SKL's Walking Blog

Gozo – Malta – 1

Mgarr to Xlendi – 17th April 2023

The weather was poor yesterday and I’ve no raincoat with me so, the original plan to get the first bit of Gozo in, go back to Malta and head over to the other side of the island for Alex’s last volleyball match, was changed. I ended up having a rest day and felt all the worse for it.

It is going to be tough to get all of Gozo done now before I have to go home. I’ll need to combine 4 of the 5 day sections into 2 days, which will make them long old tramps but I’d hate to leave a few miles of it for another time, ‘cos it’s a long way to come for just a day or so.

Just a couple of mins out from the ferry port and all the hustle and bustle has gone.
I’m up that slope to the cliff top. I do so love a hard climb first thing – not.
Heading round those white cliffs then up the higher ones behind.
Malta across the channel. It’s bright but the wind is strong and cold from the North West directly into my face.
Despite that, it was a nice little 20 min ferry ride.
Ha! A Gozo tower ahead.
Gozo face walking under the overhang. Wooo! Risky.
Quite eerie.
Gozo towers have steps and a 1st floor drawbridge.
Pleasant little bay with beach but hairy descent down the cliff. How all the bods carrying stuff up to the tower managed – no idea. Mġarr ix-Xini.
You can just see the white line of it coming down behind the building in the corner. Stopped for cappo and water.
Ok. Gone astray. This track don’t seem to lead anywhere.
I is up again and the view over the channel – again. But this time there be great looking clouds.
The capital – Victoria – perched on its hill.
Lizards every 10 metres or so, but far too fast to snap. This little chameleon didn’t seem at all worried. He just ambled away.
I’ve hit some town where they love their scooters so much they commemorate them with statues. I’ll look it up – hang on. Sannat – of course. It comes back to me. I blasted up the path to find myself between the pools of a luxury hotel. Had to jink down through the room blocks and climb over a wall to escape.
Why would you want a statue of your mongrel boy child tormenting your fabulous girl child?
This man’s crop of buckets needs harvesting before they corrode any further.
Not at all like Portugal. That last bit coming round the hill and down over the bridge into Xlendi was full of dog shit.
Now going in the right direction – those cliffs are for tomorrow, ‘cos I’m cold.
Xlendi. The boat vanishing seems to have come across to Gozo as well.
Right you two. Off for a swim while I have a dance to the boss music coming from this restaurant – which oddly enough had duck on the menu,