Episode 9

This is getting to be a habit here, another bright sunny morning greeting us. David's leg is a little better and it should be an easy day for him without much walking as we off on our 'round the island' cruise.

When we got to Selima and got on board the 'Faith', or old sailing vessel that was to take us on our cruise, we found a seat in the sunshine on the forward deck. We wanted a good position so that we could see any sights that were pointed out to us over the speaker system. Have I mentioned, a couple of really good things about Malta, they drive on the same side of the road as they do in the UK and Australia, and English is one of the official language and spoken fluently by almost everyone we came into contact with. L would estimate that there were at least 100 people on this cruise and so the boat was reasonably crowded, but still we found a place to sit whilst several, especially on the highest deck had spread out their towels, changed into their swim wear and were cooking themselves in the sun. Very few people were wearing hats as my lot were doing and I certainly could have done with a hat because with all this hot sun I am definitely fading, in colour if not in spirit. Late in the day when we made our way back into the port there were many well 'cooked' people. We might have been on an old sailing ship however we didn't have sails, only empty masts and throbbing diesel engines to power us along. It was quite a calm day with just a light breeze and a gentle swell. Also leaving Grand Harbour we sailed down the north eastern side of the island and rounded the eastern extremity, getting view of a few towns and villages on the way. The sea is the most beautiful 'navy' blue, L remembers this colour from when she visited the Greek Island so many years ago. We saw some high cliffs with caves but no beaches along this stretch. We saw the power station then the entrance to the huge bay where that lovely fishing village of Marsaxlokk is located on its shore. All along the way we kept seeing the towers that were built as an early warning system by the Knights of St John. The high cliffs continued and we came to the Blue Grotto, a popular tourist attraction but one my lot had not really had time to visit. Here, we could see the small boats loaded with tourists that were entering one of the sea caves. We continued on along this northwesterly coast passing the highest cliffs on the island. Most were riddled with sea caves. At one point we could see the white domes covering the ancient temples of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra. Off shore from here and still some distance way is the tiny islet that is a bird sanctuary for nesting sea birds. some way further along this coast we came to a sheltered bay where there were a few other tourist boats anchored. Here, our boat anchored too, and many people including my L went for a swim. A few hired snorkel and mask in order to see something, it could have only been fish as there was definitely no coral around here. L enjoy a lovely swim in comfortably warm water, warmer than she, and most others, had been expecting. It was quite clear, and a deep blue with darker patches where there was rock on the sea floor. After a lovely swim here a very nice buffet lunch was served. Continuing on we passed Golden Beach where we could see crowds of people sunning themselves same as many on board our vessel. Then we came around the western end of the Island and we could see the other two islands in the group, Comino and Gozo. In the narrow passage between Comino and Gozo we came to another very sheltered cove on the western side of Comino. This is Blue Lagoon and is extremely popular place where all the tourist boats spend a few hours. The name Comino is said to have come from the word cumin, the spice. Not quite sure how that all fits together. Again L availed herself of the opportunity to take a swim, rarely does she miss such an opportunity, D on the other hand, seemed to think it was all too much effort. After a while a couple off speed boats came along to take us on our included excursion. This proved to be a great deal of fun. If you look at the photos you can see that tI was up there too, right in the front of the speed boat and absolutely loving it. Apart from taking us on a nice speedy ride that my lot thoroughly enjoyed he also took us right into some sea caves. In two of them the roof had collapsed so that we could look straight up at the clear blue sky. Another was a long archway where our boat and another one faced each other on either entrance. It is only because it was so very calm that we could enter these cave because the entrances were just large enough to fit the boat in with just a few inches on each side, any waves would have sent us crashing into the jagged rocks on the side wall. Before we left the island late in the afternoon we went for a short walk on shore. It is really quite desolate, with just some herb bushes struggling to survive in the dry ground. There is no farming on this island, but there is one or two tourist hotels on the side facing the main island of Malta. With the opportunity to come and swim in this lovely lagoon frequently it would certainly be an attraction for staying at one of these hotels. So, late in the day we made our way back along the coast past St Pauls Island and bay where we are staying, then past all the most popular tourist areas. In just one stretch of coast along here L counted 16 large cranes on construction sites, there were many more all along the way. Light was fading fast as we re-entered the harbour and came back to the wharf of our starting point. Much later still by the time our shuttle bus had deliver us back to our hotel. But what a wonderful day we had experienced, the weather had been perfect, a bit warm but not too hot for David, the sea lovely and calm and I'm sure I faded quite a bit in the hot sun without a hat. L will definitely have to make me a hat if she wants me to keep my looks. © Lynette Regan 26th October 2017