|
|
2018 |
woensdag 23 mei 2018
We drive to Wied 
iz-Zurrieq
in the Southwest of Malta. Here we take a boat trip to the Blue
Grotto from the tiny harbor. These are a number of caves in the
rocky coast. In the morning the sun shines into the caves and gives
the water a blue color. Hence the name. The boat trip takes 25
minutes. We are just in time to avoid the coach tour groups.
After the boat trip we drive along the coast and arrive at the temples
of Hagar
Qim. These megalithic temples from the 36th century BC
were excavated in the thirties of the 20th century and are now
shielded by a tent construction. The museum explains the function of
the temples and how the complex came into being. The creators of the
temples have built the temple in such a way that the sun can shine all
the way
through into the complex.
From Hagar Qim we walk to the temples of Mnajdra. These are somewhat
simpler and date from the same period. They are a 600m walk towards
the coast. After the temples we drive to Dingli, where we have lunch
at Diar il Bniet,
a restaurant that serves home-grown products. We have a delicious
lunch. After lunch we take a look at the Dingli cliffs. The rocky
coast at Dingli and the highest point of Malta. Here is also a
radar station. Then we drive to Ghaijn Tuffiena in the
Northwest. This is the Golden Bay with a beautiful sandy beach. At the
end is a gay beach. We look down from the mountain and then drive back
to Cospicua.
In the evening we take the ferry to La Valletta. We drink a cocktail
at the Kingsway and then we eat a delicious dinner at Ambrosia.
There is a rabbit dish on the menu, a specialty of Malta.
The bus back to Conspicua is cancelled and we take a taxi.
Weather: cloudy and a strong wind. 21 °
Thursday 24 May 2018
Today
we get up early, around 6 o'clock. Today we go to Gozo and we want to
beat the crowds and get on an early boat to Gozo. Gozo is a smaller
island north of Malta, which also belongs to the Republic of Malta. We
arrive around 7.50am at the harbor in Cirkewwa. We take the Gozo
Channel ferry of 8.15. The crossing takes just over 20 minutes.
From Mgarr we drive on the island and have a beautiful view from the
village of Nadur on the Gozo Channel and the island of Comino, the
smallest of the islands. We drive to the north coast, to the Calypso
Cave, where Odyseus, the hero of Homer's Odysee would have been able
to hide. The cave is closed, but the view of the coast is beautiful.
We drive to Marsalforn, a tourist resort w
here
we drink coffee. Then continue along the coast, where salt pans have
been formed. They are apparently still used, because you absolutely
not allowed on them. Next stop is the canyon of Wied il-Ghasri. A deep
gorge in the coastal mountains allows the sea water to enter. Because
it is shallow, it is very suitable for swimming.
From there we drive to Gharb, where we have lunch. Next goal is the
bay of Dwejra. A beautiful coast with steep rocks. There is also an
inland sea, where sport divers are diving and boat trips can be made
through a tunnel in the mountains.
Finally we drive to Victoria, the capital of Gozo. Here we take a look
at the basilica and walk a bit over the fortification walls. The rest
of it is not very special. We take the 4.45pm boat back to Malta. On
the Maltese roads it is very busy, so we cover the 36 km in almost one
and a half hours.
In the evening we eat at the port of Birgu.
Weather: sunny 26 degrees
Friday 25 May 2018
It is a hot day, the sun is shi
ning
brightly. We take the ferry to the other side of the Grand Harbor to
Valletta. Upon arrival we are just in time to hear and see the shooting
of the noon-gun. At 12 o'clock in the afternoon a cannon is fired from
the cannon platform. The cannons served for salute shots for visiting
ships. The tradition of the noon-shot is based on the need to set the
clocks in the area. We have lunch on the St George square at Streat Bar
& Bistro.
We walk to the Grand
Master Palace. This now serves as a presidential palace, but
also the collection of armaments of the Knights of St John is kept here.
The Arsenal and the State Rooms, or reception rooms of the president can
both be visited. The State Rooms are on the third floor and beautifully
decorated with frescoes and gobelins. The Arsenal is an endless series
of armor, rapier, halberd, guns and guns. There is also a temporary
exhibition with works by Miró and Picasso. That takes plasce in the
light of the year of Valletta being the Europea
n
cultural capital (shared with Leeuwarden). Especially the Miró paintings
are very worthwhile.
We walk to the Barakkah Gardens. Underneith the gardens are the Liscara
War Rooms. In these chambers carved into the rocks during
the Second World War the housed the military command for Malta. Safe for
the bombs and unknown to the enemy. I'm going down for a visit. The
entrance is not that conspicuous. Inside I get a very detailed tour, in
which not only the functioning of the room itself is explained, but also
the course of the war around Malta between 1939 and 1943. Malta had a
hard time during the war and was bombed a lot. They were almost about to
surrender, until a convoy broke through the Germ
an
and Italian navy blockade. After the invasion of Sicily by the Allies,
the war for Malta was over. After the war, the entire island was awarded
the St George Cross by King George VI, which has been on the Maltese
national flag since 1946. After the visit to the War Rooms, we drink an
Aperol Spritz in a cocktail bar on the main street.
We take the bus back to Cospicua and rest in the apartment.
In the evening we eat in Birgu at Tal-Petut.
A small restaurant with a fixed formula. We start with an extensive
range of snacks, a kind of tapas. A ravioli then follows. Then there is
a choice of meat, fish and vegetables. We choose the veal cheek. We
conclude with a delicious dessert of ice cream, parfait and so on.
Weather: sunny and warm. 27 degrees
Saturday 26 May 2018
We get up early at 4:45. After breakfast we go to the airport at half
past five. We park the car in the right place and return the key by
throwing it in a letterbox. We then join a long queue for check-in. We
are there for more than 45 minutes. The hall is full of Maltese
Liverpool FC supporters . Today is the Champions League final in Kiev
and there is a flight going there full of fans. Then continue to the
safety check. That goes pretty smoothly. Then we have to wait another
hour before we can board. We leave reasonably on time at 7:50 and arrive
at Schiphol at 11 o'clock.
We have the IC Direct at 11:50 and are quarter to one we are back home.
 |
Other Travel | |
| back | |