Fun in the Sun

Monday was a pretty relaxed day for Andrew and I. We decided to head to Dwejra to relax with a good view and book while we waited for my parents to arrive. The idea was sit in beautiful surroundings and relax.

Unfortunately we soon worked out that this was not going to be possible. We'd bought some drinks and were sitting at the cafe trying to relax, but the whinging tourists (take a guess which nationality) wouldn't shut up so it was far from peaceful.

Then the wasps arrived. They were apparently attracted to the residue on our empty drink cans and wouldn't leave us alone. So in the end we decided to leave them alone and go for a drive to Marsalforn.

So we started driving and I followed the signs to Marsalforn, however since we were at Dwejra, which is at the other end of the island, we weren't going the usual way. Instead the signs lead us through the town of Zebbug. Under normal circumstances this would not be a problem as there is a road through and it's a pretty drive past the natural salt pans. On this occasion however we discovered after driving all the way through Zebbug that the road was closed for maintenance and that we had to go back to Rabbat and go the way we normally go.

Heading back to Rabbat we gave up on Marsalforn and pulled into a shopping centre so Andrew could use the internet. Eventually my mother called and we collected them from the port, as well as saying hello to Steve and Ross who had also arrived.

The following day Andrew and I decided to stay away from the unpacking chaos at home and headed to Sliema on the main island. Sliema is known as the Toorak of Malta (to Melbournians at least) and is rather similar to the Gold Coast. Lots of high rise holiday apartments, shops, swimming areas. We spent a good part of the day wandering around and shopping. Then we grabbed an ice cream and headed home.

As mum and dad needed the car, Andrew and I had decided to catch the bus. The bus we caught was an original 1950's bus that had been personalised by the driver/owner and even included a niche above the drivers area with some religious statues.

That evening we met with my Steve, Ross, my aunt Maria, Alexandra and my great aunt Antoinette at Marsalforn where they'd had dinner, and then diverted to Ramla bay for icecream and drinks.

On Wednesday Andrew and I returned to Ramla for some fun in the sun. We swam, we relaxed on the beach, we ran into my second cousin and her kids. All in all a lovely morning. Then in the afternoon we went with Steve and Ross to the swimming area at Mgarr Ix Xini. Not impressed with the water, Andrew and I didn't swim, but Steve and Ross did. After that we went to Xlendi and swam there.

Whilst at Xlendi we were joined by my aunt Maria and Alexandra, followed shortly after by my second cousin Simon. Simon showed us an area at Xlendi where apparently the nuns used to go swimming. It was a rock cave with clear water and rock pools.

After that mum, dad and great aunt Angolina joined us and we all had dinner. It was a nice night.

The next day we were up early for our tour of Malta with Steve and Ross. We caught the ferry over to Malta and then proceeded to Mosta to see the church. This church is similar in style to the Pantheon in Rome (minus the hole in the roof) and is famous because during the war a bomb was dropped on the church while a service was taking place. Despite the fact that there were around 300 people in the church at the time, no one was injured as the bomb did not detonate, nor did it hit anyone on the way in through the roof.

From Mosta we proceeded to get lost on our way to Paola, home of the Hypogeum and Tarxien (tar-shee-en)temples. A few months ago we had booked in to see the Hypogeum. The Hypogeum is an underground burial ground and temple from the stone age (pre-Pyramids and Stonehenge). In order to preserve it they only let groups of 10 in at a time and only a set number of groups a day. Therefore booking was essential.

The place was pretty amazing. To think that they carved it all out using only horn and stone is pretty awesome. They had even sculpted the rocks to look like the above ground temples that these people also built in many places.

After the Hypogeum we went to see the Tarxien temples. These are temples that were created by the people living on the Maltese islands during the stone age. These people worshipped a Mother Goddess and often built stone temples in her honour. These temples contained stone altars and statues sculpted of the Mother Goddess which look like a rather large lady, sometimes naked, sometimes in a skirt.

Looking at the Tarxien Temples made me quite sad. Back in the 50's when these temples were excavated and "restored" the archaeologists didn't really have their techniques down pat. So back then they used to use concrete to fix broken sections or try to recreate certain areas. The result is disastrous. It looks terrible.

Next we attempted to head towards the coast to see some more temples but between Steve's driving and my attempting to give directions from a map that did not have all the roads, we ended up getting lost. At one stage we were being followed closely by another car and had no idea where we were going so we pulled over to let them pass. Instead the other guy pulled up beside us and asked where we were trying to go. We told him and he said "No worries, follow me. I'm heading that way". So off we went and sure enough he took us directly where we needed to go.

Our next stop for the day was Wied iz-Zurqieq (wee-ed i zoor-ieh), home of the Blue Grotto. Here we hopped on a boat and went for a tour of the caves and rock formations in the surrounding coastline. One of these is an archway over some crystal blue water that is called the "Blue Grotto". It's a lovely spot.

After our boat ride we trekked back up the hill to the car. By this stage it was extremely hot (estimated 38 degrees celcius) and we were all sweltering. So we were really grateful to see our next stop, just 5 minutes down the road, had air conditioning.

This next stop was to see the Hagar Qim (huh -jar Eem)and Mnajdra (Im-Nigh-dra)temples. The last time I had visited these temples, 14 years ago, it was pretty disgraceful. These ancient temples were just sitting in a field with a ticket booth at the front and a rocky dirt track between them. In fact, back then the Mnajdra temples had been vandalised and were so unstable that you couldn't even enter them. What a difference today!

Thanks to funding from the EU the entire complex has been redone. Firstly the area has been properly fenced off. Then at the start there is a building containing the ticketing area and an exhibition that walks you through the history of the temples and has on display some artifacts from them. Then you are taken into a small theatre to watch a short video about the temples. Next you get to go outside to see the temples themselves. All the paths have been properly paved and there are signs to keep you heading in the right direction. The temples themselves have had massive tent like structures placed over them to protect them (and the visitors) from the elements. The temples themselves had also been partially restored and had boardwalks created so that you can now access most areas of the temples and really see these amazing structures.

By this stage we were all very tired so we headed to St Julians where Steve and Ross would be staying for the next few days. After a few issues locating the hotel (namely not having the address) we arrived at the hotel and went for a dip in the pool. Then Andrew and I left Steve and Ross, went down the road for some dinner and caught the bus back to the Gozo Ferry.

After dinner and a shower, we caught up with my uncle Michael, aunt Rose, cousins Vanessa and Jessica, and Jessica's partner Daniel for some ice-cream at Marsalforn. All in all a full on, but lovely day.

Yesterday, Andrew and I took it fairly easy. In the afternoon we took my father to San Blas beach, his childhood hang out. My father grew up as part of a farming family in part of the town of Nadur known as San Blas. So he and his siblings would often spend time at the beach after a hot day in the fields.

San Blas is one of the few remaining undeveloped beaches on the island. This is mainly because of it's location. In order to access the beach one must walk down a very steep path that is sorely in need of repair (or some steps!). But once you reach the bay it is beautiful. Warm soft red sand. Clear blue water which was lovely and warm yesterday. Well worth the effort. We swam, relaxed on the beach and then returned home for dinner and a visit to my mum's cousin.