Hi Everyone!
Onto Malta…for those that might not know about Malta, it is situated centrally in the Mediterranean Sea, 93 km south of Sicily (Italy). It is ‘one’ of the worlds smallest countries by land mass, 122 sq miles in size. It is part of the British Commonwealth and was once a British Colony. It gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 and became a Republic in 1974. It became a member of the European Union in 2004). And changed to the euro in 2008. ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malta )
So, with little sleep I made it to the airport and waited to get on the plane. While standing in the line to check in there was a little boy watching his father with his eyes welling up with tears and suddenly he burst out crying, I hate to say it but I was hoping the father was going on a trip and the son sad to see him go, but I was wrong. I checked in and waited for a short bit to boarded the plane. (Air Malta flight)
Once on,I got a great seat, three seats to myself so I was so prepared to have a nice sleep before arriving in Malta….and that just didn’t happen. The little boy was still screaming and crying as he sat right behind me, what are the chances. I of course thought of the first thing I could possible do to tune him out and that was to get the IPod out and start watching some episodes. That drowned out some of it but not all, and I did attempt to sleep a bit to no avail of course. Then the stewardess brought around a small meal, was so nice, it came in a cute red box with Air Malta on it and was a sandwich, oj, and a yummy muffin. (silly I know but I took a pic of the box)
Something I learnt about Malta before going,from another traveller is that there are tons of English Language Schools there and while on the flight, they have advertisements for the schools on the back of the seats, which are actually different lessons…..here is a sample of one (thought it was kind of funny)
Ok, so enough about the flight, lets get to Malta already…I was so tired but so excited to finally go, and here I am on a flight to get there and meet some of my relatives and see where my father was born and lived for part of his life.
Day 91 Tues. July 21
We landed at exactly the time anticipated, 7:30 a.m going in for the landing, the view was beautiful.I went back another hour, so now I am only 6hrs ahead of home. I grabbed my bag, and walked right through, no customs, no immigrations and no stamp, which I did want, but apparently no need when you are traveling through the Schengen regions (something I learnt about later…here is a link to read up on it, if you like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schengen_Agreement )
I walked through the gate and there was a man holding a sign with my name on it…my shuttle to the hostel…yeah! So, I introduced myself and we walked to the van and off to my hostel we went. As you can imagine I had my eyes out the window the whole time, just observing everything. My hostel was in Sliema, it is a city located on the northeast coast of Malta and has lots of shopping, restaurants and cafes, as well as hotels. Sliema means ‘peace, comfort’ and it used to be a fishing village. My hostel was “Granny’s Inn Hostel” it is family owned and run by Marisette, Vincent and Paulette, and they were fantastic. I really felt at home there. They were very helpful …Thank you again for everything!
The hostel was just under a year old and it was very comfortable, nice rooms and beds, good bathrooms, a lounge/tv area, self catering kitchen, “my little office” the balcony … lol,free wifi and it was very conveniently located. So if you’re ever planning to visit Malta, stay here, I highly recommend it.
my room, my bed
this is Paulette, Marisette and me
We arrived at the hostel and knocked on the door and Paulette answered, she checked me in, and took me up to my room. It was a 5 bed dorm, all my roommates were out for the day, so I crawled into bed for a long needed nap.
I awoke at around noon and went downstairs and there was a phone message for me from my cousin Anthony. I called and spoke with him to plan a meeting this evening. Then I sat out on the balcony, with my laptop and started searching for another hostel for the next night as they were unfortunately all booked up here so I had to go. I found one that was not too far from this spot and I spoke with Paulette about coming back here and booking for another few days until I figured out my full time here and she said they should have space when I decided, so great. I take a walk to find the other hostel so I knew where I was going tomorrow. I walked along looking up and down and along all the streets and feeling really excited that I was actually in Malta. I found the new spot pretty easy and the reception let me in to see the room, and I went ahead and booked the min of 2 nights there….’Balco Harmony’, was a 4 bed dorm, with a very petit bathroom and balcony, there was also a self catering kitchen downstairs with a small lounge/tv room. I paid and then went on my way to explore the neighbourhood. So I started on my way down the hill towards the water, where I came to Sliema Strand, the seafront where you can look across to Valetta, the capital of Malta.
a few other shots along my walk
I walked along the waterfront and stopped in a few souvenir shops and of course there was Maltese cross after Maltese cross on everything you can imagine. I felt like buying one of everything, but knew that was a silly idea. I continued on my way and decided to get a bite to eat, had some crepes, yummy. I just sat for awhile in the cafe on the promenade and chilled. Then I continued on to get back to the hostel to get ready to meet my cousins tonight. I got back in and chatted with Marisette for a bit, and she was a wealth of information, which was good to know, bc there was so much I wanted to see and do in Malta while I was here. I returned to my room to meet my roommate, Ladislava from Prague. We chatted for awhile, she was here studying at the English Language School for a few weeks, I told her I was in Prague just a bit ago. I was honest and told her that I didn’t find the people very friendly but that she had redeemed them, she was quite pleasant to talk to. I got ready and went out front to wait for Anthony. He came promptly at 7:30pm and I got in the car and also met Rose. He had a few places in mind to show me and I was all for seeing whatever I could here, so off we went. Here is a pic of Anthony and Rose
this was taken up at the Dingli Cliffs on the west coast of the island, in the small village of Dingli,they are over 250 meters above sea level,and is the highest point in Malta. It is a beautiful view, with crystal clear water, so gorgeous. Here are some other pics from Dingli
this is the small chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalene. Built on the cliff top, and dates from 1646, it is still in use today and while we were up there, people were going in for mass
this is Filfla, one of the three inhabited islands of Malta and is located 5 km south of Malta
off in the distance is the Verdala Palace, it was built by Grand Master Verdala in 1588 as summer residence. The palace is currently used as Government Guest Palace and summer residence for the president
We stayed there for a bit to take in the view and then we were on our way to Rabat and Mdina (The Silent City),of course along the way I had my eyes out the window, from side to side to see as much as possible. We drove through Rabat to get to Mdina and as I stated ‘The Silent City’, there is so much history in Malta of which I had no idea and throughout this blog posting I will try and share as much as I can as well as add those special links for you to look up on your own.
