Our Life Tales: Six Stunning Sights in Gozo

view from our plane as we were landing

Gozo's Mgarr Harbor 

On our last day in Malta, we finally succeeded in getting up early. Still, we gave up on our visit to the Hypogeum and instead went to Gozo, the second-largest island in the Maltese archipelago. Gozo has a population of around 37,000 on 26 square miles, approximately the same area as New York City's Manhattan Island. We chose to tour the island since it has been the site of many film productions, including the recent film entitled By the Sea, starring Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt.

A tourist bus picked us up at the Hotel Intercontinental Beach Club. That ride gave us many photo opportunities of the Maltese countryside in the subtle lights of early morning. Then at Ċirkewwa on the northwest coast of Malta, we boarded a ferry. In just 25-minutes we crossed the Gozo Channel and, at the Mġarr Harbor, we took one of the 'Hop-On Hop-Off' buses to six stunning discoveries on the island! We did not know that another way we could have done it was by hiring a cab! Darn. 

GGANTIJA TEMPLE

Ggantija Temple 

Our first stop was the Ġgantija temple complex, the earliest of a series of megalithic temples in Malta, erected during the Neolithic Age, 3600–2500 BC. Older than the pyramids of Giza or even prehistoric Stone Henge, these temples are more than 5500 years old. It is the world's second oldest man-made religious structure, after Göbekli Tepe in Turkey. Together with the temples we visited in Malta, they are designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Seven Megalithic Temples of Malta.

inside the temple

The temples are believed to be the site of a fertility cult. Numerous figurines and statues found on the site are connected with that cult. According to local Gozitan folklore, a giantess who ate nothing but broad beans and honey (what Malta means) bore a child from a man of the ordinary people. With the child hanging from her shoulder, she built these temples, using them as places of worship.

AZURE WINDOW

Azure Window

close-up

Our picture-taking mode became more frenzied when we got to Azure Window, at 92 feet a stunning stone arch that was formed millions of years ago when two limestone sea caves collapsed.  Maltese limestone, the second oldest rock found on the islands covering almost 70% of its area, is subject to erosion and gives Malta its distinctive coast and interior. The waters around the arch are suitable for swimming, scuba diving, and boating and make Malta a popular diving destination.

watch tower

In April 2012, a large piece of rock fell, enlarging the window. The rate of disintegration suggests that the arch will ultimately fall apart within a few years. It has been featured in films such as Clash of the Titans and The Count of Monte Cristo and TV series like The Odyssey and Game of Thrones. The latter resulted in controversy when the ecosystem was also damaged by a subcontractor. Many warning notices are along the cliffs to stop people walking over the top of the arch. But they still do!

MALTESE FORTIFICATIONS

And we finally came close to the ubiquitous watchtower at the site of Azure Window. Malta has often been called the ‘Fortress Island’ due to the vast numbers of military structures, a direct result of the islands being frequently fought over due to their strategic location. The fortifications come from two periods: those of the Knights and those of the British era. Wherever you go in Malta, you will find remnants of war, from coastal forts and watch towers to WWII pillboxes.

FUNGUS ROCK

Fungus Rock

As our tour bus was leaving Azure Window, I spotted a curious rock formation (sorry the picture is not that good; the bus was moving). Later, I found out that Fungus Rock is a massive lump of limestone, 196 feet high. The Malta Fungus, a kind of parasitic flowering plant (not a fungus( with an offensive smell, grows on the rock's flat top. Doctors at the time of the Knights believed that it had medicinal properties, so they used it widely for wounds and dysentery.  Pharmacologists are still studying the plant's  medical effects today.

TA’ PINU BASILICA

Ta' Pinu Basilica

some of the testimonials

The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of Ta' Pinu is a Roman Catholic minor basilica and national shrine. It is located on the edge of a cliff in an open countryside with beautiful views of the area. In 1575, the apostolic visitor Pietro Duzina was delegated by Pope Gregory XII to visit the Maltese Islands. Finding many churches in an appalling state, he ordered their demolition. When demolition began on Ta’Pinu, a workman broke his arm while striking the first blow. This incident was considered an omen and the chapel is the only one that survived the Duzina decree. Today, thousands of testimonials to the miracles that have happened in the church adorn the Shrine.

RAMLA BAY

Ramla Bay

Our last stop was Ramla Bay, known for its golden-reddish sand. The Bay is situated at the bottom of a fertile valley. On the beach is a statue of the Virgin Mary perched on a white plinth, her arms welcoming seafarers. The area surrounding the beach is filled with sights of historical importance such as the ruins of a Roman villa buried in the sand and the remains of a fortification, the Marsalforn Tower. 

