Posted by Sabine on February 16th, 2010 | 0 comments
Post by Dee’s husband Michael Owen,participant in the blog competition of the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, and contender for the prize of a weekend break (photos added by us):
Visiting Gozo and the big island was one of the best holidays ever. Even though it took three days to get there from Panama, Central America, and considerable cash, it was well worth the trip. Having rented a car, we were able to explore the whole island and take in the breathtaking views and buildings.
We rented a third floor flat in Marsalforn and it served as a good base to explore. The bay and coastline were incredible. A little windy but this only made for spectacular wave action crashing against the rocks and depositing salt in the pans.
We watched a local band performing down at the seafront and they were as good as any we had heard in the past. (Maybe with the exception of Pink Floyd.)
The people of Gozo are so friendly and helpful giving good advice and directions when we got just a little lost (kind of hard to do). We met Gozo Mark and attended a huge boot sale. The rest of the time just visiting churches, landmarks and just about every tourist attraction.
We hope to return soon and experience a different time of year to give us an idea of what to expect when we finally re-locate to Malta.
Posted by Sabine on February 16th, 2010 | 0 comments
Post by Dee Owen,participant in the blog competition of the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, and contender for the prize of a weekend break (photo added by us):
I have only had the privilege of visiting Gozo once, that was in September of 2008. The trip to Malta and Gozo was my first and I fell in love with both islands. Although, Gozo was my favorite. The journey to Malta, from my current home, took three days. Every day and hour of that stressful trip, it’s really no fun to travel now, was worth it.
Marsalforn was the place that my husband and I stayed. We had a rental car and explored the whole Island. Probably went places that the average tourist wouldn’t, off-road both by vehicle and foot.
We went to Gozo to see if it was a place we could live, enjoy retirement but still be active. Yes, it met all of those criteria. Each village or area has its own charm and uniqueness. The beauty and diversity of the sea, the hills, rocks makes you want to never leave. We will be back…very soon.
Posted by Sabine on January 31st, 2010 | 2 comments
Today we are going to steer you away again from Gozo’s fabulous green countryside, and back to one of the abundant aquatic scenarios of Malta’s sister island. I admit I’ve always been a little more in favour of waterscapes than, say, of mountainous terrain, and I’ll never cease to be amazed how diverse the views of the seaside are here in Gozo. Overlooked by Il-Qolla l-Bajda (white hill), the surroundings of Xwejni Bay are made up of a curious mixture of natural and man-made phenomenons, with a serene, yet almost surreal quality to them.
Xwejni Bay is easily accessed from two different directions; you can pass along the coastal road (St Mary’s Street) through Marsalforn and Qbajjar, or choose to descend the road that snakes down from Zebbug and leads right to the bay. If you are lucky and visibility is very good, this road is also a great vantage point to catch a glimpse of Sicily, which is about 90 km away!
Right between the neighbouring bays of Xwejni and Qbajjar, stands the Qolla l-Bajda Battery, one of the numerous watchtowers dotting the coastline of the Maltese islands. It was built between 1715 and 1716, and in the early 1980s housed an extremely popular discotheque, The Rook. For me this will always be a special place: my wedding reception took place there, which was quite an extravagant venue in those days!
Xwejni Bay and its saltpans are one of those places I’m often drawn back to when I get the photo itch, because it is just so different from other landscapes that involve sea views. Serving as the landmark of the inlet, Il-Qolla l-Bajda probably graces the holiday photos of thousands of people. Nevertheless, I never get tired of having yet another go at it…
The saltpans, by the way, are still in use to this day for the collection of sea salt. The easy part of the procedure is having them flooded by the sea in rough weather, and then sizzled dry by the sun. The residual salt crystals are then harvested in rather back-breaking manual labour, carried out in the heat of summer.
I would like to share with you this wonderful documentary, which I found while looking up information about the harvest of sea salt in Xwejni. It was produced by a team of university students and shows just how hard the work involved actually is. Please do keep this in mind when visiting the area, and respect the signs asking you not to step inside the saltpans!
Xwejni Bay is easily accessed from two different directions; you can pass along the coastal road (St Mary’s Street) through Marsalforn and Qbajjar, or choose to descend the road that snakes down from Zebbug and leads right to the bay. If you are lucky and visibility is very good, this road is also a great vantage point to catch a glimpse of Sicily, which is about 90 km away!
Posted by Sabine on November 14th, 2009 | 2 comments
The surrounding sea is arguably Gozo’s best asset. If you love the sea as much as I do, you will agree with me that a stroll on the shore can be calming and exhilarating at the same time. Particularly between October and April or May, it can get pretty rough at times, it is almost as though nature does its best to show off her powers! As words can hardly describe it, we decided to let a lot of pictures do the talking today.
Depending on where you are on the island, the churned up sea takes on different appearances. If you stay at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, Dwejra Bay – a few minutes’ drive away – will delight you with dramatic photo opportunities.
By contrast, in the sheltered bay of Xlendi the water seems to be boiling…
…while elsewhere age-old rocks bravely put up resistance, resulting in spectacular displays:
And then there are locations where man built streets and houses close to the shore. Here nature offers equally fascinating vistas. And temptations… After visiting the Ggantija Temples a couple of weeks ago, Tanja and I went to Marsalforn. After a quick rain shower – we used the time to have a coffee – the weather turned out gorgeous, though the sea hadn’t calmed down yet. Our Director of Sales was hell-bent on getting some dramatic photography for our blog; it’s truly delightful to have such a brave model! (Have I ever mentioned how much fun we’re having, working for Kempinski??)
But let me add… no bosses were harmed in the making of this blog post – she walked away whole and dry!
