Gozo Day 5: Comino island

 A day off from walking today as we were off to a small island close by called Comino Island. No need to wear the walking boots as it was a day for swimming from a sandy beach. The majority of beaches are rocky outcrops on Gozo so I was looking forward to being able to walk out into the sea, We had to get two buses to the port where we would get a ferry for the short journey across to Comino.

You have to get a timed pass (either am or pm) to go onto the island. I assumed this would restrict numbers on the small island but that didn't seem to happen.

This postage stamp sized beach was 'the sandy beach' which was not what I had envisaged at all.

Once you managed to squeeze through the crowds the water was warm and a delight for swimming. I only wish I had brought goggles with me as there were so many different kinds of fish swimming between us. Above the beach there were a number of fast food and drink outlets which detracted from the beauty of the island. I wouldn't be tempted to return but I did enjoy the swimming.

The ferry back to Gozo took us round the island to see some of the caves.

Once back on Gozo we decided to get a taxi back to the hotel rather than two buses. A very welcome rest day today.

Gozo Day 4: Xlendi Bay and Layercake cliffs

 

Another early start this morning but no bus needed to take us into the town as we begin the walk on the cliff tops at the other side of the hotel. The cliff path will be taking us the tourist spot of Xlendi Bay. 

Part of the path had been created using the local stone and you could see lots of fossils. Gozo is made of limestone formed from ancient marine life making fossils a common feature. 

It took a couple of hours of walking along the beautiful coastline before the bay came into view.

Steps took us down to this stone bridge across the bay.

The bay was full of restaurants and cafes. 

We sat in a cafe overlooking the sea and watched the small fishing boats returning to shore. M and C decided they wanted to go in the water. As it was rocky underfoot I decided to give it a miss. Blisters from yesterday were still painful and I didn't want to make matters worse. 

I was happy to stay on land and look after their things.

We decided to go back the way we came as it was a beautiful walk along the cliffs. The alternative way on our walking instructions would take us back via roads. We all decided it was the right decision as it took just 1.5 hours to get back and meant we missed the main heat of the day. The rest of the day followed our usual routine of swimming in the hotel pools, relaxing, reading and then meeting up again for a meal in the hotel restaurant. The standard of food and service has been excellent.

Gozo Day 3: Ta'Pinu and Gharb

 A longer walk today to the other side of the island and back. We started out earlier today and got the 7.45 am bus into Victoria from outside the hotel. 

Most of the walking today was along stony paths  and quiet lanes. The lanes leading us out of the town were lined with dry stone walls.

The first major landmark we came across was the  church of Ta'Pinu. There are records of a church here from the 16th C. The shrine of Our Lady of Ta'Pinu gained recognition in 1883 when Kamela Grima reported hearing the Virgin Mary's voice leading to her miraculous recovery leading to the construction of a new church here. The church was constructed in 1920 and took 12 years to complete. It was elevated to a minor Basilica by Pope Pius XI in 1935. Pope John Paul II visited here in 1990. Pope Francis also visited here in 2022. It has become a site of pilgrimage and one of the most visited sites on the island.

Another couple of kilometres and we reached the cliffs at the opposite side of the island from where we had set off this morning. 

We found these steps taking you down to the sea. 

We cautiously walked down the steps which gave us a look at a natural arch with the sea swirling in and around.

It felt even hotter today although we had left much earlier and it was only midday. I had to stop to apply a blister plaster. My feet were not happy bunnies today. We left the cliffs and walked inland passing over this valley where the stone had been quarried for the Basilica.

We made a slight detour into the village of Gharb. The houses had lovely stone balconies. We had hoped to find a cafe where we could have a sit down and cool drink but there was nothing other than a small shop. Oh well off we go. The next point on the walk is a lighthouse. If you look closely you can see the lighthouse at the top of the hill in this photo. Our walk instructions told us that the view from the lighthouse was magnificent but the lighthouse was closed. M and I walked up a very, very steep hill towards the lighthouse but the road was closed so we couldn't get to the top of the hill to appreciate the views. We were not impressed with the instructions, nor the road closure sign which was missing from the bottom of the hill.