Surrounded by hillsides on both sides, the sandy path on the eastern hill leads to the Calypso Cave. According to the legend, this is the cave Homer refers to in `The Odyssey' where Calypso, the beautiful nymph, kept Odysseus as a `prisoner of love' for seven years. Calypso had promised him immortality if he stayed with her, but he escaped when he could, and returned to his wife, Penelope.

nice scene at dusk

What a day we had in these six sites of prehistoric times and chivalrous ages. The ferry and bus trips back to Malta and our hotel gave us even more photo-taking opportunities in the most neutral lights of dusk. True we had to wake up early but, hey, it was not wasted! And the Hypogeum we can visit in our next trip to Malta.  

Our Lifestyle Adventures: Six Striking Scenes in Valetta, Capital of Malta

Valetta, as we were landing 

Hotel Intercontinental Beach Club

First, a short note about where we stayed. The  Diamond Suites in Malta are four floors of Intercontinental Hotel at  St.George’s Bay, St.  Julian’s.  Jingjing and I enjoyed a large studio with a balcony that looked out to man-made cascading waterfalls. A jug of refreshing water with lots of lemons always met us at the lobby. There is an enormous pool at the top floor where there is an excellent view of the town and the  Hotel Beach Club, a two-minute walk away. There were plenty of choices for dining and shopping at the mall in front.

A day after our cab tour of Malta, we turned our sights to Valletta, the capital of Malta. Less than a square kilometer in area, the city is the smallest national capital in the European Union.

VALETTA'S PALACE SQUARE

Palace Square

Alas, we were not able to wake up early again so we could not get tickets for the Hypogeum. As luck would have it, another friendly cab driver took us, not to the tourists’ general drop point in the pedestrian-only UNESCO World Heritage Site, but to the closest side street accessible to residents. We only had to make a short walk to the Palace Square, the seat of government. A block away we found the Manoel Theatre, Europe's third-oldest working theatre, Malta's National Theatre. 

CAFFE CORDINA

Cafe Cordina and the National Library

But it was St. John’s Cathedral, the famous baroque church, that we wanted to see. We smelled a great aroma from a nearby bakery/restaurant. True enough, we stumbled upon Caffé Cordina, the first Maltese tea shop that has grown to become a Maltese icon in the last 175 years. Just across the main walkway, in front of the National Library, are many tables where we could sit and dine. In the middle of the tables was the good-looking young man playing incredible music on a unique open piano. We promised to come back for late lunch after our tour of the Cathedral, which was just a couple ob blocks away.

ST. JOHN'S CATHEDRAL

St. John's Cathedral

St. .John Relic

At first we were disappointed; the façade was undergoing renovation! But when we found our way inside through a side door, we were impressed. The interior was in sharp contrast with the plain façade. It is extremely ornate and decorated in the height of the Baroque period. There are intricately carved stone walls, painted vaulted ceiling and side altars with scenes from the life of St John. The ceiling paintings appear as three-dimensional statues due to the artist’s use of shadows and placement. The carvings, done in Maltese stone, were all done in-situ. The marble floor is an entire series of tombs, housing about 375 Knights.  The classic 1608 painting of Caravaggio, “Beheading of St. John the Baptist, hangs at the Oratory. Jingjing even found a first-class relic of St. John the Baptist, his forearm, at one of the museum rooms.

St. John’s Co-Cathedral is considered one of the finest examples of high Baroque architecture in Europe and one of the world's great cathedrals. It was built between 1573 and 1578, as the conventual church of the Order of the Knights Hospitaller of St John, known as the Knights of Malta. As the islands were much desired due to their strategic importance, its history is replete with many conquests by different regimes: Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, French, Germans, and Spanish. In 1530, Emperor Charles V of Spain gave the islands to the Knights Hospitaller for which they had to pay an annual Tribute for its perpetual lease. These knights, a military, religious order, had been driven out of Rhodes by the Ottoman Empire in 1522.

MALTESE ART AND CUISINE

street artist and her art

rabbit stew

As we had planned, after the tour of the cathedral, we went back for our late lunch at the tables of Caffe Codina. As we listened to romantic old goodies piano music, we slowly savored the famed stuffat tal-fenek, the full of flavor slowly-cooked rabbit stew for which Maltese cuisine is known. Satisfied with our meal, we went shopping for souvenirs in Valetta, encountering many street artists. Then we called our cab driver who had earlier volunteered to take us back to our hotel.

