival with a grand defile followed by group dance competitions in Independence Square. Organized groups in brightly colored costumes. From about 3:00 pm onwards. Enjoyable for all. In Nadur: Traditional Gozitan Carnival. Primarily individuals in makeshift costumes. From about 8:30 pm to the early morning. The daily Nadur Carnival tends to be rowdy and attracts a younger crowd. 1:00 pm: IJAS walk from Victoria bus terminus to Xlendi Bay. 3:45 pm: Xlendi to Victoria Carnival (Public bus #306). An 8-minute ride. The Xlendi to Victoria bus leaves every hour, at 45 minutes past the hour. Public Bus Transport from Victoria Bus Terminus In order to catch a bus from Victoria to your village in the evening, check http://www.arriva.com.mt/gozo-routes for the bus schedule. 1 Monday, February 20, 2012 Conference Presentations in Xewkija 10:30 am to 5:45 pm (Presentations schedule is at http://ijasmalta2012.sched.org/) Public Bus Service (Bus #301, a.k.a. Mgarr Bus or Ferry Bus) From the Victoria bus terminus, take Bus #301 and ask the driver to drop you either at the University Centre bus stop in Xewkija (pronounced “Show-Key-A”) or, if not possible, at the Tal-Hniena bus stop in Xewkija (at the roundabout). See page 6 below on how to proceed from the Tal-Hniena bus stop. Due to recent public road works, it is very likely that the University bus stop will be inaccessible to the bus. Hence, the Tal-Hniena alternative. From Victoria to Xewkija, it’s about an 8-minute ride. DEPARTURE RETURN TRIP from Victoria Bus Terminus from Conference Center to Xewkija Conf. Center to Victoria Bus Terminus 09:15 09:21 10:00 10:29 10:45 11:14 11:30 11:59 12:15 12:44 13:00 13:29 13:45 14:12 14:30 14:59 15:15 15:44 16:00 16:29 16:45 17:14 17:45 17:59 & 18:44 2 Tuesday, February 21, 2012 Educational Tour of the Island of Gozo We will meet at 9:00 am in St George’s Square, Victoria, for a traditional coffee/tea and pastizzi breakfast. If you arrive late (blame the Nadur Carnival!), meet us at the Gozo Citadel Theatre for the 10:00 am show. The theatre is in Independence Square, a stone’s throw away from St George’s Square. At the end of the Gozo day tour, the coach will drop off passengers at Marsalforn, the Victoria Bus Terminus and Xlendi. The majority will get off at the Victoria bus terminus from where they may catch a public bus to their village or stay in Victoria for the evening carnival. Evening Carnival in Victoria Tuesday evening marks the closing celebrations of the Gozo Regional Carnival with a grand defile followed by dance competitions and grand finale in Independence Square, Victoria, at 6:30 pm. Delegates who stay in Victoria at the end of the Gozo tour may catch a bus from Victoria to their village in the evening. Check http://www.arriva.com.mt/gozo-routes for the public bus schedule. 3 Wednesday, February 22, 2012 Educational Tour of the Island of Malta We will take the 9:00 am ferry from Mgarr (Gozo). We will meet on the ferry. You may either take a cab directly to the Gozo ferry or proceed to the Victoria bus terminus and catch the 8:30 am Bus #301 (yes, the same one that passes in front of the University Centre) to the ferry. Check http://www.arriva.com.mt/gozo-routes to find out which bus you should take from your village to the Victoria bus terminus in order to catch the 8:30 am Bus #301 from Victoria. IJAS delegates in Xlendi Bay will get a private bus at 8:05 am that will take them to the Gozo ferry. IJAS delegates in San Lawrenz’s Kempinski Hotel will get a private bus from in front of the hotel at 7:50 am. It will take them to the Gozo ferry. IJAS delegates in Marsalforn will get a private bus from the Marsalforn “bus terminus” at 8:10 am. It will take them to the Gozo ferry. After the day tour on the island of Malta, delegates will have two options. Some would remain in Malta in order to fly out of Malta the following day. These delegates would have brought their luggage with them for the Malta tour. Since we will be using private coaches in Malta, they could leave their luggage in their private coach’s locked luggage compartment during the day tour. For those who plan to remain in Malta, we strongly recommend that they select a hotel for the night in Gzira, Sliema, St Julians or Paceville. This is a scenic part of Malta where one may enjoy an evening walk among the seafront restaurants. Our private coaches will take the remaining delegates back to the Gozo ferry. Once the ferry arrives in Mgarr, Gozo, a private coach will take them back to their villages. 4 Thursday, February 23, 2012 Conference Presentations in Xewkija 9:30 am till about noon (Presentations schedule is at http://ijasmalta2012.sched.org/) Public Bus Service (Bus #301, a.k.a. Mgarr Bus or Ferry Bus) From the Victoria bus terminus, take Bus #301 and ask the driver to drop you either at the University Centre bus stop in Xewkija (pronounced “Show-Key-A”) or, if not possible, at the Tal-Hniena bus stop in Xewkija (at the roundabout). See page 6 below on how to proceed from the Tal-Hniena bus stop. Due to recent public road works, it is very likely that the University bus stop will be inaccessible to the bus. Hence, the Tal-Hniena alternative. From Victoria to Xewkija, it’s about an 8-minute ride. DEPARTURE RETURN TRIP from Victoria Bus Terminus from Conference Center to Xewkija Conf. Center to Victoria Bus Terminus 09:15 09:21 10:00 10:29 10:45 11:14 11:30 11:59 12:15 12:44 5 Due to road construction works in front of the University of Malta Gozo Campus, public bus #301 may not be able to drop you at the University of Malta bus stop. Instead it may drop you at the Tal-Hniena bus stop, on the roundabout, from where it’s a 450-meter walk to the Campus. There is a pharmacy in front of the Campus. Hence, you may follow the green cross sign (symbolizing the pharmacy) on your way to Campus. 6 .