Saturday, August 27, 2005
MY WEEK ON MALTA
Day 55 of my 90 day holiday
TUESDAY 23 August
MDINA medieval town with a population of 400. It is in the south and high up. From there you have views of practically the whole island. Also visited the Presidents home and walked through his garden right up to the gate. He was home, flag was up.
Did some prickly pear liquer tasting here. It was good so I have bought a bottle. It is pink in colour and very strong and sweet. Cactus with prickly pear on them are everywhere. Also the odd bougainvillea to add just a hint of colour. The landscape all over the island is almost like a desert with honey-coloured buildings on it. They all have flat roofs to catch rainwater which does straight into the underground via a drain. Actually MALTA no longer has water problems because there are 4 factories just for salinating sea water. 80% goes back to the sea. However they do not drink it, even locals buy bottled water. The whole island is only 27 kms long and 14 kms wide. It is hilly which makes driving around more interesting. Speaking of driving, the tour guide said the road rules are "the one with the biggest wheels has right of way". Plus they park anywhere.
The afternoon was spent back at the motel pool. Lots of kids there. 400 rooms all full. Apparently it is cheaper for the poms to come here for the winter than to pay their electricity bill back home.
No fences here like our colourbond ones, every fence is made out of white pebbles so no matter what village you are in, they all look the same. Most have a beautiful bay or harbour with gorgeous coloured clear water. Did you know that Marsa means harbour. eg Marseille, Marsala etc.
WEDNESDAY 24 August
Hot but slightly overcast. Got in early for my front row deckchair by the sea. Very different today, waves rough and crashing onto rocks. Too difficult and perhaps dangerous to get in for a swim but still beautiful to lie there and watch the sea behave this way. Other die hard sunbathers were there as well. We know each other and you feel at home here by day 2. Shopkeepers know you and other tourists who you may have met on a tour or hotel pool etc.
Afternoon was spent doing a Harbour Cruise starting in Sliema. Sailed to Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour of Valletta and the nearby natural creeks and 2 small fishing villages. Very nice just cruising around admiring all the honey-coloured buildings from the seaward side. I stole that line from David Niven's autobiography. Was reading it the following day on the deckchair by the sea and on p. 67 "the moon is a balloon" he described how he joined the infantry and was sent off to Malta. He wrote all about entering the Grand Harbour and Valletta, and seeing the big Fort etc. just like I did the day before. What a coincidence! So of course I could really picture it all. They even showed us Errol Flynn's old boat which is on land and now used as a restaurant.
THURSDAY 25 August (Pay Day)
A normal sort of day. Sent my 1st parcel home to empty my bag of 3.7 kg. Then to the hairdresser who gave me a 2005 fringe, you know the one that slopes down the side and into your eyes. Have to join in with the jet set here. Enough chores for the day so by 1 pm the Mediterranean Sea was calling me again. Front row deckchair, umbrella and all afternoon swimming, reading etc etc. MAGIC! Didn't leave till 5 pm and then only because Doris and George were picking me up at 6 pm. A Maltese friend in Australia organised for them to meet up with me. They took me out to SLIEMA another beautiful large tourist resort. We did a really long walk in the evening along the promenade, fairy lights in trees etc and loads of people. We stopped for coffee and later again for dinner & wine at a great sidewalk restaurant that had the garlic aroma coming out of it. We got on really well and they were so nice they spoilt me and wouldn't let me pay for a thing, said I was their guest. Like I said before, the Maltese have been really nice and hospitable. Fireworks and band in streets of Sliema for festival that evening. A wonderful night with two really nice locals.
FRIDAY 26/8/05
Very hot but we were so lucky that it wasn't rough on the water like the other day because otherwise the BLUE GROTTO boats don't go out. So I got to see quite a few caves and there is even coral just below the water line. I hope the blue of the water shows on my photos. It really is something special.
Other sights included Ghar Dalam Cave (I love caves) and we could walk into this one for 50 metres, although it is much longer. Then the Tarzien Temples where they admired big women and called them Goddess of Fertility. The women were also the head of the household (got the food, had the children etc etc and they aren't sure what the men did), this is what they say on the tour. What has changed I ask?
SATURDAY 27/8/05
Said goodbye to my home of 7 nights, the beautiful village of Bugibba and headed north (by a black mercedes taxi - felt like Princess Di) to catch the car ferry to GOZO ISLAND. I really enjoyed the 30 mins on board, it was huge, I felt I was on a cruise and I wanted to do the Titanic thing up the front of the ship. We passed another small island famous for its blue lagoon. I am booked on a cruise on Monday (full day) to see it as well as to cruise right around Gozo Island with lots of swimming stops in some nice bays. I'm at the Calypso Hotel (like new inside, very very nice) with a pool & bar on the roof where I spent the afternoon till 7 pm. I have wandered around this village after arriving here in Marsalform. Walked for miles along the waters edge and guess what, no-one is swimming, you could see jellyfish everywhere, so this is why I opted for the motel pool.
Tonight I left motel room at 9.30 pm and its so funny to walk out the front door of motel and this little village is raging. All day it is quiet and I was warned that it is a relaxing type of place. Then because it is cooler at night, everyone is out and about. All the locals are out walking with grandparents as well with kids, prams etc. Beats the TV hey! It's such a nice way to socialise for families and the young and old. You see them stop to shake hands etc.
So what is the plan for tomorrow. I found a beautiful beach I plan to park my bum at!
Goodnight everybody. love Gisela xxx
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIONA!
