PUPILS at Moredon Primary School have been teasing their tastebuds with foreign flavours after a food exchange trip to Berlin.

The youngsters spent weeks preparing for the trip by cooking up their own German recipes.

"It was the school's first ever exchange trip abroad so the children really made the most of the experience," said teacher Violet McLaren.

While away the children learned to make German desserts, including Black Forest gateau and lemonade cake.

But, according to year six pupil Tom, the most exciting part was the pupils' chance to travel on the German public transport system, "Germany was great and not at all like here," said the 11-year-old.

"We had to make sure we caught the U-Bahn and the S-Bahn on time and the trams were double-decker too, which was cool."

The youngsters spent time at the International Schule Berlin where they met pen pals they had spent the previous months writing to.

"It was nice to see them all chattering away as if they were old friends," said Mrs McLaren.

"Of course they had been writing to each other but the children got to see the school and have lessons with their German friends rather than just hear about it - it was all very exciting."

The excitement did not end there because, as the children spent a day sightseeing, armed police appeared by the city's Jewish Memorial.

"We were told there had been a terrorist threat and armed police were there for protection," said Mrs McLaren.

"It was nerve-racking but the children behaved impeccably and it turned out to be nothing, which was a relief."

The children also visited Checkpoint Charlie - the name given to a crossing point between east and west Berlin by the western European countries occupying Berlin after the Second World War.

It is in the Friedrichstadt neighbourhood, which was divided when the Berlin Wall went up in 1961.

Lizzie, 10, said she loved their visit to the German TV tower and was amazed by the Jewish Memorial.

She said: "Everything in Berlin seemed really big compared to here.

"It was really fun jumping on the U-Bahn too, I didn't want to come home."

Mrs McLaren hopes the trip will be the start of many exchanges between pupils in Berlin and Swindon.