Mdina is the old capital of Malta, it is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. The town is still confined within its walls, and has a population of less than three hundred, but it is contiguous with the village of Rabat. And here is the link to read up on more of it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mdina
We walked all through the narrow streets and I took lots of pics,
the view over some of the other cities
this is the Mosta Dome Cathedral, and you will see it up close and inside as well, later on in the posting
some other random shots I took walking through
We stopped for a small bite to eat at one of the nice restaurants, and I tried the pastizzi, (a small boat shaped pastry with ricotta cheese and egg wrapped with thin crisp pastry, something between filo and puff, you can also find them with peas, meat or anchovies and served warm) very good. I also had a piece of banana cake, yummy. We sat for awhile and discussed plans for me to look into my Maltese citizenship and passport while I was here and then we headed off to take Rose to work for the night and me back to the hostel. That was a great first day, thanks Anthony and Rose for showing me around, and those were beautiful spots to see!
I arrived back at the hostel and I spoke with Paulette to plan for me leaving in the morning and she said it would be okay for me to leave my big backpack here for the two nights as not to have to lug it there and back again, great! I grabbed my laptop and logged on for awhile, chatted with friends at home and then finally turned in for the night.
Day 92 Wed. July 22
I got up early and I didn’t even hear my roommate at all. I went down for brkfast and there was cereal, toast, some fruit, juice and some yummy desert cakes and muffins. I ate and watched some t.v as there was one in the kitchen for us. Went up to my room after, and sorted out my bags to pack a smaller backpack to leave the big one here. I chatted with Vincent while he was cleaning the room and told him about my situation for getting my citizenship and passport. Then I went back downstairs and left my bag in the side room and quickly inquired about the dates I was looking to stay, Marisette looked into it and they were able to fit me in for the duration of my stay…yeah! And off I went for my walk to the other hostel for a couple of nights. I arrived and the reception was not there, so I called and she came shortly after, she checked me in,I paid and then she took me to my room and there I met Chloe from Switzerland who was here studying English, we chatted for awhile and I told her about my adventures in Switzerland. Then I grabbed my laptop and went downstairs to log on, I chatted for a couple of hours with friends from home and then finally pulled myself away from it and decided to go catch the bus to head back to Mdina in the day time when the shops were open and to get some more pics. (I actually added those pics in the previous entry) but here is a shot of it from the road on the way up there
So, I left the hostel and walked back down to the Strand, I stopped in a few jewellery stores and they all had tons of different charms, rings, etc of Maltese crosses and again I wanted to buy so much, but I didn’t just yet…lol. I stopped to get a bite to eat again, and had a nice big juicy hamburger, was very good, and haven’t had one in along while, so it hit the spot. Then I made my way to the bus stop, got on the next one and I have to say the Maltese buses are one the tourists favourite things and they remind me of the old buses you would see in the remote villages in Mexico, some of them are extremely old, and some are newer. They can get pretty full of people and on a hot summer day it is not the best scene but that is the way to get around here in Malta. I took pics of a few different ones, so thought I would add them. (some of the buses were shipped in second from England, and some new from China and Turkey) all in all, some are pretty unique.
they have small ones as souvenirs in all the shops, they are definitely a trademark of Malta. So, on my way to Mdina to take a walk around, it was not a long ride but finally got there and jumped off the bus and wandered through the narrow streets again, this time in day light and there is a different feel to the place from day to night. I only spent an hour or so there, and then walked back to the bus stop to head back to Sliema. Got back and on my way to the hostel, I stopped back in a few shops and got some really nice souvenirs for family and then I discovered a crepe shop and of course I had to indulge, got a crepe with strawberry and custard was delicious! Then made my way back to the hostel where I met a couple more roommates, Evan from Germany, and Anne-Elle from France, both also studying English here. Oh, almost forgot to add pics of the hostel and my room, as I mentioned it is a 4 bed dorm room and I was on the top bunk again (seems every time I get the top bunk there is never a guard rail and makes me a bit nervous). Ok, some pics of Balco Harmony hostel
noticed this monkey on someone’s balcony
I chatted with the girls quickly and then logged online for a bit, I had a few messages from some people in Malta through Couch-surfing….for those that don’t know what that is. It is a networking site, where people offer their couches or spare beds to travellers to stay, or to meet people from different countries and they offer to be tour guides (so to speak), I signed up to it a few months back and I really haven’t had much luck in being able to stay with anyone yet, but here in Malta I did message with a couple of guys to possibly meet and tour around. I checked a few other things online, worked a bit on my Budapest blog entry and then finally off to bed, can’t be up too late, I have roommates that have to get up for school. I planned to go to Valetta tomorrow, the capital of Malta.
