Courtesy: Princeton Athletic Communications

Day 3

This morning we toured Malta. We stopped at the Blue Grotto on the southern part of Malta. We planned to take boats out to the caves and swim but the water was too choppy and the boats weren't running. We did get some souvenirs at some of the local shops.

Next we went to a Mega Neolithic temple in Hagar Qim. These date back to 2000 BC. We learned how they were built and why they were constructed the way they were.

Marsaxlokk was our next stop. It's a fishing village on the Southeast side of Malta. Here we stopped and browsed the shops along the water for souvenirs and then ate lunch. We've eaten so much since we're been here! The Maltese bread has been a team favorite and it's just amazing. We dip it in olive oil and balsamic vinegar that has been on every table, like salt and pepper in the States. Water here is not free. They don't drink the tap water so everything is bottled and obviously costs money. It really makes you appreciate the little things you take for granted back home.

The country doesn't have a lot of natural resources, and import many things. There aren't many fruits grown here, or vegetables. Potatoes are very popular and they have three growing seasons, one of which is for exporting. Now we know why we've had potatoes, cooked every which way, at every meal. Because of the lack of fruit and vegetables, Malta has the second largest population of obese children (second to the US).

After lunch in Marsaxlokk we headed back to the hotel and changed for practice. It took 30+ minutes to get to our field, which makes us appreciate what we have back home. It was a fieldturf field and lined for women's lacrosse, although the lines weren't 100 percent. Our goalies Annie Woehling and Caroline Franke appreciate the extra wide crease they had. It felt great to get out on the field and gave us a renewed energy.

We had a couple hours to shower and rest before a hog roast at a nearby restaurant. The restaurant was amazing and once again we were served so much food. A platter of assorted salamis, olives, bread, bread with cheese before we ate the pig that had been roasted for us.

Another great day in Malta! Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!

Q&A with Grace Bowen and Stephanie Paloscio

What was the best thing you ate?
Steph: The cheesy bread we had tonight and the crackers and pork.
Grace: The meal we helped to cook yesterday, with the fresh fish and vegetables

What was a food you've eaten you've never eaten before?
Steph: I've never had tuna steak or a pig roast
Grace: An actual whole fish, eyeball and all.

How was practice today?
Steph: It was nice to run around
Grace: It gave us a lot more energy and as a group to keep our spirits up.