A severe case of ’Whoops!’ started the Friday. I believed that the arrival of the Spitfire and the Hurricane signalled the start of the Malta International Air Show. Not so. It started Saturday. More on that.
As usual, it is very quick to get anywhere by bus on Malta. Bus to Cirkewwa, and then very uncomplicated ferrying over to Mgharr on Gozo.
Getting on the bus in Mgharr was also easy – once you had read about it in a good guide book, and had the confidence to evade all the friendly taxi drivers who would take you, and a bunch of others, to Victoria for ’only 50c’, when the bus cost 20c.
What made the trip worthwhile was visiting Victoria, and Il-Kastell (Cittadella). Truly impressive, and indeed something of a mini-Mdina. In the Il-Kastell, walking on the bastions and following the top of the wall, you get acutely aware of how on-top of everything you are. Splendid views in all directions looked down on a relatively flat landscape. The height was maybe not that great, but the contrast made it striking.
Bus services on Gozo were impracticable for further sightseeing, so I took a taxi to the Gigantija temples. They are believed to be some 5000 years old, and are among the oldest remnants found in Malta. Some restoration is ongoing to keep them standing, and they are more impressive than the Tarxien temples. Very little information is available inside the area.
The money spent on taxi won me plenty of time. I even managed to squeese in an improvised visit to Comino. The boat driver was flexible with the leaving and picking up times, so I could match it to one of the ferries going back to Cirkewwa. That was time well spent. The blue lagoon is breathtaking. A walking round to, among other things, the St Mary tower built in the 17th century by the knights of St. John was possible within an hour, leaving some time for resting in the sun. On walking to or from the St. Mary tower along the shortest path, but also the roughest path, one nearly stumbles down into cleavages leading stright down into an azure bay, or merely a cove. These treasure places for any sailor, swimmer, or photographer, present themselves suddenly to the pedestrian. There are no rails, no security. The tower is likewise non-equipped. Careful!
The landscape on Comino is in stark contrast with these coves, and with the tower it is a perfect match!
