Adventures with Julia

Sunday October 8, 2023

We were all excited to go to Gozo. We had heard so many good things about the island. Catherine and her driver, Herbert,who hav e been showing us around the countryside all week, picked us up at the hotel and drove the short distance to the pier where we drove onto the ferry, left the car and went upstairs to watch.

The ride to Gozo took only 20 minutes and was very smooth sailing, but not much to see. Back in the car, we were soon off the ferry and headed for the neolithic temples. The countryside was very similar to what we had seen on Malta with gentle rolling hills. However, the landscape was not as fertile or green and there are few villages. More desert like. On the way we passed an unexpected structure in a town called Xewkija. It is a church built by the knights of St John and it is called the Church of St John the Baptist. It is renowned for its majestic rotunda. We drove by, but did not stop.

We drove on to Ggantija Temples near the middle of the island. At 3600 BC, they are the oldest free standing structure in the world. This UNESCO World Heritage site is 1000 years older than Stonehenge of the Pyramids at Giza. It was only after the site was excavated that the remains were dated to the Neolithic.

After having the temples we drove to the coast to see the Xwejni salt pans still in use.

From there we drove back to the center of the island to visit the Citadel or Citedella as it is known. It was first fortified during the Bronze Age, and later by the Phoenicians and the Romans until it was a complex Acropolis. Up until the 18th century it was the only fortified refuge against attack for the inhabitants of the island.

Inside the basilica the main alter looks a bit like St Peter’s in Rome. The church is very decorated and painted.

We left the Citadel and were happy to get out into the countryside for a picnic provided by a local lady. She presented the food and left us alone for over an hour. It was delicious and welcome.

Back at the Iniala Harbour House we enjoyed our last night in the room and said good bye to Mimi and Phil, who were leaving at 4 in the morning. Our departure was not until the afternoon of the 9th so we were able to relax before heading to Florence for our last 4 nights.