Day 93 Thur. July 23
I got up earlier then my alarm and all the girls were still asleep, so I stayed in bed and drifted back off. When I awoke again, they were gone, so was nice to have the room to myself and take my time getting ready. I got out of bed and my back was killing, ‘not the most comfortable beds unfortunately’, I sat out on the balcony for a bit and soaked in the beautiful sunny day. Then I got ready and headed out to the bus stop to catch the bus to Valetta. As I mentioned it is the capital of Malta, this is where most of the main businesses and government buildings are. Here is the link to read more http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valletta
It is very old as most of Malta is, but there is a lot of history about Valetta alone, it dates back to the 16th century, and was built during the rule of the Knights of St.John.
I got off at the bus terminal and took some pics of more buses and other things
This is The Triton Fountain, right in the center of the bus terminus, at the entrance of the city … Valetta, it is a city that is walled in as well, and it was one of the first cities in Europe to use a grid street system. It got it’s name in 1566 from the Grandmaster Jean Parisot de la Valette, the year the city was founded. Today it remains the capital and administrative centre of the island. (some more info)
I wandered through the front gate and there was tons of people all over, a busy tourist spot to say the least. I stopped in a few shops and jewellery stores and finally found a souvenir for me, a ring with a Maltese cross, love it!
I aimlessly wandered along and took lots of pics, so just going to add all the random ones I took
I walked down to Fort St. Elmo and went in to see the Maltese Experience, it is a 45 minute visual show about the story of Malta. You learn about over 7000 yrs of history, there are remarkable stone temples in Malta and Gozo that pre-date Stonehenge by over 1000yrs. I found the video to be very informative, I never realized how much this small island went through over the years and survived. It is well known for the Great Siege in 1565 when the Ottoman Empire invaded the island. The Knights of St. John, as well as the people of Malta were very proud and strong and fought for this small island and helped it survive and become what it is today, and that is a pleasant island full of history and beauty. I actually got a bit teary eyed after the video, I could never imagine, many of the people had to go underground to live until things settled and the war was over, most of the island was demolished. And today, there are still the ruins of things, some beautiful cathedrals, a Palace and great people.
I exited the auditorium and walked along the Bastion overlooking the Grand Harbour, walked through the lower and upper Barrakka Gardens, saw the Siege Bell, and went into St.Paul’s Shipwreck church, (no photos in the church) but here are some pics along my walk
these are looking over to Vittorioso and the 3 cities
the gardens
I just wandered along the narrow streets to head back to the bus terminal, thankfully here, also, there are not many vehicles within the city, a lot of pedestrians though
more random shots
there were a lot of spots like this throughout Malta, where there would be a piece of concrete with a ladder on it to go in the water
it seemed like almost every corner of a building had a statue on it, there were lots of them all throughout the city, representing different catholic saints
just a cool light
I got to the bus terminal and stood there for awhile, a few different buses went by and never stopped for anyone at all, they seem to do that a lot, can get a bit annoying, but I guess if they are full it is ok, only not all of these were full. Finally one did stop and it was the one I needed to get back to Sliema. I jumped on and headed back, got in and walked along the promenade looking for the Indian restaurant I noticed earlier in the day. I found it and went in to eat. I ended up chatted with the waiter for awhile, he thought I was either Maltese or Spanish and funny enough there are lots of Spanish people here in Malta for the English language courses, and a few have stopped and spoke to me in Spanish-I guess thinking the same thing. My meal was very good and so needed to walk that off and head back to my hostel. Got in and no one was around, so I logged online and checked some things, got to video chat with my cutie niece and nephew. My roommates all arrived and I ended up chatting with Evan from Germany for awhile and the other two girls went out for the night. I read up on some more things in Malta to decided where and what else I wanted to see and do while I was here, and then I turned in for the night, have an early morning tomorrow to check out, and go back to Valetta and meet my cousin Anthony so we can see what we can find out about me getting my citizenship and passport.
Day 94 Fri. July 24
Got up early and had to wait for the bathroom, not a good thing with one bathroom and 4 girls all up at the same time…lol. I got ready and packed my things, left my key and went down to catch the bus to Valetta again. I got on and waited in Valetta for my cousin, he came and we walked to the Registry offices to inquire about amending my fathers birth certificate. The gentleman was very helpful, he went ahead and looked over a few of my fathers brother and sisters birth certificates to see what name my grandfather put and they were all the same, all but my fathers. Damn it! So, one option I had was to speak to a lawyer to get the name changed on his certificate…….ok,
I know some of you are wondering what I am talking about. Well, I want to get my Maltese citizenship and passport, so I need proof that my father was born in Malta of which he was, however my last name is Gaffan and my fathers also, but his birth certificate does not state this, as many years ago my grandfather went by 2 names, Gafa and Gaffan, he stated this on the other children's birth certificates all but my fathers, therefore my name does not match his, so making it difficult to get my citizenship and passport unfortunately. Now, I am sure you want to know why I want to get that, well, why not? I will be able to work anywhere in the EU countries if I want, and would be nice to have since it is kind of a birth right to become a Maltese citizen. So there you have it, and I figured why not try and find out all this information while I am actually in Malta and that is what I found out so far. My cousin mentioned that another cousin of mine is a lawyer and she might know of someone who could help us out, so looking further into it. We left the offices after getting some paperwork for future if things work out, and walked back through the small streets to go up to another office. There was a huge line up so we just left, we were just going to double check some information. Then we walked along to see my other cousins barber shop (yup it is in the family, all through the generations)
Malcolm
We walked back to the car and Anthony dropped me off at my first hostel and I checked in again, grabbed my big backpack, put it all away in my room. I went out and chatted with Marisette for a bit and she did a bit of research for me looking up the Canadian Consulate of which there isn’t one in Malta but in Italy, she mentioned that I should speak to them to find out what other options I might have. I did find out also, with all of this that my grandfather was actually born in Istanbul, so I could even look up getting my Turkish passport if I really wanted to I suppose, but that only limits me to Turkey, oh well. I logged online quickly to send out some messages and then decided to take a walk.
