Ghar Lapsi

We started our time together with a trip to Malta's south coast and ended it in the same spot... Ghar Lapsi. Click here for photos. 

The kids head back to Oregon tomorrow. We are really sad to seem them go, but work, university, and life must go on as the new year approaches. 

Victoria Lines

We've done some great holiday hikes this week. Click here for photos. 

• The first half of the album includes photos from our walk between the Maltese fishing villages of Marsascala and Marsaxlokk, which passes by some beautiful cliffs and a popular swimming hole, St. Peter's Pool.  
• The second half of the album is focused on our hike along a section of the Victoria Lines, pictured above. The lines span Malta from east to west. They were built by the British in the late 19th century to protect against northern invasions. 
• There are also some miscellaneous photos from Sliema, where we can watch the sunset over Valletta. 

Surf, Solstice, and Scenic Views

We celebrated the Winter Solstice with some surfing and hiking at Golden Bay, then finished off the day in Valletata with a ride on Rudolph's Big Wheel and dinner at our new favorite pizza place, San Paolo Naufrego. Click here for photos. 

This album also includes some Christmas Eve and Christmas Day photos, which featured a polar plunge, fondue, pantomime, and the discovery that our 1,000 piece puzzle masterpiece was actually a scene from the Sliema waterfront, very close of our apartment. 

Gozo Saltpans

Today we explored Gozo's salt pans along the island's northern Xwejni Bay then hiked around southern Gozo's Hondoq Bay, where the boys braved the cold for a brief swim. Click here for photos.

More about Gozo salt: Gozitan salt pans date back to Phoenician times. When the Maltese islands were under the Order of St. John, the Knights held a monopoly on salt production. The pans we visited today are among to oldest still in use. A local family has been harvesting them for 50 years. 

Big Waves - Beautiful Cliffs

It was another blustery day along Malta's south coast, where we hiked along the Dingli Cliffs and watched the waves crash near the Blue Grotto. 

The cove pictured above is a spot where we were able to swim and snorkel back in September. Today, we had to dodge spray to even get close to the water's edge. 

We also made a stop at the Hager Qim neolithic temple complex and saw a lot of sheep near the 17th century St. Mary Magdalene Chapel. Click here for photos.

Mediterranean Christmas

The kids arrived in Malta on December 14 to celebrate the holiday season with us.  Click here and click here for photos from our adventures so far.  We have visited ancient ruins, including the Hypogeum and Tarxien Temples; hiked Malta's coasts, including Golden Bay and the Marfu Peninsula; explored historic Valletta, Rabat, and Mdina all dressed-up for Christmas; and today, we got up close and personal with some lovely owls, eagles, and peregrines at the Malta Falconry Center.   

Thanksgiving Weekend

It was a beautiful weekend for exploring. Click here for photos from our hikes around Malta and Gozo. The photo above was taken along our route from the Dingli Cliffs to Ghar Lapsi on Malta's southern coast. Along the way we discovered a winery where wine is buried and aged in qvevris - egg shaped earthenware vessels - instead of barrels. 

We also stopped by Hagar Qim, a very well preserved megalithic temple complex and UNESCO World Heritage site. The remains date back to 3200 BC. 

The photo below was taken in Gozo as we awaited the ferry back to Malta. In Gozo, we hiked along part of the Xlendi trail which passes through saltpans and alongside Gozo's southern cliffs, with views of Comino Island.

It was an interesting week in Malta politics.  A series of new developments related to the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Galizia led to several high profile arrests and resignations. Click here to read more. 

And finally, in honor of Thanksgiving, click here for a few throw-back photos from Thanksgivings past (2008-2010). We missed being with the kids for the holiday but are grateful they were well fed and loved by friends in Portland. 

Happy holidays all. 

Hiking the Cliffs of Marfa Ridge and Golden Bay

We explored the northeastern-most portion of Malta today by hiking the Marfa Ridge, then crossed over to the northwestern side of the island for more hiking along Golden Bay. Click here for photos. The weather was windy but mild and the views stunning. 

Along the way, we met a couple who races homing pigeons as a hobby. They had their birds out for some heavy-wind practice. 

We also stopped by the Red Tower, built in 1649 to guard the straits between Malta and Gozo, the island you see in the distance in many of the photos we took. The tower played a role in both world wars and is currently undergoing some restoration.

San Anton Gardens by Day - Valletta by Night

Yesterday we took a stroll through the gardens of San Anton Palace in Attard. The palace is the official residence of the president of Malta and was built in the early 17th century. 

The adjacent gardens are open to the public and include some lovely fountains, century-old trees, cobblestone walkways, and wildlife. Click here for photos.

And click here to see photos from Valletta, which has decorated itself for the holidays with some lovely light displays.

Since everyone else in Malta is busy preparing for Christmas... here is a sneak peek at our 2019 holiday card:  

Holiday Wishes

Medieval Mdina

Pictured above is the medieval Maltese city of Mdina. Mdina's history dates back more than 4,000 years. In recent years, it has served as a filming location for Game of Thrones. It's also a former capital city. Click here for photos from our walk to and through Mdina and it's many narrow, maze-like streets. People still live within the city's walls. 

We also celebrated the birthday of the U.S. Marine Corp this weekend by attending the Marine Ball, an annual November event that takes place at every U.S. Embassy around the world. It was a nice way to get to know members of our new community. 

