We spent there the better part of a morning of the rainiest, windiest and coldest day (11C; felt like 5C!) in Gozo so far, walking its walls, offering a 360-degree view, overlooking the surrounding country sights, only to return a couple of days later to visit its 4 museums – archaeology, folklore, natural science and the Prison! Worth the visit, especially the archaeology one – 3 hours, with a guide that was a fountain of knowledge but who kept repeating that we had to move along for the tour is usually an hour! Actually the country (Malta and Gozo islands) is a living museum! Aside from the several museums (this time, in addition to the ones at the Victoria Citadel in Gozo, we visited the Palace State Rooms in Malta), we went (again) to the Ggantija Temples in Xaghra (Gozo) and for the first time to the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum on Malta, probably the two most significant remains, but there are many others (see www.heritagemalta.org and separate blog entry)
We continued to visit the island, with walks along the cliffs near Sennat, on the South-East part of the island, by a bright sunny day – stop by the Hotel Ta’ Cenc, probably the most exclusive one on the island; the savvy local general manager Sammy took us on a tour of the premises; see www.vborg.com.
Went back to Xlendi – this time on a much calmer day than last week – for a coffee and a bite to eat on the terrasse of the St-Patrick hotel fronting the bay (also part of the Malta-based Borg group). We took Josette and Jacques to walks on the North-East side of the island, to discover Ramla Bay – the best known and largest beach of the 2 islands
and the village of Marsalforn, known as the most developed of the tourist destinations in Gozo
– pretty deserted at this time of the year!Christmas Eve and Christmas were busy time. Cynthia’s University friend, Marilyn, arrived from Paris where she lives – fresh from a 6-week photo assignment in the slums of India – on time to celebrate Cynthia’s birthday with us: here went a few other just-flown-in bottles of Champagne!
Xmas Midnight Mass at the Church of the Visitation, built at the turn of the 18th century, just up the street from our farmhouse in Gharb – a full “grand’ messe”, with “diacre et sous-diacres”, all in Malti, but could follow the usual liturgical sequence of a catholic ceremony, with the addition of the local Maltese tradition of the “young boy sermon”, a fully memorised and flawlessly delivered homely by a kid who could not have been more than 7 years old! (We visited a few churches in Gozo this week aside from the Visitation, dropping by the Xaghra one and a glimpse at the huge St-John the Baptist church in Xewkija
– always attracted by churches, partly because of our catholic background, partly as well I suspect because of the awe they inspire: their size and their height; they remind us of our relative insignificance!)Picnic at Ramla Bay on Christmas Day – at a “borrowed” shack carved out of the rock overlooking the beach...
And by a sunny and warm morning, keeping the Xmas spirit going over the weekend, lunch at Ron’s, one of the only 2 restaurants mentioned by Lonely Planet, in Marsaxlokk (remember, the “x” is pronounced “sh”!), the fishing village in the south of the main island Malta, after an unexpected (and noisy) “Xmas” parade at noon on the main street facing the bay where you find these very colourful wooden fishing boats that characterized the Maltese islands, some garnished with the Phoenician eye at the prow.
Very fresh plate of delicious red snapper and seabass from the village fish market which is supposed to be the dominical attraction, but totally marginalized by other shops, especially with this parade going on!
Followed by a full-fledged show on the main square facing the village’s church where we are treated to the local Pavarotti and Michael Jackson impersonator! Stop on the way back in Valetta to drop Marilyn at the old-fashioned Phoenicia Hotel, before getting lost at night wanting to get back to our way to the Gozo ferry, by taking the wrong turn and ending in the wrong part of town somewhere on the outskirts of Valetta – shades of the Bonfire of the Vanities!
Dinner with Carol and Michael of Fort Chambray at It-Tmun - introduced by Maltese-Canadian host and owner Patrick to the only local red wine I truly enjoyed : the Antonin Noir, year 2007, of Marsovin - a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc grapes, grown in Marsaxlokk!(see http://www.marsovin.com/cellaragedwines/AntoninNoir/tabid/1378/Default.aspx)
Few more quiet and sunny days before our departure on New Year’s Day...the end of our 3-week stay.
Dec 31, 2009
