Sunday, May 3, 2020

Malta: Trip to Gozo

After spending Christmas Day in Valletta, Kepi and I were ready for our Gozo adventure. We woke up early that day, ate breakfast at the hotel terrace, then took the bus from Valletta to Cirkewwa Ferry Terminal. It was an hour drive to Cirkewwa due to traffic.

Upon reaching the ferry terminal, we purchased our tickets and boarded the ferry to Gozo.  The ferry ride was about 25-30 minutes, and we reached Mgarr Harbor at around 10 am.

Here begins our memorable two days Gozo adventure.

The welcoming beautiful Mgarr Harbor.



Church of Saint John the Baptist

The Church of Saint John the Baptist, commonly known as the Rotunda of Xewkija or Xewkija Rotunda. It is a Roman Catholic church in Xewkija, Gozo.




There's a small fee to go up to the bell tower, and it's absolutely worth it because you can get a 360 degree view the surrounding area.

The sky was so blue that day.



Ta'Pinu Basilica

As we approached Ta'Pinu Basilica, I couldn't take my eyes off how beautiful this church is. There were only five or seven visitors when we arrived, it felt almost sinful to disturb the tranquility of the area.


Clear blue skies.



Dwejra Bay

We were famished when we arrived at Dwejra Bay, so it was an instantaneous decision that we have to find a good place to eat. Luckily, there's a restaurant nearby with a wonderful view of the Inland Sea.

The Inland Sea, also called Qawra in Maltese and also known as Dwejra, is a lagoon of seawater on the island of Gozo linked to the Mediterranean Sea through an opening formed by a narrow natural arch.


We wanted to take a boat ride, but we've ran out of cash on hand.

This is the area where Khal Drogo and Daenerys (Game of Thrones) had their wedding. I'm not sure where's the exact spot. Unfortunately, the Azure Window collapsed in March 2017 due to stormy weather. Still, the area is beautiful.

The Dwejra Tower, the Gebla Rock Cliffs and the Fungus Rock.



Dwejra Tower
Ggantija 

Ggantija is a megalithic temple complex from the Neolithic. These temples are the earliest of the Megalithic Temples of Malta and are older than the pyramids of Egypt.  According to our guide, the name Ġgantija derives from the word 'ġgant', Maltese for giant, as Gozitans used to believe the temples were built by a race of giants. This is not surprising because if you see some of the stones used in this temple, they're massive.


A yellow flower is framed perfectly by this round window.



Altar area

Below is Tas-Salvatur Hill. Kepi took this photo while we were driving back to Mgarr Harbor. It was the end of our two day adventure in Gozo and we're on our way to catch the ferry back to Valletta.



Our visit to Gozo was short but absolutely memorable. The people we met were friendly and we  appreciated the slower pace of life there. I'd visit again in a heartbeat.

13 comments:

  1. Wow stunning photoes!I could never belive it was so beautiful there!You have showed us som very beautiful shoots of the Place.I for sure want to go there The Basilicas are wonderful! :)))

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    1. Hi. Thank you. This island is really beautiful, and I'd love to return in summer time so that I could enjoy the water.

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  2. Kayni! You have been blessed with such amazing weather during your visit to the island! I love the photographs you shared to us. If I have to choose a favorite, that one of Ta'Pinu Basilica under that smooth cerulean sky is just mesmerizing to stare at! Love the Game of Thrones Cave and I do remember that scene between Khal Drogo and Khaleesi on that spot! It must have been so amazing to be on their filming locations, loved that series!

    Sending you greetings from your very own Philippines! Mauhay po kayo kabayan :)

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    1. Mabuhay kabayan! Thank you for visiting.

      Yes, we were blessed with beautiful weather when we visited. I also love Ta'Pinu Basilica. The place is so peaceful.

      I am a GOT fan as well. There's another area location where they shot the series. I'll post it soon.

      Take good care. Stay safe.

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  3. What fantastic photos of these wonderful places. So much beauty and the Basilicas are absolutely stunning.

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    1. Thank you. Malta is a favorite. I've only been there once and would love to go back.

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  4. Hope you made it to the Gozo citadel. It's beautiful. We rarely make the effort to visit Gozo. In fact, when the Azure Window collapsed, my son informed me that he had seen the Grand Tetons but had never seen the Window. Oops. I guess we always take for granted whatever is within easy reach.

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    1. Unfortunately, we only saw the outside of the citadel. We'll certainly add it to our list on our next trip there.

      I agree. Sometimes, we take for granted those places that are within easy reach. I did that when I was living in Hawaii. How, I itch about going back to the islands.

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  5. What a beautiful place. I need to visit.

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    1. It's a beautiful place. I want to go back.

      Thank you for visiting.

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  6. Wow! Stunning! Oh I love Khal Drogo *wink* *wink* =)

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    1. I love Khal Drogo too. I didn't like it that he died in the series :(.

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  7. Incredible. This is the reason why I want to go back for a visit to Malta. Keep the posts coming.

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