Belvedere all around

Secret cove for pirates

Typical maltese road, lots of potholes!

Fungus Rock

Azure Window

The best guide on Gozo

1, 2, 3, 3, 3, eventually I jump and Paul gets the picture!

Ta Pinu church

Stations of the cross

As agile as a mountain goat Paul starts today’s adventure with a walk along the coast. The sea is beautiful and blue, there as lizards running around everywhere and birds darting in and out of the bushes. We arrive at Paul’s secret location, Wied il Ghasri. It’s a cove that has been used for 1000’s of year to hide boats and smuggle goods. Paul can even remember coming down here as a child and hearing Italians speaking that we assume where up to no good.

We go back to the apartment and pick up Monica and Angela and off we go west to the end of Gozo. First we see the inland sea and then we deposit the crazy cousins into the shade and I follow Paul as we head for Fungus Rock. It is a rock 60m high that was protected by the knights for the medicinal qualities of the fungus that grows only on the island.

Our final destination is the Azure Window, a magnificent rock formation framed by the sea and  (which was also the site of the Dothraki wedding in Game of Thrones – Season 1)

Where are we going now, a windmill. I know it is on my Malta Heritage ticket but not sure this will be worth it? We arrange to meet on the green bench afterwards and off my tour guides go. The windmill ticket guy quickly figures I am Australian and temporarily have the status of a Gozitian, due to my connection with Paul so I get the royal treatment and a fascinating personal tour!

Ta’ Kola Windmill for most of the 20^th century was run by Guzeppi Ta Kola. He fought in Gallipolli, worked in the cane fields of Queensland, ran the mill and then when milling was no longer needed adapted to fixing wheels and barrels and making tools. He was a very capable man. During the war when their was no fuel to run the milling machines, he started up the windmill again. Even at 75 years of age he would rope himself up and climb out along the sails of the windmill to set the speed. He was also very resourceful he had a cut off cone shell to blow to signal the villagers the mill was working. The dogs heard it first and barked to alert the villagers. I saw many machines he made, one included the top of a sheep skull to feed the corn in – very ingenious.

Now I meet another pair of Australian’s every time you meet an Australian, the questions follow the same pattern, its like a ritual,

• who in your family was Maltese?

• what was their surname?

• where in Australia do you come from?

Next stop is Calypso Cave and Ramala Bay. Here I learn something very interesting, Paul was in scouts and even trained the Duke of Edinburgh candidates, no wonder he knows all these walking tracks and is so sure on his feet. Monica also runs into an old school friend.

No visit to Gozo would be complete without a swim, by the time we get back Monica has the pasta ready and then we have fresh figs and siesta. I sleep for a good solid hour.

Everyone wakes up from siesta, they are talking lots of Maltese I have no idea what is going on. Eventually I understand we have no water and no internet, we are in big trouble. Paul runs up and down the stairs, taps are turned on and off and water disaster is averted. But now there is no milk and yet again Paul goes on a rescue mission for Halib.

Today is the feast of the sacred heart so Paul is taking short cuts along farm roads to get to Ta Pinu church on time. This church is the most beautiful I have seen so far. Not ornate like the others, but full of mosaics, its light and airy and overall has a serene spiritual feel about it. There is also a fascinating section with offerings from people as far away as Australia.

Whilst the cousins go to church I walk to the top of the hill to via the stations of the cross. From the top I can feel just how isolated Malta is, a small island surrounded by a big blue sea.