THE WATERFRONT

Maltese crosses for sale

When he arrived, he took us through the waterfront. He showed us the awesome view of the Three Cities of Malta, Birgu, Senglea, and Cospicua. After the reign of the Knights of St. John, Napoleon ruled until the islands were surrendered to the British Empire. For the bravery of the Maltese during WWII,.King George VI gave the islands its national symbol, the eight-pointed Maltese cross that stands for the 8 obligations of the Knights (truth, faith, repent of sins, humility, justice, merciful, sincere and enduring persecution), Our driver also told us that on Nov. 27-29, 2015, the Commonwealth of Nations would meet in Birgu  for the turnover of the titular leadership from the Sri Lankan to the Maltese Prime Minister..  

Maltese Bread

Then our driver showed us the place where the cruise ships dock. When we asked about Maltese bread, he took us to a small store where the bread was sold on a side road on the way back to our hotel. He even told us that Malta was the venue of the first face-to-face encounter between US President George H.W. Bush and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, signaling the end of the Cold War. Cab drivers in Malta are, besides being kind, excellent English-speaking tour guides!  

Our Lifestyle Adventures: A Charming Cab Chauffeur Took Us around Malta

Malta Coastline

South of Italy and east of Tunis in the Mediterranean Sea is Malta; a small archipelago made up of the islands of Malta, Gozo, and Comino. Just over 122 square miles with a population of 450,000, it has a Mediterranean climate consisting of mild winters and warm summers. According to International Living, Malta is the country with the best climate in the world. No wonder she has three times more visitors than residents. Over 100 movies have been filmed in Malta, the latest being Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s “By the Sea.”

map  of the archipelago of Malta

So as soon as Jingjing and I got to our Diamond Resorts’ timeshare, we asked the Concierge how to cover the most important sites during our four nights and three days in the country. Since we wanted to see all three UNESCO World Heritage Sites (the Hypogeum of Ħal Saflieni, Valletta, and the seven Megalithic Temples), he advised us to go to Valetta early and be in line by 7:30 am to assure us of tickets to the first one, the Underground Temple. It is usually fully booked in advance, and only 20 walk-in tickets are given every day.

But, tired from our trip, we woke up late. It was already 7:15 am when we finally got into a hotel taxi. And then we were met by a traffic jam going into the tunnel that led to the city. There was no way we could have made it in time! So we quickly changed our minds. We put the day in the hands of our charming cab chauffeur. He took us to six spectacular places around the island of Malta.

MOSTA

Mosta Cathedral

First, we were driven to Mosta, a small town on the island. The Mosta Cathedral of the Assumption boasts the third largest self-supported dome in the world 122 feet in diameter with 30 foot thick walls to support its weight. Residents of Mosta, at that time totalling not more than 1500, built the church starting in 1833. It took them 27 years to complete the edifice, but the result is a world-class tourist attraction. On April 9, 1942, the church was nearly destroyed. An Axis bomb hit the dome of the church but, fortunately, failed to explode. The detonator was removed, and a replica is now displayed as a memorial to the miracle.

MDINA

View of Mdina from afar

St. Paul's Cathedral at the Mdina

On the way to the Mdina, we stopped to look at the products of a Mdina Glass factory and the nearby Crafts Village. But soon we were at the old city. Phoenician traders who used the islands as a stop on their trade routes joined the natives and inhabited this town and surrounding areas. The Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the center of the island. It was the capital of the land from antiquity until 1530. No vehicles are allowed inside. With a population of less than 300, the city is still confined within its walls, but it is contiguous with the village of Rabat ( an Arabic word for suburb) - population, over 11,000. The city is an unusual mix of Norman and Baroque architecture, and several palaces serve as private homes. St. Paul’s Cathedral was built on the site where Governor Publius met Saint Paul following his shipwreck off the Maltese coast.

RABAT

Catacombs in Rabat

Malta is an Apostolic See. The Acts of the Apostles tells of how St. Paul, was shipwrecked, at what is today known as St Paul's Bay on his way from Jerusalem to Rome to face trial, sometime around AD 60. He is believed to have spent three months on the island, curing the sick including the father of the governor, Publius, A grotto in Rabat, now known as "St Paul's Grotto" is among the earliest known places of Christian worship on the island. Further evidence of Christian practices and beliefs appears in catacombs that lie beneath Rabat, including St Paul's and St Agatha's Catacombs.