I just walked along the water front. I stopped in a few travel agencies to inquire about a ferry to Sicily and I found out it is the same price to take a ferry over as it would be for an excursions, so I took the information to think about it, and kept walking along.
I ended up in Paceville, the party area of Malta, of course at this time it was not a party, but still lots of people. Here are some pics along my walk and some of Paceville and St. Georges Bay
the tall skinny building is the Hilton Malta
here are some of the traditional Maltese fishing boats, I will have more later when we visit the fishing village
St. Georges Bay…….very busy as you can see
I wandered around a bit in that area, went into the Bay Street mall, and walked along some of the small streets in Paceville where are all the restaurants and bars are. I ended up stopping on the way back at Pizza Hut, yes I did say Pizza Hut, had a dinner for one and sat out on the patio to eat and enjoy the view of the water. After I filled up on pizza, I walked back to work it off…lol. I stopped and got myself a few coolers for later and made it back to the hostel where I met 3 of my roommates, all Spanish and here studying English also. I grabbed my laptop and went up to my spot on the balcony and worked on my blog and did some planning and researching on Italy. While I was out there, I met Sylvie, from Germany, when she came out for a smoke we would chat. I listened to the canons go off and the fireworks for one of the Feasts ….these are celebrations of the anniversary of their patron saints, they are done quite frequently throughout the summer months. On the day of the feast, the statue of the patron saint is carried on shoulders to the accompaniment of brass bands as it goes around the village streets in a procession. There is also fireworks and lots of Maltese traditional food vendors and other good snacks. I will touch more on this topic later. Off to bed.
Day 95 Sat. July 25
Today is the hottest day of the year, It is going to be between 38-40 degrees C(108-112 F), craziness. Good thing I planned to just chill out on the beach today. I ate brkfast, changed in to my bathing suit, made some snacks for lunch and packed my bag. I walked down to the water and I found a small sandy area that wasn’t busy and I staked my spot, got comfy and chilled. It was a very calm area, so when the heat was unbearable, I would just go lay in the shallow part of the water to cool off. Was a nice peaceful afternoon, getting some sun and stress free. After a few hours, I finally packed it in to head back to the hostel to clean up and go meet my cousins. I got back to the hostel and all the girls were back also. I cleaned up and walked down to the bus stop, went to Valetta first and then caught another bus to Vittoriosa to meet my cousin. Vittoriosa (aka Birgu, is an ancient city) is where my father was born and it is part of ‘the 3 cities’ …Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa. This was the original home of the Order until they built Valletta.
history sight http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birgu
We drove around to see the other 2 cities and I took some pics and then we went to walk through Vittoriosa.
here are random pics, not in any particular order
Church of St. Lawrence
yup, there is me, that is The Vedette in Senglea, overlooking The Grand Harbour
these are looking at Valetta over the Grand Harbour
this the steps that go down to the shelters that people lived in during the Great Siege
Rose came and met us as well as my other cousin Carmen, we walked around and they showed me that exact house that my father used to live in and where my grandmother lived before she married my grandfather
first is the door and narrow street looking at where my father lived (pretty narrow, not easy to get a straight on shot)
this is the opposite side of the house, overlooking the Harbour and apparently many years ago there was never any windows, when my father lived there
and pretty much right next door is where my grandmother used to live before she was married
this is Anthony, Rose, Carmen and I (yes, I think I happen to be the tallest one..lol)
This statue is a monument commemorating Freedom Day in Malta - when the British ceased its hold on the islands as a colony in 1979
We walked along and decided to get a bite to eat at one of the restaurants beside the Harbour. Carmen and I arranged to spend one day together so I could see some more of the island, as well as a family get together before I leave so I could meet some more of my relatives…Great!
We left there and I got a ride back to the hostel, where I quickly logged online and tried to work on my blog a bit and then off to bed.
Day 96 Sun. July 26
Well got up today and decided I would go do a touristy excursion. I had been reading up on the Popeye Village and there was one this afternoon, so I called to book. I went down to brkfast and then back to my room and met one of my roommates, she was from Vienna and here on a short holiday. I gathered some things, put on my bathing suit and headed out to catch the bus to Bugibba, that is where I needed to get picked up for the excursion. Bugibba is a small town in Malta, it is a popular resort area. I got there early so I took a walk around and stopped in a few agencies to inquire about other excursions and renting a car one day. I ended up booking for an excursion to Gozo, so excited. I also found a cheap rate for a car, so that might just be an option one day. I walked along the water front, here is a pic of the beach
this is the tower in St. Paul’s Bay
a few other randoms from on my way there
I walked back to catch the van for the excursion and off we went, our first stop along the way was to see Mellieha Bay, it was a nice view over the water where you could see Gozo island
from there we went on our way to the Popeye Village, also known as Sweethaven Village it is located at Anchor Bay, at the northwest corner of the island. It was built as a film set for the production of the 1980 live-action musical film Popeye produced by Paramount Pictures and Walt Disney Productions and starring Robin Williams. Today it is open to the public as an open-air museum and family entertainment complex. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popeye_Village
(there are quite a few famous and successful films that were done in Malta) here is a link of a list of the films in case ur interested http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_shot_in_Malta
It is a pretty neat little spot, there are lounge chairs around by the water to chill and relax, you can watch a short film of the creation of the film, it was good. There is a small pool to get some sun and refuge from the heat. And the coolest part of course is it is the original film set for the famous film, Excellent! We stayed there for a couple of hours, walked around, watched the short film, and just chilled. Then we were back in the van to continue on to see Golden Sands Beach and then back to Sliema for me. Here is a shot of Golden Sands beach and apparently the sand was shipped in from somewhere else, like Egypt or something, can’t remember for sure, but it was quite a busy beach\
just some other shots along the way home
the red tower
I napped in the van on the way back and once at the hostel, I talked with Marriesette and Vincent for a bit and went and logged online quickly and laid down. I woke up to some fireworks of one of the feasts that was going on. Okay to explain what the feasts are
first … Malta is the country with the most holidays in the European Union
Throughout the year Malta has feasts, a religious event, which is celebrating the anniversary of the parish patron saint. There are quite a lot of them occur in the summer months in all the different villages. There is a procession and the statue of the patron saint is carried on shoulders to the accompaniment of brass bands as it goes around the village streets. It is of course a social event and you will find different food, snack and gift booths, as well that the end of the evening there is a fireworks show.
