First week back

Mum resumed running in the cool English air (bit muddy)

 

 

 

Went to visit Dom on Saturday - everyone came!

Kuti's brasserie - a real find

We ordered just the right amount of food - ate the lot!

 



On Sunday, Mum made grape jelly from OUR red grapes - delicious!

 

...and Dad did the ironing and hovering. Fantastic!

Back home - life goes on...

Back to work today. Everyone seems fine.

 

 



Mum harvested the grapes - not bad!



Gozo Day 14 - the last post

So we're home, but made the most of our day's journey, spending a last hour in Victoria and taking in the sights. It was raining hard when we got back, but we are very lucky because the BBC weather lady says it is 'unusually warm for the time of year'. Gozo, we shall miss you!





We said goodbye to the cat

 ... the preserves

and the Gozo cheeselets



before driving (5 mins) to the ferry port of Mgarr

... where we said goodbye to Gozo



When we arrived in Malta (20 mins), we took a final look over our shoulder and made our way to the airport 



... where we said goodbye to the car
 

an unexpected treat - amazing view of the whole of Gozo from the air!

Gozo Day 13

Last blog post from Gozo. Sigh! It has been such a fabulous holiday (once we got used to being on our own) and we feel terribly spoilt. But also extremely grateful for everything. And there are some things about going home, like our family, animals and greenness, that we are really looking forward to. 

Today, after a good pool session and a final cheese pie, we went around the 4 museums in the Citadel (actually, 3 and the Old Prison) and felt we had absorbed some more of this fascinating little island. It rained hard for a while this afternoon, but we managed to dodge it by being in prison, and then it turned warm and dry in time for a last lingering look at the views all around. Would be lovely to think we may come back again before too long.

The sky was particularly beautiful today

...as seen from the poolside lounger. Mum wanted to take some home, so made several videos. Trailer below:



Mum reading up on the Roman villa artefacts to be seen later in the museum

Dad bringing it right up to date

 

Gozo Timeline at the museum

Model of the Temples we saw the other day. Lydia was at the Pyramids yesterday, not so far away - built just about 1000 years later!!

Note about the figures below

 



They are known colloquially as the Fat Ladies
 

These ones are really tiny



Rain clouds - extremely rare in our experience

... just remembered to photograph the cacti that are everywhere

Gozo Day 12

Gozo has definitely worked its magic on us - on Sunday we really didn't do anything. The weather continued marvellous, so we spent the morning on the beach and the afternoon by the pool. Felt a lot like being on holiday!

We did have a lovely dinner in Xaghra, at a restaurant with an open-air upstairs dining room, overlooking the square:

Xaghra square from Dvenue restaurant

8.30pm, folks outside the church

Gozo Day 11

We don't know if we're lucky or whether this is completely normal for the time of year, but it has been another perfect day. Lazy morning, followed by a wander into our local town of Xaghra for tea in the square, and a visit to a rather extraordinary stalagmite cave underneath someone's house. On the way, we took some shots of our villa from the road.

relaxing on the balcony outside our roo

Villa as seen from the road - that balcony is the alcove on the right of this picture

another view - the wall surrounding our pool
 

Café Reale, Xaghra. All cakes made on the premises by an Italian baker. We loved them, but
what would Mary and Paul say?

Outside the café

The square

...from the other side of the road



Xerri's Grottto, just down some steps under a house round the corner (as you do)
'This grotto was discovered by my grand great-father in 1926 and it takes thousands of years to grow an inch'

'That one through there, is a looks like streaky bacon'



'This one, is a looks like a lion and on its back is a looks like a turtle'

Gozo day 10

Today we made the most of the exceptionally clear weather and headed for some more amazing views at Xlendi Bay and the Citadel at the centre of the island.

Xlendi Bay was calm and beautiful (no seaspray this time)
 

so we set off for a walk
 

 

look at that!



some folks were fishing

some of the rocks are just like solidified sand dunes

... very Star Wars (maybe not the hat)

Soon it was time for a swim (or two)



and a pizza

no wonder Dad looks pleased - his was a monster!
 

And then we drove back to Victoria (Gozo's capital) and the Citadel
 

... with its wonderful narrow streets



And, of course, panoramic views (this one taken with Mum's phone camera)

 

Northwest to Zeebug (pronounced Zaybooj)



View over Xaghra (pronounced Shara)
 



Zeebug with zoom