MEGALITHS

Megalith Temple from a distance, protected by modern roofs

The Sicani from Sicily are the only tribe known to have inhabited the island from 5200 BC.  A culture of megalithic temple builders during 3500 BC erected some of the oldest existing free-standing structures in the world, older than the Pyramids of Giza or even Stonehenge. Seven of them comprise a UNESCO World Heritage Site, including the two we saw on this cab tour. They sit next to each other, at Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra. However, the culture disappeared around 2500 BC. It is believed that the temple builders fell victim to famine or disease.

DINGLI CLIFFS

Dingli Cliffs

After historical and religious sights, our charming cab chauffeur took us to see some of Malta’s unique landscape. Much of the island consists of low hills with terraced fields. The highest point is in Ta' Dmejrek, at 830 feet elevation near Dingli. The area provides not only open sea views over the tiny, uninhabited isle of Filfla but is also an excellent vantage point over Malta. The small Church of Mary Magdalene strikes a magnificent pose sitting atop the hill and provides the best view of Dingli Cliffs.

BLUE GROTTO

where I got on the little boats 

the biggest cavern in the Blue Grotto

Just a few miles from the temples is the Blue Grotto, a group of sea caverns on the south coast of Malta, east of the fishermen's harbour in the village of Qrendi.The small uninhabited islet of Filfla lies just across. The location of the caves combined with the sunlight leads to the water showing numerous shades of blue. Several caverns mirror the brilliant phosphorescent colors of the underwater flora; other caverns show a deep dark shade of blue. The boat trip to the caves lasted only about twenty minutes but, alone without Bill or Jingjing, it was a little scary for me at the start. And then frenzied picture-taking took over and I forgot that I was supposed to be afraid!

Our charming cab chauffeur not only took us to the best sites in Malta but patiently took our photos and told us of interesting facts about the archipelago and traditions of the Maltese. Even if we did not get to the Hypogeum or Underground Temple, on this particular day we considered ourselves extremely lucky. Read our next two posts and you will see that luck stayed with us on our two other day trips in Malta!

Wonderings on Wanderings: Preparing for 2015!

2015 is fast approaching and so the time has come to think about our dreams and hopes for the coming year. Actually, I only have a few items on my list but they are huge, significant, and will certainly take a whole lot of effort to make sure they are not on the list again for 2016. I am determined to make them happen next year. Here they are, from easy to difficult:

1. We will travel again to eighteen destinations in nine countries, fifteen destinations with Bill and three with BFFs Jingjing and Ann Everything has been booked except for Morocco and Macedonia, that is why this is the easiest to accomplish. The only thing to do is to keep healthy so we are able to make and enjoy the trips!

     March 18               Dubai, United Arab Emirates

     March 21               Rome, Florence, and Pompeii, Italy

     March 28               Malaga, Sevilla, Granada, Spain + Morocco

     April 4                   Nice, Cannes, Mougins, France + Genoa, Italy

     July 2                     Calgary, Canada

     September 12-26   Kauai and Maui, Hawaii

     Oct. 10                  Malta

     Oct. 17                  Bulgaria + Macedonia

And if my book will be launched, the following two cities will be added:

     May 27                     Manila, Philippines

     June 26                    Seattle, Washington

2. I have submitted the second draft of my book to my publisher. Even if it does not get the nod, I will work hard to make sure it still makes it to production by February. If it does, then I would be able to launch the book by May with the indicated tentative launch schedule above. We not only have to decide which other cities to launch in but also when and how.

There is a whole lot of marketing activities to support the launches, including solidifying my online platform which now only has my Blog, my Facebook Fan Page, and a beginning Twitter account. I have yet to launch my website, initiate Instagram, and revive my LinkedIn account. I may also look at Pinterest and YouTube. This will all require a lot of effort. I really don’t know if I can do it but I will try.

Bill and Carol @ the tennis court, wearing their uniforms

3. Doing both of the above should be a near impossibility! So the most difficult, while we are juggling the two goals, will be to keep healthy physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And not just on my own, but with Bill most certainly. This is why we have decided to stay put at Viewpoint. It makes everything a lot easier. Transferring to a new home will have to be postponed to a later year. And we have to continue with our new-found healthy eating regimen (the 80/20 Rule of Healthy Eating) and daily exercises of either gym or tennis with regular visits to our doctor and our parish.

I know it is an ambitious plan but, if all things push through, I promise to retire again soon!