Monday, August 29, 2005
3 NIGHTS ON GOZO ISLAND, MALTA
Sunday August began with a huge buffet style breakfast here at the Calypso Hotel. Every kind of breadroll imaginable and chef making omelettes on request right in front of you. Did I mention the water views from the restaurant? I'm running out of adjectives to help describe the scenery (help me out here Loretta, Rhondda, Lyn). Then I spent the whole day as planned, at the beach which is located right in front of the hotel, and it is a sandy one. Did I mention that the weather was perfect? And the best thing was, NO JELLYFISH. Everyone was in there floating around which is a good sign. Floating is so effortless in the sea, apparently because of the salt.
I swam and swam and swam. You don't want to get out of the water, the temperature is just right and a very slight swell (hardly any at all). A nice Maltese man was floating around beside me and we started chatting. He lives on the mainland of Malta but has a weekender on Gozo. We floated and chatted and floated and chatted. His English was very good - used to be a tour guide. So I felt like I had a friend to play with for the day. At lunchtime he had to go home to have lunch with his wife but said he would be back at 3.00 pm. Sure enough at 3.00 pm he was right there beside my towel and said let's go swim. So off I went with my new best friend to float around and chat again. It was Sunday so he had to get the ferry back that evening for work in the morning. Apparently waterview 3 bedroom units over here cost 35,000 lire 4 yrs ago
(x 4 $A). Not bad hey. Minimum wage here is 60 lire (remember x 4 $A). He also said that Marsalforn was the ultimate place to stay on Gozo, sort of the Mecca, that is why the Maltese have their holiday homes here. So I chose well from the internet.
While sunbaking and reading on this sandy beach, the church bells chimed every 1/2 hour which sounded just beautiful. It was Sunday afterall and the church was right beside my hotel and directly behind the beach. Nearly everyone on Malta is Catholic, even my new best friend went to church that morning. Anyway, the bells ringing were magic and at lunchtime they played a whole tune. Can you tell, I was in heaven. Nothing like sun and water to put a smile on my face all day long and the church bells just topped it all off. I watched the children playing along the seashore - they all have nets. Fishermen all along the rocky coastline and ladders every few metres so you can enter the Sea from any point. So there is plenty to watch while floating.
A lot of people left the island Sunday night, so it went back to being a sleepy little village. I wandered along the shore in the evening, they actually close off the main street to cars at night only, for the procession of walkers. I stopped at the last restaurant right on the edge of the rocks and asked for a pot of tea. Boy did I get a pot of tea. A huge pot filled to the brim. It was fabulous, I drank four cups and enjoyed the best views of the whole village all lit up at night and with lovely background music. The bill was 75 cents (x4).
Monday my Blue Lagoon trip was cancelled unfortunately due to tiny drops of rain the boats wouldn't go out. But as always I look at the bright side. Had one of my laziest days this holiday. Joined in siesta time and had an afternoon nap. Then watched CNN news to watch the Hurricane in New Orleans live for a couple of hours. I think I really needed a good rest. Also read my brochure for the upcoming Germany highlights 11 day tour and am now really looking forward to returning to the homeland tomorrow. I am island hopping. Ferry from Gozo Island to Malta then Lufthansa from Malta to Frankfurt. I'm excited about speaking German again for a whole month and the music and beer and the Rhine and castles etc etc. I hope the group will be as much fun as the English crowd were on the Italy tour. I feel like I am doing 10 years worth of holidays in one. I guess in a way I am. But the novelty hasn't worn off at all, I look forward to each leg as it comes. So goodbye beachbum, hello Fraulein.
Saha in Maltese means goodbye and good health. So SAHA to all my friends and loved ones.
And in particular, just in case I don't get to an internet cafe with the tour before the weekend:
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!
love Gisela xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I swam and swam and swam. You don't want to get out of the water, the temperature is just right and a very slight swell (hardly any at all). A nice Maltese man was floating around beside me and we started chatting. He lives on the mainland of Malta but has a weekender on Gozo. We floated and chatted and floated and chatted. His English was very good - used to be a tour guide. So I felt like I had a friend to play with for the day. At lunchtime he had to go home to have lunch with his wife but said he would be back at 3.00 pm. Sure enough at 3.00 pm he was right there beside my towel and said let's go swim. So off I went with my new best friend to float around and chat again. It was Sunday so he had to get the ferry back that evening for work in the morning. Apparently waterview 3 bedroom units over here cost 35,000 lire 4 yrs ago
(x 4 $A). Not bad hey. Minimum wage here is 60 lire (remember x 4 $A). He also said that Marsalforn was the ultimate place to stay on Gozo, sort of the Mecca, that is why the Maltese have their holiday homes here. So I chose well from the internet.
While sunbaking and reading on this sandy beach, the church bells chimed every 1/2 hour which sounded just beautiful. It was Sunday afterall and the church was right beside my hotel and directly behind the beach. Nearly everyone on Malta is Catholic, even my new best friend went to church that morning. Anyway, the bells ringing were magic and at lunchtime they played a whole tune. Can you tell, I was in heaven. Nothing like sun and water to put a smile on my face all day long and the church bells just topped it all off. I watched the children playing along the seashore - they all have nets. Fishermen all along the rocky coastline and ladders every few metres so you can enter the Sea from any point. So there is plenty to watch while floating.
A lot of people left the island Sunday night, so it went back to being a sleepy little village. I wandered along the shore in the evening, they actually close off the main street to cars at night only, for the procession of walkers. I stopped at the last restaurant right on the edge of the rocks and asked for a pot of tea. Boy did I get a pot of tea. A huge pot filled to the brim. It was fabulous, I drank four cups and enjoyed the best views of the whole village all lit up at night and with lovely background music. The bill was 75 cents (x4).
Monday my Blue Lagoon trip was cancelled unfortunately due to tiny drops of rain the boats wouldn't go out. But as always I look at the bright side. Had one of my laziest days this holiday. Joined in siesta time and had an afternoon nap. Then watched CNN news to watch the Hurricane in New Orleans live for a couple of hours. I think I really needed a good rest. Also read my brochure for the upcoming Germany highlights 11 day tour and am now really looking forward to returning to the homeland tomorrow. I am island hopping. Ferry from Gozo Island to Malta then Lufthansa from Malta to Frankfurt. I'm excited about speaking German again for a whole month and the music and beer and the Rhine and castles etc etc. I hope the group will be as much fun as the English crowd were on the Italy tour. I feel like I am doing 10 years worth of holidays in one. I guess in a way I am. But the novelty hasn't worn off at all, I look forward to each leg as it comes. So goodbye beachbum, hello Fraulein.
Saha in Maltese means goodbye and good health. So SAHA to all my friends and loved ones.
And in particular, just in case I don't get to an internet cafe with the tour before the weekend:
HAPPY FATHER'S DAY DAD!
love Gisela xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
# posted by Gisela @ 11:28 AM 
