Malta, Part 3

We were lucky enough to buy this package to Malta for a low price. As with all tours that are sold in this manner, once we arrived in Malta we were met by a representative who pointed us in the direction of our ground transportation. Once on the van or bus, a company representative outlined which tours and activities we could purchase, if desired. Our tour of the island of Malta that we took on our second day was one of the offerings. This day we also took a tour, this time to Gozo.

It was another bright, sunny day with mild temperatures. We boarded the bus and went on to gather other Israelis who had also purchased this tour from their hotels which were scattered along the northern coast of the island. Among the Israelis were a number of Israeli Arabs who were part of the group. Characterizations of Israelis as racist are not only offensive, but untrue. What Israelis don’t like is people who want to kill us. Fellow travelers out to have a good time were just that, fellow travelers.

We reached the northwesternmost point of Malta and waited for a ferry to take us to Gozo, the second in size of Malta’s three islands.

Our tour took us to Calypso Cave first. What a disappointment! It turned out that it was a small cave which one entered and exited from the same place. Most of us stayed above ground and enjoyed the beautiful view of the sea and the flowers that were blooming in the area.

I especially loved this beautiful wild plant.

We proceeded to Victoria, the largest city on the island. The entire island has a population of something over 40,000, so even the big city was not so big. This day, March 31, was Freedom Day, the anniversary of the withdrawal of British troops and the Royal Navy from Malta in 1979. The central square of the town was filled with people who were listening to a performance by the police band and several very talented singers who played and sang songs that surprisingly, we were familiar with.

Here is what the rest of the street looked like.

We walked up to the top of the hill for a very beautiful view.

Of course the most prominent feature of the landscape was the church in the distance.

When we left there we went via Fontana where there was a factory that sold sweaters and lace items to the beautiful harbor of Xlendi (pronounced “Shlendi”). It was a glorious day with bright sunshine and people sat outdoors eating lunch. We had, of course, packed our lunches and so we bought drinks and walked along the water’s edge.

We were happy to see one of the picturesque boats that we had seen the day before.

It was a beautiful day.

My husband and I always enjoy traveling and we enjoy seeing new places. So, for us, it was a great day. In terms of a satisfying tour, not so much. It lacked information about the history and culture of the area. While we were walking along the water’s edge in Xlendi, the rest of the people from our bus were in a crowded restaurant waiting for service because our guide, who admittedly was brand new in Malta, advised them that that was the place to eat lunch if they wanted a great meal. When our departure time didn’t leave them any time to even walk to the water’s edge to see the inlet, people were annoyed.

But it was a beautiful, relaxing day filled with lovely sights and new experiences. All too soon, we returned to the ferry dock and left Gozo.