We  were all shattered now and trudged along in the heat back to the bus station in Victoria.

I took very few photos. I'm not sure why. I think it was taking all my energy to complete the walk today.

By the time we got back to the hotel at 3pm we had walked 14km but it felt as though we had walked much further. Once back I spent the rest of the afternoon at the spa pool. I found a sunbed in the shade and I enjoyed a very quiet couple of hours alternating between swimming and reading.

Gozo day 2 : Mgarr and the Raiders' Cove

 Started the day with a fabulous buffet breakfast in the outdoor restaurant. Surrounded by hibiscus, oleander and bougainvillea it looked beautiful. Although  it was 7.30am it was already beginning to feel hot.

We had written instructions for the walks that we would be doing this week. Our first walk started from the ferry port and finished back at the hotel. We needed to get into the main town of Victoria to pick up the bus to the port. There was a bus stop just outside the hotel which would take us into the town. However the buses only ran every hour and by the time we had got ourselves sorted we had missed the 8.45am. We didn't want to wait another hour so we decided to walk into the town. The receptionist told us it would take about 25 mins and that we just needed to keep walking downhill. Sounded simple but we managed to go wrong mainly because of a couple of road closures.

 Not a great start to the day's walk. After all, the planned walk wouldn't start until we reached the port - a bus ride away from the town. I was a bit concerned about time passing and the rising heat . It very much reminded me of the Noel Coward song: Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun...

Once we reached the bus station it didn't take us long to get to the port at Mgarr. 

The start of the walk took us uphill past Our Lady of Lourdes church. According to local folklore, a statue of Our lady of Lourdes was placed in a niche in the rockface overlooking Mgarr harbour after a visitor in 1879 saw a resemblance to the grotto of Lourdes in the rocks. In 1888 the Blessed Virgin Mary of Lourdes Sanctuary was built on plans of architect Emanuel Luigi Galizia as a Gothic church inspired by the basilica in Lourdes.

Once out of the town we were walking mainly along the tracks and lanes. I had bought an extra bottle of water at the port which added to the weight of the rucksack but the last thing I wanted was to run out of water in this heat which was 30+C.

The walk eventually brought us out onto the clifftops with the beautiful azure sea below.

Looking back we could see the islands of Camino and Malta.

One feature on all the walks was the lack of shade. At one point we found some large rocks with an overhang which had been formed by the weather. (No photo sadly ). It did provide some shade and a respite from the heat. We settled down to eat some lunch. I wasn't hungry at all but did eat a little bit but it was a welcome break to apply yet more sun block. I made sure I drank at regular intervals to avoid the possibility of dehydration.

The second half of the walk took us back round to Kantra Cove where there is a restaurant, lido and ladder down to the sea. This is owned by the hotel where we were staying but we decided not to swim here but continued our walk back to the hotel for a swim there. By the time we got back it was mid afternoon. We had walked 13km. Not a huge distance but in the heat if felt like a lot more. I couldn't wait for a shower and refreshing swim in the pool followed by a long cool drink. Will I last the week? I wasn't sure!

Walking on Gozo

 I have been away for a week's walking with a couple of friends to the island of Gozo. Gozo is a small island off the coast of Malta in the Mediterranean. Usually at about this time of year I am away with 5 friends on a long distance walk but due to illness that trip was postponed until maybe next year. So a quite different sort of walking holiday for me this year. It was self guided, setting out each day from the hotel to our chosen destination.

Because we are staying on an island, it took quite a few hours to get there. After a delayed flight we then had to go from one side of Malta to the other to the ferry port and once on Gozo another 40 min taxi drive to the hotel. By the time we arrived we had missed the evening meal but the hotel delivered a huge selection of cold buffet items to the rooms so I wasn't complaining. Before breakfast the next morning I took the opportunity to have a look in daylight at the hotel. I was delighted with my surroundings.  The hotel was fabulous. There were three pools. One adult only, one for children and the third was a heated one in the spa.

The pool in the spa went from inside the spa to the outside.

The rooms were all at ground level with your own outdoor area.

We always ate our meals outside in the shade in the beautiful restaurant.

More about the walking in my next post.