Ok, I decided to go check the one out around the corner from my hostel, in Sliema. I walked along and came across the procession.
I found a good spot down by the water and sat down to enjoy the fireworks
returned to the hostel and met 2 new roommates, one from Italy and one from Spain both living and working in Dublin and just on a short vacation here. They had just stayed in Gozo for a few days and told me a bit about it, I am looking forward to going there. Crashed for the night.
Day 97 Mon. July 27
Got up, down for brkfast and then got online for a quick check of emails, etc. Then gathered some things and took a walk to the bus stop, wasn’t sure where I was going today, so I jumped on the first bus that pasted and it was to Valetta. I got there and took a look at my map and decided to go check out the
The Limestone Heritage Museum
it is in the village of Siggiewi, it’s an exhibition built within a disused quarry. It is a glimpse into 5,000 years of history, starting with Malta’s earliest freestanding structures that predate the pyramids of Giza as well as Stonehenge. A walk-through tour on what used to be the seabed 20 million years ago and displays fossils still embedded within the rock and antique quarrying methods, including vintage vehicles and machinery as well as rare and original artefacts. Most of Malta’s buildings were made of Limestone. So that is where I went, and here are some pics
It was interesting, I walked through and listened to the audio guide about the history of the limestone, etc. I left there and walked back to the city square and catch the bus to head back to Valetta and then back to Sliema. I walked along and stopped at the grocery store, got some food for lunches, some snacks and some Maltese wine. Back to the hostel and made dinner and sat on my computer for a bit while drinking some wine, was good. I booked a flight to Italy and accommodations. I looked into a day trip to Sicily and then off to bed to get up early for my day in Gozo.
Day 98 Tues. July 28 *Gozo
Got up early, got my lunch ready from the kitchen and gathered my things, packed a bag and headed to the pick up point. The shuttle was late, but finally showed up and we were off to Gozo. We had to drive to the most northern village to get the ferry over to Gozo. Got in, bought a ticket and onto the ferry I went. I got a spot outside and took some pics along the ride.
Gozo is greener, more rural and smaller then Malta with a rugged landscape and spectacular coastline. There are lots of historical sites here as well and many large beautiful churches.
Once we arrived at the ferry port, we were put into different groups and I was very lucky to get on with a jeep tour when I only paid for a bus tour. Our guide was Paulo, and he ensured us of a fantastic day of travels…
There was 5 of us in the jeep, I got the front and the others in the back were, a couple from the Netherlands- Nella and Theo, and 2 girls from Austria- Anita and Stefan.
Our first stop was in Paulo’s home village of Xewkija, where we took a look in the church and got some pics
We continued on and the next stop was suppose to be in Xaghra to see the Ggantija Temples of which are one of the oldest stone structures in Europe, everyone else had already seen the temples in Malta so the consensus was to pass on them here, and that was fine since I was going to see the temples in Malta as well. So, on we went to Ramla Bay and the Calypso Caves- is said to be the place where Odysseus was a prisoner of love for seven years. He was imprisoned by Calypso, who promised him immortality if he would stay with her. But he escaped, as soon as he had the possibility and returned to his wife Penelope.
pics of the cave and the view over Ramla Bay
we continued to drive on and we as you can imagine were off the beaten path a bit, and the ride was pretty bumpy, but all good. We stopped along to get to Marsalforn to see the salt pans, here are some pic along the way
this is ‘The Monument of Christ’
Now to the salt pans- A source of re-generation of salt deposits which are harvested, cleaned, packed and sold, the tradition spans many centuries and thousands of years, and is in regular use today. A combination of natural and man made pans and the local weather is all it takes making for an eco-friendly harvest.
