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Trip Start
Sep 12, 2006
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64
100
Trip End
Sep 08, 2008
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Xaghra, Malta
Monday, September 24, 2007
I awoke the following morning to a very strange sight, that being storm clouds and a huge downpour. It was my last day in Malta, and I planned on visiting the Ggantija temples in Xaghra before making the journey back to Valletta for my evening flight to London. Thankfully the rain stopped mid morning, and I seeked out the ancient megalithic temples on foot.
The Ggantija temples were not only the largest of the megalithic temples in the Maltese islands, but also the oldest, dating from the period 3600 to 3000 BC. They commanded a splendid view over southern Gozo, and beyond to Comino and Malta, and even though the skies were grey I still found myself amazed by their presence. The complex consisted of two temple units, built side by side within the same walls, with the architecture showing that something really exceptional was taking place on the islands some 5000 years ago.
Following another fantastic lunch at Mario's, I bade farewell my incredibly hospitable host and made the ferry crossing back to Malta, followed by a bus from Cirkewwa to Valletta. By this stage it had turned into a nice day, and as I had a few hours to kill I ventured back within the city walls to sip on a cappuccino at one of the many outdoor cafes.
And that was that. My dream of visiting the Maltese islands and discovering my heritage had come true. Unfortunately not all went to plan, with the situation at my school leaving me without work, however I still managed to make the most of my time, seeing as much as I could with as little money as possible. In the 19 days I spent there I visited almost every corner of the islands, with no major regrets regarding places I didn't have the time or money to visit. It was an incredible experience for me, and the warm weather and sunshine was just what I needed after a few months in Scotland and before a looming Polish winter. My highlights were the amazing history, felt dripping off the walls in Valletta, the absolutely stunning coastal scenery, clearest seawater I'd ever seen and scrumptious ravioli, just like home. The rickety old yellow buses, ricotta cheese filled pastizzi and sight of old ladies shouting at each other were things I came across everyday, and the general friendliness of the people is something I'll always remember. I'm sure one day I'll return...