A few things we have learned about Malta so far: 

• Stray cats are everywhere around the island and are well cared for by locals who put food, water and even small cat houses in public areas for their use.
• You can walk from one side of the island to the other in just a few hours - it's about 19 miles. 
• It occasionally gets as cold as 50 degrees during the winter months, but 70 degree weather is more the norm.
• There are structures on Malta that predate the pyramids and even Stonehenge.
• Malta is one of just four European countries where people drive on the left. 
• It ranks as the 8th most densely populated country in the world, so traffic problems are very real.
• Malta was a British colony until 1964 and joined the EU in 2004. 
• For a relatively tiny island, there is an unusual abundance of churches - 365 in all and almost all of the Catholic variety. 

New Views

Pat and I are getting settled at a new post, on the Mediterranean island of Malta.  The Embassy is in the city of Attard, but he'll also have an office at the University of Malta in Valletta.  Click here for some photos taken in and around both cities. 

The weather here is cool compared to Sri Lanka - mid-to-high 60s during the Fall.  The landscape is more beige than green, but it's beautiful.  Locals are already preparing for Christmas, which we understand is a big deal here.  


We'll be moving into an apartment in Sliema later this month, where our door will be open for visitors, starting with the kids who will be coming for a December visit. 



Speaking of the kids... click here for some photos from my recent trip to Oregon to see Drew, Jake and Emily. The fall colors were lovely, as was spending time with them.

A Day in the Life of Drew

It's been fun spending time with Drew these past few days in Portland.  On Saturday, he was coaching and sailing at the Willamette Sailing Club's end of season youth regatta.  On Tuesday, he was singing with the Lewis & Clark Community Choir. Click here for photos, and click here for more. 

Some final scenes from Sri Lanka

Click here for photos we took in our final days in Sri Lanka. Pictured above is a 70th anniversary celebration held on Galle Face Green by the Sri Lankan military last week.  The album also includes the last of the beautiful Colombo sunsets we were able to enjoy and some fond farewell photos with colleagues and friends whose paths we are so glad to have crossed.  

Lotus Tower

It's been a rainy, stormy few weeks in Colombo, so we have been staying close to home.  Our proximity to Colombo's Lotus Tower gave us a nice views the night of it's dedication ceremony, and the sunsets along Galle Face Green are lovely, rain or shine. Click here for photos. 

Rome & Closer to Home

Click here for photos from our day in Rome - our last day of summer travel before the twins returned to Portland to begin their junior years at Oregon State and Western Washington Universities.  

We romed the city's ancient streets as far and wide as our limited time would allow and had a great guided tour of the Colosseum and Roman Forum with the help of TakeWalks.com. We would highly recommend the blog Our Escape Clause where we found a great Rome-in-a-Day itinerary on which we based our walkabout. 

Meanwhile back in the Pacific Northwest... Drew has been busy teaching and coaching full-time for the Willamette Sailing Club, so wasn't able to join our summer travels. He surfs, sails, and bikes in his spare time and spent Labor Day Weekend in Boise, Idaho, enjoying the company of good friends and river rapids. Click here for photos. 

Malta

Our recent visit to the Island of Malta included stops at the Blue Grotto, pictured above; the steep and scenic beaches of Gozo; and St. Paul's Catacombs, pictured below.  Click here for photos. 

As the album details, our trip to Malta started after we hosted a fun game night on the twin's last day in Colombo and included an unexpected, complimentary upgrade to business class in route to Rome. 

Once we made it to Malta, there were cliffs to jump, stairs to climb, narrow streets and hidden coves to explore, and much more. 

Our Week in Trinco

We have just returned from a week in Trincomalee which included diving, dolphins, and a side-trip to Sigiriya Rock, pictured below as seen from the top of the rock next door, Pidurangala, which we had all to ourselves the morning we hiked it. Click here for photos.

There are LOTS of (spinner) dolphin photos in the linked album. The water was thick with them the day we took a sail with Sail Lanka aboard their catamaran, Jade. Pat and Emily got lots of diving in with Island Scuba as well, which was the primary reason for our trip east.  

Aluthgama for the Win in Access Volleyball

It was Team Galle v. Team Aluthgama at the Access English Language Program volleyball tournament today in Galle. Click here for photos. 

The tournament was our final stop before returning to Colombo after a week of travel around southern Sri Lanka. A couple of time outs had to be called when the ball got stuck in palm and other trees, but thankfully there were skilled climbers on hand to help. 

Ella to Udawalawe to Weligama

We stopped in Ella on our way back from Arugam Bay to climb Little Adam's Peak and enjoy the cooler mountain air.  

Click here for photos of Ella Rock, Ella Gap, and Buduruvagala Rock Temple, as well as the many elephants we saw near Udawalawe National Park and at the Udawalawe Elephant Orphanage. 

Yala National Park & Arugam Bay

Yala National Park in Southeast Sri Lanka has been on our bucket list for a while, and we final made it there for a safari.  As the photo above confirms, Yala is the most likely place in all of Asia to spot leopards. Click here for more photos from our safari and visit to nearby surfing hot-spot, Arugam Bay. 

In route to Yala, we made a stop at the American Corner Matara to conduct a conversation hour, talk with youth forum volunteers, and help celebrate the successful completion of the Corner's first English for Business course. Photos from our Corner visit are included in the album above, as are photos from our visit to the famous Magul Haha Vihara, a 5th century sacred ruin near Arugam Bay. 

We also stopped in Hambantota - famous for sea salt - to visit one of the Embassy's English Language Access programs. We taught students about baseball and building with newspaper.  More photos from the Access program are linked here. 

Turtles & Twins on the South Coast

The twins have returned to Sri Lanka to spend the remaining weeks of summer. Click here for photos from our weekend trip to the South Coast - Hiriketiya for surfing, Dickwella to see the Hummanaya Blow Hole, Ahangama where it was too stormy to surf, and Kosgoda to visit a sea turtle hatchery and conservation center.