Final day in Malta

Tomorrow we head to Brussels for a couple of days, and then it's a flight on Friday to Copenhagen-Singapore-home, arriving Saturday night.

We've had a wonderful, hot holiday, full of sunshine and beaches.  We've moved around a lot - compared to our usual one-city base - and every location has been a new experience for us.  I'm not one for living out of a suitcase, so I find this type of holiday quite challenging, but even a short stay somewhere brought experiences, people - and food! - into our lives that will bring a smile when we think of them.

If I had to choose a highlight, it would be Lipari...and I can't wait to return.  Island life is so different to what we know.  There is no natural water in the isole eolie - water is tankered in from Naples.  All drinking water is bottled water, and the residents and holiday residences are extremely conscious about water usage for personal and household use.  In Malta too, the rainfall is so low, they are water conscious in the same way.  The scarce water availability impacts so many aspects of their daily lives.

Our experiences in both Sicily and Malta were with warm, friendly, down to earth people...and we've been fortunate to experience their architecture, their churches, their history, and their willingness to share life with us.

Quiet Sunday in Rabat

Cloudy with a cool breeze and rain clouds threatening...we may have outstayed Malta's summer!

Visited the Wignacourt Museum, which houses a collection of religious art, vestments and other items used by the church and worshippers dated through the 15th to 18th centuries, as well as found pottery dated as early as the 3rd century BC.  The Museum also comprises an air-raid shelter, the Grotto of St Paul, and 4th century Christian catacombs.  I was comfortable enough to visit the Grotto, which is a cave (but easily reached via a few stone steps) where St Paul is said to have preached during his stay in Malta, and venture a short distance into the air raid shelters - all hollowed by hand in the limestone.  The catacombs are not for me, neither here nor the extensive labyrinth under St Paul's Church...steep, small stone steps up and down, passages 40cm wide and less than 1.5 metre high, lit by small lamps on the walls (which, I believe, sometimes go out!).  We were both happy to pass on the catacombs.

We wandered to the small chapel of St Agatha.  We learned the tragic tale of St Agatha when we were in Sicily, and there are catacombs under the chapel where she is said to have lived while in hiding in Malta.  The chapel, crypt and catacombs were closed today, and it was very peaceful sitting in the cool of the courtyard.  Apparently a small section of the catacombs under St Agatha's Chapel are open to the public and, when you enter, you can see the exit from the entry point...so we may return tomorrow and take a look...but I don't guarantee it!

In need of a snack, we discovered a bakery with tasty treats...we had walked past this bakery a few times and caught sight of the jam and iced donuts through the tiny doorway, but we're not often looking for donuts so had never gone in for a better look.  Well, we learned today that the bakery is open 24 hours and it's a favourite with the locals for their fresh baked bread.  There's only room for perhaps three people inside!  Brent had a piece of pizza and I had sfineg...small balls of fried pizza dough with an oily anchovy fillet tucked inside.  Sound good?  Maybe not...but it was scrumptious!  We ate them sitting on a stone step in one of the church squares.

Mdina...but so much more

We set off this morning for Mdina...but were distracted by a tiny church on the way.  The church of Santa Maria ta' Duna is not currently operating as a church, but it is being lovingly restored by locals.  We learnt much about its rich history from two men who are responsible for the restoration...Richard Azzopardi and Frank O'Neill.  They are wonderful characters...such an odd couple.

Richard is an enthusiastic Catholic, quite elderly with a passion for history.  He asked me if I was Catholic.  When I answered, "No", he said, "We love you anyway," and he gave me a big hug.  Frank O'Neill, we learned, is a former teacher, as well as a composer, singer, entertainer...and he draws cartoons from a person's signature!  If you stopped to chat to Frank, as we did, as soon as he knew what country you hailed from, he picked up his guitar and played a tune.  For us it was Waltzing Matilda...and for a couple from Virginia it was John Denver's 'Country Roads'!

Frank is a collector...does that give you an inkling of what's coming...?  Well, Frank is selling much of his personal collection of historical prints, photos...and, yes, vinyl records...to raise funds for the church restoration.  The items are laid out in boxes, piles, on tables, and on display boards within the church...and it's a fascinating treasure trove.  Brent and Frank got chatting and before I knew it Frank was performing David Bowie, Donovan and Simon and Garfunkel tunes on his guitar...and sketching a cartoon based on Brent's signature.  Brent bought a small swag of vinyl - he had to dash back home for cash! - and I found a couple of prints of historical Malta that I've got plans for.