pretty cool stuff
next stop Gharb to see the Ta’ Pinu Basilica and then to see the Quarries in San Lawrenz
the Quarries (these are still used today)
this is the Fungus Rock also in San Lawrenz
We moved along to Dwejra Bay to see the very cool Azure Window, a natural arch over the sea
this is the inland sea,is a small sea lake connected to the open Mediterranean Sea by a narrow tunnel through the cliffs
We walked around for a bit, took pics and chilled for a short bit, then we were off again to see Victoria (aka Rabat) the capital of Gozo
didn’t really get many pics while in Victoria as we just stayed by the Cathedral and walked around a bit, then off we went to see some more before it was almost time to go
this is the old washing station that were used many years ago
next we went along up the cliffs in Xlendi Bay area
this is Comino
Our tour was over, Paulo was a great guide, and a good driver, he tried to scare us a few times up on the cliffs, and now we got back to the ferry terminal and jumped back on to head back to Malta. Got on, and chilled out for the ride back. Once in back at the Malta terminal, we all walked back to our shuttles and off we went to head back to Sliema. My driver dropped me off along the promenade, so I could stop off in a few shops to pick up some items. I finally got back to the hostel and tried to call the lawyer regarding my fathers birth certificate again but to no avail. I spoke with my cousin Carmen to arrange plans for tomorrow sightseeing and then made some dinner. Vincent and Mariessette and one of the guests William from France were all there, William was making a special brushetta them to try, was interesting it was banana, blue cheese and walnuts, I didn’t try it. I also met a new roommate, Niomi, she is from Australia and was here to find some of her relatives. I went back to my room and met a couple more girls both from Italy, Naples, so I asked them some information about it, since that was going to be one of my stops in Italy, they gave me some tips and places to see around that area of Italy, great! Niomi came in and we chatted for awhile, I gave her some pamphlets that I had of places to see in Malta, and told her about the trip to Gozo today. Then I logged online quickly and then turned in for the night. Was a good day today, touring around with Paulo and the others.
Day 99 Wed. July 29
Today is my touring day with my cousin Carmen. I got up early, had brkfast, I asked Vincent to booked my day trip to Sicily, that was done and so I got ready and went to catch the bus to Valetta. I got there and sat by the fountain to wait for my cousin. I walked around and found Carmen, we walked to her car and her cousin from the other side of the family came along too, Maria. We headed off to the first sight seeing destination of the temples close by Qrendi, on the southern coast of the island.
It’s the Mnajdra Temples and the Hadar Qim Temples
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mnajdra / http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C4%A6a%C4%A1ar_Qim ) they are among the most ancient religious sites on earth (3600 – 3200 BC).
I paid and walked through and took pics
Mnajdra Temples
From there we drove along and stopped at Zurrieq to see the Blue Grotto
I decided to get on one of the boats and go for a ride along the coves, absolutely gorgeous, crystal clear water, and cliffs
I met a few girls on the boat, all Aussies, and they were talking about heading to Greece so I gave them some tips. After that I met back up with Carmen and Maria, and we went for a bite to eat.
Next we drove along to Rabat so I could see St. Paul’s Catacombs- the underground Roman cemeteries, the earliest and largest archaeological evidence of Christianity in Malta and used til 4th century AD.
we also stopped and looked inside one of the churches here
Next we were off to Mosta to go in to the Mosta Dome church, it’s the third largest dome church in Europe and the ninth in the world.
In April 1942, a 200kg Luftwaffe bomb pierced the dome (two others bounced off) and fell among the congregation of more than 300 people awaiting early evening mass. It did not explode, no one was hurt.
this is Carmen and Maria
This is a replica of the bomb and the other is the spot in the roof where the bomb broke through
We left the church and went for a snack and drinks, chatted for a bit and then it was time to go, Thank you Carmen and Maria for a great day, I appreciate you taking me out. I got a ride back into Sliema and I walked along the water front, I wanted to make sure I knew where my pick up point for the next day was. I also finally spoke with the lawyer and made an appointment to see him on Monday. I got back to the hostel, went up to the balcony as it was a very hot night, I organized some pictures, and did some blogging and then ended up chatting away with a guy sitting out there also. He was from the U.S and he was living and working in Switzerland and here for a vaca of diving. He gave me some tips and warnings about Italy and France. (so far I have been fine in any places people have given me warnings for but good to know) Finished up some blogging and turned in for the night as I have a very early morning tomorrow.
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Day 100 Thurs. July 30 *Sicily
Wow, how time flies….100 days I have been gone, doesn’t feel like it at all.
So today I am heading out on a day trip to Sicily, my original plan was to actually head there after Malta and then move on, but after a bit of research I found that the ferry there was the same price as a day excursion that I am hoping is worth it.
I got up bright and early as I had to get to my pick up point for 5 am, I got ready and gathered my things and took a walk to the pick up point. Along the way I found it pretty funny, there were people dressed up just coming back from nights out at the clubs, people jogging, and then local Maltese men heading out to fish or sit down by the water to chill out. I stood and waited for my shuttle and I met another girl also going on the same excursion, Jessica from Australia, she is here visiting family, (lucky girl- she has her Maltese passport :( ) The shuttle came and we got in and drove to the ferry port in Valetta. I got on the ferry and went out to the front of the boat to watch the sun rise over Vittoriosa, it was beautiful
The ride was about an hour and a half, and then we arrived in Pozzallo port, a typical fishing village. We got on our bus and drove to the town and made a stop for coffee and pastries for breakfast (typical Sicilian delicacies) Some random pics
a group of Sicilian men, just sitting back and chillin
The plan for this excursion is to see Pozzallo, then Taormina and Mt. Etna. There is a lot time on the bus driving to the destinations, so just be warned a lot of my photos are through the bus windows. So we went on our way to the next stop of Taormina, along they way we would pass by Ispica, a rich barque town in the countryside, Siracusa the home town of Archimedes and Catania. I took pics along the way and the guide did tell us about different things, however I apologize that I don’t remember most of it, so the following are pics of many of the sights on the ride.
just approaching the small village, we pass along the water, going up a winding road all along the cliffside, with some beautiful views of some of the beaches of Taormina
we finally arrived in the small town of Taormina on the east coast of the island, it’s a popular tourist destination and there were quite a few people around. We stopped for a few hours to tour around,and have some lunch. Jessica and I took a tour through the park and then went to the Greek Roman Theatre, and then we separated, and I wondered around some more, stopped in a few shops and then went for a bite to eat. I found the few Sicilian people that I did get a chance to speak with were very friendly and helpful.
here some of the pics
After a great lunch, I walked back to the bus and we all boarded to get back on the road and head to Mt. Etna – it’s an active stratovolcano on the east coast of the island. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Etna the last eruption occurred in 2008 I slept on the bus as the ride was a bit of a ways away. We finally got there and some people took the cable car part way to the top – (it is 10,922 ft high), I choose to just walk around the area, take some pics, check out the shops, full of souvenirs made of lava rock and lots of lemon cello, and relax. Although it was a pretty hot day, up on the mountain it was quite chilly.
this is a house that got buried from an eruption of the volcano…crazy!
