Aussies out and about

Marsaxlokk 

Peter's Pool

Happy swimmer

Hire cars can go anywhere

Blue Grotto

Hyperventilating at this point

Time team eat your heart out

Today Peter, Fiona and I are venturing out into the wilds of Malta by ourselves. Will we make it back?

First stop is the Hypogeum, well that is if we can find it. GPS keeps telling us turn left, turn right, and keeps putting us down the same street. What is going on? Let’s park and investigate. Peter is expertly reversing up a one way street into a prized spot. A few minutes of walking and its time to laugh out loud, I thought we where looking for a big archeological site. Hmm, this is the front door of a house. But all will be revealed on the tour.

The Hypogeum, a UNESCO world heritage site was found when someone was building a toilet. It is an underground crypt that dates back to 3,000BC.  We go down into the depths of cavities and see the amazing structures literally carved out of rock.

Peter and Fiona have planned an expert itinerary, but first we must get sustenance and have a pastizzi from one of the many street vendors, the one we pick is across from the pet shop. Now back into the Peugeot and off we go to Marsaxlokk. Fiona is navigating and yelling at the GPS, will we get there.

Wow, we arrive the beautiful blue sea is before us. I hop out of the car before Peter can even stop and off we go on a photo shoot of this lovely fishing village. Time to find some lunch, we get the order the same sandwiches as Angela made for us – tuna, capers, tomato, olives. We saw we are going swimming so the shop packs it all up in a bag for us to carry.

Next destination. Peters Pool. So nice of them to name a pool after my brother (or maybe one of the saints?). The GPS tells us it is only a hop skip and a jump away. No problemo. Hmm. This road is very dusty, now there are walls of stone as high as the car and no where to turn around or pass another car. We catch up to a BMW driving very slow. Maybe he does not know where he is going as well? One of the corners nearly requires a three point turn to negotiate. Fiona is panicking, I am pretending to play it cool but really panicking inside. Peter is laughing and having a ball. This goes on and on, for what seems like hours. But eventually we get a glimpse of the beautiful blue sea and we arrive. An excited run down a bushtrack and we are here, the most beautiful bay. Time for a swim and lunch. Bellissimo!

All good things must come to an end and we reluctantly leave. The GPS is telling us to go down a different path that looks very steep. I am holding my breath hoping Peter will say no lets go the way we came. But he decides to take the dangerous option and off we go onto an even smaller track, slipping and sliding. Rocks coming up from below the car and hitting my feet. Mamma mia. Finally we make it back onto tar, I could kiss the ground.

How blue can the Mediterranean get? As blue as the Blue Grotto. Its magic in the sunshine. Serious photo snapping to be done here.

A bit further down the road and we go to check out the boats and have a gelato. What do we find a guy showing falcons and owls. I nearly fall over my feet in an attempt to get across to him. He sees my keenness and answers everyone of my strange bird questions and even lets the falcon stand on my hand!

Its hot, we have drunk 10 litres of water and are still thirsty but we push on. Hagar Qim is a megalithic temple system and we cant miss out on any archeological sites on our tour of Malta. The 4D movie in airconditioned comfort is bliss. We then get back out into the heat to explore all over the structures and even walk all the way to Mnajdra temples.

Peter and Fiona deliver me back to base and the next adventure can begin.