I cannot tell you all the stories we heard and all the avenues we travelled in our conversations with them, but it was the most special experience and I will treasure meeting these two gentlemen for ever.

Eventually we headed to Mdina and spent time wandering the tiny streets, enjoying the architecture and the views from the city walls.  The city is residential, as well as the location for some museums and a drawcard for tourists...I can't imagine what it must be like to live there.  We wandered back at dusk tonight when there was only a few people in the streets...it's atmospheric and a little eerie, and perhaps that's what the residents love.

Splurged on lunch today at L-Istazzjon, a bistro in a restored train station - which is quite unique as there are no longer any trains in Malta...so it's a quick street pastizzi for dinner...perfect!

Return to Malta...bongu Rabat

I was a little nervous about the ferry trip this morning because the day was really windy.  All the umbrellas were tied down in Pjazza San Gorg when we had morning coffee, but apart from watching the horizon dip during a few rolling moments, it was smooth sailing!

Brent teed up an e-cab at the Cirkewwa ferry terminal for the 30 minute drive to Rabat.  The buses are great in Malta, but they're city buses - very busy and no space for luggage.  While Malta doesn't have a service like Uber, the e-cabs operate by a similar phone app and they cover the whole of Malta.  We've used the service a few times and it's been great.

We are staying at a guesthouse in Rabat, and it's beautiful (just a couple of flights of stairs!).  I feel really privileged to have stayed in such interesting accommodation during this trip - residences that are obviously much loved and full of the character of their location.

Rabat is a town of (again!) narrow streets and alleys, and sits just outside the city of Mdina, a fortification that dates back to 1000 BC, and was built into a walled city by the Arabs in the 9th century.

We spent some time getting our bearings and wandering Rabat, working out what we will do during our few days here...tomorrow, Mdina!

Last day in Gozo

Spent today packing, doing a little souvenir shopping, final wanders and visiting our favourite places...Kafé San Gorg for breakfast and Stanley's Chippy for dinner.  No matter what route you take through the winding alleys of old Victoria, you always seem to end up in the lively Pjazza San Gorg.

Gozo has been relaxed and we've enjoyed continuing our beach holiday...well, apart from that one outing to Ramla Bay!  The people we've met here have been warm, friendly and ever helpful...and, really, that's what makes a stay anywhere special.

Tomorrow morning we head back to the ferry, travelling to Rabat in central Malta for a few days.

Dahlet Qorrot...now that's a beach

The jellyfish and weather stars aligned today and we made the journey to Dahlet Qorrot beach.

Half an hour on bus 303, some superb navigating by Brent and Google in the hilly farming tracks out of Nadur, two extreme hills, two kilometres ... and it was worth it!

The walk is lined with wild brush and fruiting fichi d'India, and small farm fields, mostly growing pumpkins and beans from what we could see.  We watched one farmer methodically hoeing his field by hand, barefoot...so inspiring!  Don't even think of complaining about the walk, I told myself!

The views as we made our way down to the bay were fabulous.

Dahlet Qorrot is a tiny beach, sheltered by a cove of limestone rock walls.  To one side, local fisherman have built their beach storage sheds by hollowing out the rock walls and fixing colourful doors in place.  The coast stretches out either side and you can walk the cliffs to other bays in the area.  The limestone surfaces around Dahlet Qorrot are known for fossil finds, and the rock formations are diverse shapes and textures.

The beach is sandy, pebbly and rocky, and some of the shallower areas have a limestone shelf base that gives you a firm surface after wading out over the rocky bottom.  Those Lipari jiffies came in handy today!

The water is perfectly clear and just a wonderful place to swim-walk-swim.  There is a small food and drink caravan, a public loo...and very few people...couldn't have wished for more!

The steep return climb was a small price to pay for the incredible sea views.  I know we'll sleep well tonight!

Il-Kastell (Cittadella)

Yesterday we took the bus to Ir-Ramla (Ramla Bay)...now, we did expect it to be fairly busy because it's easy to get to, looks lovely with its red-gold sand...but we were totally unprepared for the sun-loving tourist set!  I will not describe the behaviour we witnessed...suffice to say we didn't stay and won't be visiting another beach that's popular with tourists.  The trick, of course, is to go somewhere difficult to get to...and if the weather and jellyfish omens align, that's what we'll be doing!