On the ride back to Pozzallo to get the ferry, we had a problem with the bus and had to pull over, it took a bit of time while the driver took a look at it and figure out what was wrong, for some humour this little Maltese boy on the bus, says out loud to his mother “we might have to swim back to Malta”, he was adorable. Whatever the problem was, it got fixed shortly and we were back on the road.
Once back, we got on the ferry and heading back to Valetta. On the ride there was a movie playing on the ferry and I am pretty sure the majority of people were watching because as we approached the port and they suddenly shut the movie off, right at the ending, there was a big ‘boo” from almost everyone on board….lol. Once in Valetta, we had to get back on the shuttle and then got dropped off at the same point of pick up, I walked back to the hostel and quickly chatted with the 2 Italian girls and turned in for the night.. it was a long day and I was exhausted.
Day 101 Fri. July 31
I got up in time for brkfast, and then back to my room, I chatted for a bit with Niomi. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do today, I was thinking about heading to Comino. I chatted with Paulette while she was changing the beds in our room, we have new roommates coming in today, 2 of them are Sylvia form Germany, whom I have met already and Biruta from Lithuania, they are attending the English Language School. I then went online quickly, checked emails, organized some pics and then I got ready to head out. I walked down to the water and walked along to check out a few of the excursion stands and well my plan to go to Comino was not good for today, they had all left already, so I walked over to the bus stop and contemplated what beach I wanted to go to. While I was doing so, one of the bus drivers approached me to see if I needed some help and I just said that I wanted to go to the beach but not sure what one, so he suggested a couple that were on his route. Next ironically enough Sylvie and Biruta came along to ask him some questions and I asked the two of them if they would like to join me at the beach and they said sure. So we all jumped on the bus to head out to Ghajn Tuffieha Bay to chill out on the beach, it is right beside Golden Bay, and that beach is far too busy so we opted for the smaller, quieter beach. We got there and found a good spot to relax and enjoy the sunshine and take a nice refreshing swim. We stayed there for a few hours.
It was a beautiful, hot sunny day so we got a great few hours of tanning, and chillin. We packed up and went back to catch the bus back. I mentioned to them that I was thinking of renting a car one day and they were all for it, so we planned to do that and get a good day of touring the island. Here is a pic of inside the bus, as the one we got on was pretty packed, it is crazy when they get so full on a hot day like I mentioned before….
We got back to the hostel, showered and cleaned up, met our other roommate, from Russia. Then I got my puter and worked on some blogging, I met a couple of guys, brothers from Springfield, US who were just traveling around a bit, they had been to Munich and Budapest also so we exchanged stories and talked about places to see here in Malta. I finished some of my blogging and then headed off to bed. That was a nice easy day, chillin and relaxin.
Day 101 Sat Aug. 1
We all slept in a bit today as brkfast was a bit later anyways. I went out and asked Paulette to call the car rental place that she knew of to see what kind of price they offer, it was a bit too much, so I called the other one I went to before and there is an office in Sliema to pick up the car. Great! So, we got our things together and got ready and headed out, Niomi also joined us on our touring adventure. We walked down to the office and picked up the car. We all discussed the plan for the day and agreed to just drive along the coast and stop whenever we felt like it.
So on we go…..our first stop was in Valetta again just to grabbed a couple of things and we almost got lost as we ended up driving inside the walls where were not suppose to be but we got out easily enough and continued on. Our first stop was in Marsaskala (which is where my cousin Carmen stays for the summer) we took a quick walk around
from there we continued on to Marsaxlokk – the small fishing village and there are some booths set up, so we took a walk around and took a look and got some pics
these are the popular Maltese fishing boats, referred to as dghajjas or luzzu … they are a symbol of Malta, usually red, blue, yellow and green and almost always include the Eye of Osiris or Horus which is an ancient Phoenician custom (it is known for protection to the fishermen)
and here we are from the left is Biruta, Sylvie, me and Niomi, just sitting for a refreshing drink
and then we get back into the car and move along, passing a few different villages and then we arrived at the Blue Grotto, I have been and so has Niomi but the two others have not, so we stopped and got some pics of the gorgeous view from up top the cliff
us again with the car…lol
continuing on, and yes I was the driver, at first I was a bit nervous as they are crazy drivers in Malta, they do drive on the opposite side of the road like the UK, and the good thing is the signs along the way are pretty clear so you can’t really get too lost and of course it is not a very big island, so easy to get from one end to the other. We drove along and came across this swimming spot that a friend of Niomi’s mentioned to her and we decided to stop and take a swim, again it was another hot sunny day, so a swim was a great idea, and quite a few other people thought the same thing :) (not 100% sure where we were, so can’t tell you the location-sorry)
we stayed for a bit and then packed it in and Niomi went along with her friend as she was meeting with her family later and Sylvie, Biruta and I continued on. I wanted to take them up to see the great view at Dingli Cliff, so we went that way…..I didn’t end up going the same way my cousin did the night we went but we did get up onto a pretty narrow dirt road up high on the cliff, was a little scary but we were fine, and the view was great!