TUESDAY 23 August
MDINA medieval town with a population of 400. It is in the south and high up. From there you have views of practically the whole island. Also visited the Presidents home and walked through his garden right up to the gate. He was home, flag was up.
Did some prickly pear liquer tasting here. It was good so I have bought a bottle. It is pink in colour and very strong and sweet. Cactus with prickly pear on them are everywhere. Also the odd bougainvillea to add just a hint of colour. The landscape all over the island is almost like a desert with honey-coloured buildings on it. They all have flat roofs to catch rainwater which does straight into the underground via a drain. Actually MALTA no longer has water problems because there are 4 factories just for salinating sea water. 80% goes back to the sea. However they do not drink it, even locals buy bottled water. The whole island is only 27 kms long and 14 kms wide. It is hilly which makes driving around more interesting. Speaking of driving, the tour guide said the road rules are "the one with the biggest wheels has right of way". Plus they park anywhere.
The afternoon was spent back at the motel pool. Lots of kids there. 400 rooms all full. Apparently it is cheaper for the poms to come here for the winter than to pay their electricity bill back home.
No fences here like our colourbond ones, every fence is made out of white pebbles so no matter what village you are in, they all look the same. Most have a beautiful bay or harbour with gorgeous coloured clear water. Did you know that Marsa means harbour. eg Marseille, Marsala etc.
WEDNESDAY 24 August
Hot but slightly overcast. Got in early for my front row deckchair by the sea. Very different today, waves rough and crashing onto rocks. Too difficult and perhaps dangerous to get in for a swim but still beautiful to lie there and watch the sea behave this way. Other die hard sunbathers were there as well. We know each other and you feel at home here by day 2. Shopkeepers know you and other tourists who you may have met on a tour or hotel pool etc.
Afternoon was spent doing a Harbour Cruise starting in Sliema. Sailed to Marsamxett and the Grand Harbour of Valletta and the nearby natural creeks and 2 small fishing villages. Very nice just cruising around admiring all the honey-coloured buildings from the seaward side. I stole that line from David Niven's autobiography. Was reading it the following day on the deckchair by the sea and on p. 67 "the moon is a balloon" he described how he joined the infantry and was sent off to Malta. He wrote all about entering the Grand Harbour and Valletta, and seeing the big Fort etc. just like I did the day before. What a coincidence! So of course I could really picture it all. They even showed us Errol Flynn's old boat which is on land and now used as a restaurant.
THURSDAY 25 August (Pay Day)
A normal sort of day. Sent my 1st parcel home to empty my bag of 3.7 kg. Then to the hairdresser who gave me a 2005 fringe, you know the one that slopes down the side and into your eyes. Have to join in with the jet set here. Enough chores for the day so by 1 pm the Mediterranean Sea was calling me again. Front row deckchair, umbrella and all afternoon swimming, reading etc etc. MAGIC! Didn't leave till 5 pm and then only because Doris and George were picking me up at 6 pm. A Maltese friend in Australia organised for them to meet up with me. They took me out to SLIEMA another beautiful large tourist resort. We did a really long walk in the evening along the promenade, fairy lights in trees etc and loads of people. We stopped for coffee and later again for dinner & wine at a great sidewalk restaurant that had the garlic aroma coming out of it. We got on really well and they were so nice they spoilt me and wouldn't let me pay for a thing, said I was their guest. Like I said before, the Maltese have been really nice and hospitable. Fireworks and band in streets of Sliema for festival that evening. A wonderful night with two really nice locals.
FRIDAY 26/8/05
Very hot but we were so lucky that it wasn't rough on the water like the other day because otherwise the BLUE GROTTO boats don't go out. So I got to see quite a few caves and there is even coral just below the water line. I hope the blue of the water shows on my photos. It really is something special.
Other sights included Ghar Dalam Cave (I love caves) and we could walk into this one for 50 metres, although it is much longer. Then the Tarzien Temples where they admired big women and called them Goddess of Fertility. The women were also the head of the household (got the food, had the children etc etc and they aren't sure what the men did), this is what they say on the tour. What has changed I ask?
SATURDAY 27/8/05
Said goodbye to my home of 7 nights, the beautiful village of Bugibba and headed north (by a black mercedes taxi - felt like Princess Di) to catch the car ferry to GOZO ISLAND. I really enjoyed the 30 mins on board, it was huge, I felt I was on a cruise and I wanted to do the Titanic thing up the front of the ship. We passed another small island famous for its blue lagoon. I am booked on a cruise on Monday (full day) to see it as well as to cruise right around Gozo Island with lots of swimming stops in some nice bays. I'm at the Calypso Hotel (like new inside, very very nice) with a pool & bar on the roof where I spent the afternoon till 7 pm. I have wandered around this village after arriving here in Marsalform. Walked for miles along the waters edge and guess what, no-one is swimming, you could see jellyfish everywhere, so this is why I opted for the motel pool.
Tonight I left motel room at 9.30 pm and its so funny to walk out the front door of motel and this little village is raging. All day it is quiet and I was warned that it is a relaxing type of place. Then because it is cooler at night, everyone is out and about. All the locals are out walking with grandparents as well with kids, prams etc. Beats the TV hey! It's such a nice way to socialise for families and the young and old. You see them stop to shake hands etc.
So what is the plan for tomorrow. I found a beautiful beach I plan to park my bum at!
Goodnight everybody. love Gisela xxx
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FIONA!
# posted by Gisela @ 12:29 PM 
