Earthwalker.Moondancer: Europe

"Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere."

Isabelle Eberhardt

On December 10, 2023 Melanie and myself, along with our good friends Don and Denise left Portugal and flew for a week to the tiny mediterranean sea nation of.......

MALTA

Officially the Republic of Malta, it is the 10th-smallest country by land mass (only 316 sq.km.) and has a population of 519,000. However, don't let the small size fool you, this three island archipelago packs a BIG punch with pre-historic temples, fossil-studded cliffs, hidden coves and a history of remarkable intensity. Its location, in the centre of the Mediterranean, has historically given it great strategic importance and this can be seen throughout. In fact, it has been inhabited since 5900BC....long time.

Malta is known to the rest of the world for The Maltese Falcon (a movie not a real bird) and the Maltese Dog breed (a somewhat real dog but resembling a mop with four legs). It isn't a place that usually comes up on the radar as potential vacation spots, probably because it's a little difficult to get there. Our original journey from Portugal to Malta was supposed to be 7 hours but a one hour delay in Lisbon had a domino effect and 22 hours later we arrived, at 2:00AM, at our hotel.

Our adventure begins in the second largest (or second smallest depending on your point of view) island.....

Gozo Island

Gozo is definitely a quainter alternative to the "mainland" (as Malta island is referred to), with greener areas and a sparser population. A mere 25-minute ferry ride takes you to Gozo, with most tourists making it a day-trip destination, meaning come night-time the place seems somewhat deserted.

This is Gonzo the Great, and he should not be confused with......

.....Gozo, which is also great, just not as great as Gonzo!

If you were arriving at any time other than at 2:00AM, this would be your first glimpse of Gozo Island.

We are staying in Victoria, the capital of Gozo - complete with a ray of light from God signalling the second coming. Time to break out the gold, frankincense and myrrh.......anyone know what myrrh is?

Like most European towns, the squares are chaulk-a-block full of cafes and restaurants and usually a very large church.

Victoria's old town centre is a maze of narrow alleyways that quickly disorientate most new-comers. Great place to get lost!

One of 12 massive churches located in this small town of 7,000 residents.

Perched on Victoria's highest point is the 15th century Cittadella.

One of the strongholds of the Knights Hospitaller. Oddly, every time it was invaded it fell within days - obviously not much of a 'stronghold'.

People still live within the walls of the Cittadella including Father-time hobbling up the alleyway in front of me.

The Maltese construct all their buildings using the available island brown sandstone. This means that all the buildings are the same dull poop brown colour, so finding this wall in the Cittadella warranted a picture!

To attract customers the restaurant within the Cittadella was promoting 'have a beer and win the chance to shoot the Cittadella cannon', located directly behind me. I had a beer....never won.....goddamn it.

The best time to explore Victoria is at night when the day-trippers have returned to the "mainland" of Malta island........

......and only the shadows (and statutes) walk the laneways .

While in Gozo I head to a megalithic temple complex, an UNESCO World Heritage site, the Ggantija Temples. The temple makers erected the Ggantija Temples more than 5500 years ago!! Like that is a BIG WOW making this temple the world's second oldest existing manmade religious structure on the planet (1,000 years older than the pyramids of Egypt).

This aerial picture (stolen from the internet....arrest me now) gives a clearer picture of the ancient structure, otherwise it would look like a pile of rocks.....which of course it is!

The Ggantija Temple: Mans earliest disco where the bye's sat around listening to Joe Tex and the Sexolets and picking up beastie babes.

The main bar area!!

The Ta'Kola Windmill, right next to the Ggantija Temples, dates back to 1725 and is named after the first miller. He was Sicilian and his real name was Joe the Cola, they ground more than wheat here....if you know what I mean, nudge nudge wink wink.

Now it wasn't all sitting in cafe's and drinking beer and wine and eating copious amounts of tapas, we did manage to get out for a couple of strolls around. Our first excursion was to the dramatic Dwejra Bay, otherwise known as the "in-land sea".

The "in-land sea" is a lagoon of seawater linked to the Mediterranean Sea through an opening formed by a narrow natural arch.