we got back down and drove along, one stop in Mosta, they girls really liked this one particular shop that had cheap and tasty snack, so we stopped and got some food for dinner, and kept on driving. We were heading to the opposite side of the island and got stuck in a bit of a traffic jam in Mellieha, I wanted to show them the beach there as they wanted to head there one day. Here are a few random shots along the way
So as we headed back to Sliema to return the car, we had to stop at one point to get some gas and the station there is no attendants, you just put your money in and pump, but you of course need the exact amount and well this was a small adventure in itself, none of us had some bills, so we asked people that were coming up and then I walked to a small shop and they couldn’t help, but finally someone had some change, thankfully, I thought we were gonna be stuck there forever. We arrived back and returned the car and walked back to the hostel. Cleaned up and logged online quickly, and then turned in for the night. That was a fun day … thanks Sylvie, Biruta and Niomi for joining me! Hope ur all doing well!!
Day 102 Sun Aug. 2
Exciting day, today I meet some more of my relatives. I got up and had brkfast, I showed Paulette the our driving route from yesterday and chatted with the girls for a bit, Niomi told me all about her family gathering last night, very good. I decided to chill out today, and got some of my things organized, I needed to make up a package to send home tomorrow, and so that made me organize my backpack. Then I went up to the balcony and did some more blogging. That was a few hours and then I cleaned up, got ready and went to catch the bus to meet Anthony and head to Carmen’s for the dinner. I got the bus right away, and met Anthony in Vittoriosa and then off to their home where I met one of their sons Luke and then off we went to Carmen’s. As I mentioned she lives in Marsaxlokk in the summer and this is where we had the dinner, on the patio outside, and yes another hot, sunny day. I met some more of my cousins Joe/Annie, Rueben/Emily, Joe/Connie, and Mary. I showed them some photos of family from home and also some of my travels. We had a nice dinner and I had some traditional Maltese dishes, ‘Hobz biz-zejt” - crusty Maltese bread rubbed with tomato and drenched with olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, I remember my dad used to make this all the time, was good. There was also a couple others that I forget the names of, but the food in Malta is all wonderful and we had some Maltese wine, was tasty also. We all chatted about my travels and I got to hear some stories of years ago when my father still lived in Malta. Here are pics of everyone
Mary and Carmen with me of course….;)
Joe and Annie
Tony and Rose
Rueben and Emily
Joe and Connie
Everyone
Was a great night, Thank you Carmen and Everyone, I am so glad I got to meet you all and finally come to Malta and I will be back again soon.
I got a ride back to the hostel with Rueben and Emily. I got in and checked emails and then off to bed.
Day 103 Mon. Aug. 3
Only 2 days left in Malta, got up and had brkfast. Then I got ready and headed out to go mail a package home and then caught a bus to Valetta again. I wanted to inquire about getting a stamp in my passport and after going to a couple different offices that I was directed to, to no avail as I mentioned before there is not need for a stamp in your passport when traveling in the Schengen area, and this was how I first heard of this. So, I walked along down the narrow streets and decided to finally go in to St.John’s Co-Cathedral – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._John it contains 8 chapels and the floor is tombstones of important knights that were buried there, as this church was the conventual church of the Hospitallers (the Knights of Saint John).
Next I walked over to the Archaeological Museum, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Archaeology,_Malta .. to see all the ancient artefacts that were found in the temples and Hypogeum… here are just a few things
the sleeping lady, this is one of the most popular
I walked back to the bus station and headed back to the hostel as Anthony was picking me up to go see the lawyer today and se what can be done about my fathers birth certificate. We went to meet him and he filled out a form to take to the courts next week and see if they would make a change to the name, so we will see what happens. That was a quick visit and so I caught the bus back to the hostel, I had a bite to eat and spoke with Paulette for a bit, she is also a hairdresser, very good. I chatted with Sylvie and Biruta for a bit and also the 2 American guys, they were flying out tomorrow also. I went to the balcony and worked away on my blog for awhile and then William came out and we chatted for awhile about travel and France where he lives. It was rather late, so I turned in for the night, tomorrow is sadly my last day in Malta :(
Day 104 Tues. Aug. 4
Got up early, had my brkfast and then back to my room, packed my backpack and put it away in the luggage room and went up to the common room to work on my blog. I chatted again with William for a bit, then I went down to the kitchen to be less distracted. I showed Paulette my blog, and then Sylvie came in and I showed her as well and gave them the link. I finished a couple countries and then I closed it up and went back upstairs to chill and watch a bit of t.v while I waited. It was almost time to go, so I grabbed my bag, talked with Marisette for a bit while I waited for Tony. He arrived and we were off to the airport, it was a bit of traffic on the way there but we made it with plenty of time. I got in and checked my bag and sat and waited to board. We finally boarded at 8p.m and took off at 8:30pm. Goodbye Malta!!!
We arrived in Treviso, Italy at 10pm, the flight was good. The woman from the hotel was there waiting for me, along with a few other people also staying at the hotel which was conveniently right across the street. We all walked over, checked in with her and paid and then off she went. I chilled out in my room and contemplated my next move.
Unfortunately there was no internet so I could not look anything up or make any plans so I just had to wait until the morning and head back to the airport to use the wifi there and figure out a plan, so I turned in for the night.
Goodnight….see you all in the morning on the next posting where you find out where I ended up going next and how I got there……Stay tuned ;)
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