The Malta weather site also includes a "jelly map", updated daily, showing which bays are expected to be safe for swimming and those that may see jellyfish action.  They don't predict what type of jellyfish might occur, but there have been blooms (love that description...no doubt familiar to my crossword-avid family!) of mauve-coloured jellyfish very active in the waters and, while they look rather gorgeous, they pack a powerful sting.  Brent checks the jelly map each morning and it dictates where we might head to the beach.

Anyway...today was not a beach day.

We visited Il-Kastell, which is the old walled town of Victoria (known locally as Rabat, which is the Maltese reference to "capital city"), a fortification that's been present since the Bronze Age, and used by and developed by the Phoenicians and the Romans.  When Gozo was subject to raids by the Turks in the mid 1500s, the whole town hid within the Cittadella.  There are also parts of Il-Kastell that were used as unofficial air raid shelters during World War II.  A restoration of the town was completed in 2016 and the site includes some interesting museums, a couple of unobtrusive cafés, some tiny arts and crafts shops...and some great views of Gozo and surrounds.

Our favourites were the Gozo Nature Museum and Gran Castello Historic House, which provides an insight into life on Gozo.  The museums are housed in buildings dating back to the 1500s, and they're a great wander.  I loved the lace making exhibit in Gran Castello...makes our cross-stitch look so simple!  My favourites in the Nature Museum were the Shame-Faced Crab and the Ocean Sunfish...just beautiful!

Bongu (good morning) Gozo

Left Birgu this morning, cab to the ferry terminal at Cirkewwa, and a 25-minute ferry trip to Gozo.  When you depart Malta you don't need to buy a ticket or even have a boarding pass...you just queue, follow the procession of people and on you go.  On the return trip, you need to pay for the crossing before departing Gozo.

Although there seemed to be quite a crowd, the queue moved quickly and the access to the ferry was via pathways and an escalator...a wonderful surprise for those of us with suitcases!  No lifting required!  We found a table and chairs in the cafeteria at the front of the boat, and we were on our way in no time at all.  Smooth.

We knew we would be too early to check in, but the owner of our accommodation in Gozo was happy for us to leave our suitcases at the house.  From the ferry terminal we caught a cab to Piazza Savina, a square close to our accommodation, and then we navigated our way on foot through the narrow streets to our new abode.  Met the owner - David, who gave us a key, we left the suitcases and headed off for a wander-lunch-wander until David let us know the house was ready.

Thought you might like some pics of a typical Gozitan residence...

Final day in Birgu

Started the day with croissants at the tiny Aghmilli Kafé, halfway to the ferry stop...they have the best, fresh croissants and really good coffee.  We weren't catching the ferry, but the croissants and coffee are worth the walk!

Meandered the streets for a while, then home to pack.  We are leaving tomorrow for the Maltese island of Gozo.

Break for lunch at the local Cafe Riche.  The local beer in Malta is "Cisk" and it's served at any time of the day...yes, in lieu of morning coffee even!  I might not be much of a beer drinker, but it's so hot here, I can down a whole bottle of Perrier over lunch!

A visit to the Inquisitor's Palace, which is just around the corner from where we're staying.  In Maltese, this is called I-Palazz tan-Inkwizitur.  I like the Maltese description - "inkwizitur" has a slightly evil tone, and the power they wielded was certainly not for the greater good.  I enjoyed reading the plaques that told individual stories and stated that when a person was found innocent of the accused crime, they were granted freedom with just a warning from the inquisitor.  A warning?  Not to be innocent of the next accusation?  Confusing times!

A little more packing and tidying up, and then we're ready for dinner, an early night...and a new adventure tomorrow!

Rest day

Agreed to have a quiet day today...catch up on some washing, review our travel plans, send emails.  A quiet day will always include some walks...down to the marina, around town...and coffee!

We have a couple of favourite cafés in the local square...one for daytime, one for dinner.  Both are gathering places for locals...they're not fancy, but they're genuine, friendly, good value...and that's the kind we like!

We've discovered imqaret...dates, citrus, spices encased in a biscuit pastry and deep fried, served warm with vanilla ice cream...that's an afternoon treat!

PS...Fi, the Pellicano door plaque is for you x