Our walkabout begins here, behind the church which is in the middle of nowhere.

Large fossil of an ancient Snappis Arseholus.

Dwejra Bay - during the summer you can swim, kayak or boat out through the opening to the sea, but this time of year the swell is too large on the Med-side, making it dangerous.

And the view from up top!

Melanie walking under the 'wave' - eroded cliffs that resemble a cresting wave.

A look back. We came from the bay on the other side of the peninsula.

We finish our day at the salt pans of Marsalforn. Sea water is collected in these 'pans' and evaporation reduces it to salt.

The salt pans go on for kilometres and forms part of the coastline.

And with that, we finish our three days in Gozo. For the remainder of our time in Malta we'll be on the "mainland" island of .............

Malta Island

The biggest island on the Maltese archipelago, and one that gives the country its name, Malta Island is great for those who prefer the hustle and bustle of a modern city and the entire island is almost one big city.

We went from quaint and quiet Gozo to "Malta Hell", the party central district of St. Julians. Loud, louder, loudest.

Crazy town.

If you can't beat them then join them. Head to St. Juliens Red Light District, have a sheeshaw and a beer and watch the world go by!

Spinola Bay, part of St. Julians, at night.

If you poke around enough, sooner or later you'll stumble onto the weird and wonderful, such as this submerged tidal sidewalk.

We spend a day exploring the Mdina, one of Europe's finest examples of an ancient walled city. The town was the old capital of Malta, and with its narrow streets, few inhabitants and beautiful views over the island it is truly a magical town.

Laundry day. Got the knickers out and drying in the sun.

The Mdina is a maze of laneways and alleyways that is closed to vehicular traffic, perfect for exploring, and this time of year, there's hardly another tourist to be found (also perfect for exploring).

The corner of the Nunnery of St. Benedict - the rules of this Order are extremely strict, such as; the nuns are never allowed to leave the building, not even after their death. Every nun is buried in the crypt, and the only men allowed in are the doctor and the decorator......really a decorator???

My guess is that this bougainvillea is the most photographed plant in Malta.

I got in there for a joke, got stuck and then dude came up behind me....freaked me out.

Museum? No. King Authur's wine cellar? No. Restaurant? Yes. The two dudes in armour bring you to your table.

Every building in the Mdina is a blank canvas to carve some dudes from some time long ago.

The selfie miesters in the Mdina. The last medina we were in was in Fez, Morocco.

We also made our way to Wied iz Zurrieq, a typical old laid-back Maltese village from where boat trips to the Blue Grotto leave - if they were leaving, of course!

A typical Maltese boat.

Far out to sea is the smallest of the islands which make up the Maltese Archipelago, Filfla. Notice the gun-placement on the cliff?

A swimming area. The water temperature was 21C but I had no desire to go for a swim.

While we were in Wied iz Zurrieq a movie crew was filming, hence the reason for the pylons marking the safe walking zone. The film crew asked me if I wanted an acting role, but my current film contract prevents me from doing so.

The capital of Malta is inextricably linked to the history of the military and the charitable Order of St. John of Jerusalem. With 320 monuments within the walled city, it makes it one of the most concentrated historic areas in the world..........

Valetta

Founded in 1565 by the Order of St John as a refuge for soldiers returning from the Crusades, Valetta is a piece of living history. With fortified city walls overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, it is no wonder that this smallest of European capital cities is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Tritons' Fountain located just outside the city gate for Valetta.

Valetta can be super super laid back or........

......really really chaotic. I liked both!

A covered sidewalk!

It seems that Valetta is one big cafe, with a table placed wherever a table will fit.

Why use street signs when you can use God-like statutes?

Dude's final resting place comes with quite the view!

Mine is bigger than his.

Part of Valetta where the ferry docks and one mean-looking snowstorm cloud moving in.

One of the Three Cities of Malta, in this case, Cospicua.

And then the arse fell out of her. One moment you're sittin' and a grinnin', sipping on a coffee and the next minute the boys are at war. The army was called out, the cannons loaded and shots fired at the Three Cities of Malta.......