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It has definitely been a Spring Break to remember, but hardly in ways anyone was expecting. Drew celebrated his birthday in the midst of his first global pandemic. Click here some photos of Drew through the years. Happy Birthday buddy!
The kids were able to connect over Spring Break, both virtually and briefly in person. They have been finding appropriate ways to entertain themselves in this time of social distancing. Thank goodness being outside is still okay. Click here for photos.
Speaking of the outdoors, spring is a lovely time for countryside walks in Malta. Click here for photos from a hike we did along Dingli Cliffs last weekend. The day of our walk, it felt like summer was near; the next day, the winds and rain blew in.
Yesterday, we walked from Sliema to Valletta and back along the harbor. The streets of Valletta were eerily empty. Picture below is a view of Sliema's harborside waterfront, as seen from Manoel Island, where we discovered an elaborate, all-inclusive duck village. The Maltese are very passionate about stray animal care. Click here for photos.
Here is a link to what's going on in Malta related to COVID19. The island took early and aggressive measures as Italy was becoming a virus hot spot. So far, those steps are serving them well. Sending good wishes to our friends and family around the world to stay healthy and safe.
We spent another lovely day in Gozo this weekend - one that included a coastal hike near Hondoq Bay; more amazing takeaway pizza from Maxokk Bakery; and stops at Ramla Beach, the Marsalforn Salt Pans (pictured above), and the Citadel with our colleagues Isy and Richard. Click here for photos.
In response to COVID19, Malta has closed schools for a few weeks, is requiring a 14-day quarantine for visitors arriving from any country. Church services and large events have been cancelled, many tourist sites are closed, and there is a strong push for social distancing, but we decided a day outside in the sun was a safe, responsible way to enjoy a beautiful weekend. We were thermal scanned before getting on the ferry and given wrist bands to wear indicating we had been screened. Gozo was a bit quieter than usual, but not deserted.
Click here for a few photos from a quick visit Pat made to DC and Portland earlier this month, just ahead of all the travel bans. What a difference a week can make. We remain hopeful that everyone's collective efforts to flatten the curve works.
This weekend we explored points north (Gozo's Dwejra Bay and inland sea) and south (Marsaxlokk, Marsascala, and the Delimara Peninsula). Click here for photos.
Dwejra Bay (top photo) on the west side of Gozo, Malta's northernmost island, is famous for the Azure Window, a natural sea arch that was featured in Game of Thrones a few year back. The window succumbed to a storm in 2017, but the area is still lovely.
While in Gozo, we also stopped to see the Ggantija Temples and Ta'Kola Windmill and had pizza at everyone's favorite spot, Maxokk Bakery. The rave reviews we've heard about Maxokk were completely accurate. It was delicious. Finally, as the sun was setting, we squeezed in a quick but very scenic visit to Gozo's recently refurbished Citadel.
Marsaxlokk and Marsascala are neighboring fishing villages along Malta's southern coast. Sundays are markets days in Marsaxlokk, which draws crowds of locals and tourists alike. In between the two is Delimara Peninsula where it was a busy day for donkeys, goats, and container ships. We also visited the Ghar Dalam Cave Temples and learned that hippopotami once lived on Malta. It was during the Ice Age, when there was apparently a land bridge between Malta and Sicily.
