I came up with this crazy idea to take a little tour via public transport. I thought it might be fun to take the bus to Cirkewwa, the ferry terminal. Along the route we would pass through places that we visited and kind of reminisce about the things we did in 2016, sort of like the ground version of what we did looking out the airplane window when arriving in Malta. Christine then suggested that since the bus would go right by the Airbnb she booked in Xemxija, we should get out and check out the place so we know exactly where it is. Taking the bus is always an adventure, so we didn’t know exactly what we were getting in to, but off we went.
Once through St. Julian and Paceville, the bus goes along coast. There are always nice views of the sea. We passed through Cahaq, Salinas, St. Paul and then into Xemxija. We got off the bus close to where the Airbnb is. We found it without much trouble, although, I think we were both a little disappointed in its location. It is right along the busy road to Melliha, but maybe because it sits below the road level and the flat is around the back, the road noise won’t be too bad. We’re certainly used to road noise at our flat in Sliema. I don’t think it will have much of a view of the bay as it is set back from the bay and other buildings are in front. But we’ll see what that brings towards the end of October. We may end up really liking the flat.
There are bus stops in both directions within a 5 minute walk of the Airbnb, so that will be helpful when we want to tour around. We hopped back on the bus to Cirkewwa and enjoyed the ride the rest of the way up and down the hills around Melliha and over the Marfa Ridge to the ferry terminal. I suggested that we get on the ferry to Gozo, have lunch, and then return to Cirkewwa. Originally, Christine wasn’t too interested in doing that, but by the time we arrived at the terminal she was ready to go for a boat ride.
Malta is comprised of 3 main islands, Malta, Gozo, and tiny Comino. The ferry goes from Malta to Gozo past Comino. The ferry terminal is located on that piece of Malta that looks the shape of a fish on the northwest end. It is about a 25 minute ride across a channel. On Comino, the tiny island between Malta and Gozo, there is the world famous Blue Lagoon, a tourist magnet. We went in 2016 so you can check in the archives for a post on the Blue Lagoon. From the ferry there are wonderful views of all 3 islands.
In Mgarr we found Pizza Marina right at the end of the harbor. Since Mgarr is all uphill, we didn’t wish to do any walking on another very hot/humid day. Pizza Marina seemed perfect. We sat out on the covered porch and had a wonderful salad and a very good pizza.
After lunch it was back across the street to the ferry terminal and back on the ferry for the short ride back to Cirkewwa.
As we standing at the rail of the ferry taking in the scenery, we noticed some round orangish/yellowish things in the water, quite a few of them. We realized that what we were seeing were jellyfish. In 2016, swimming in the sea was dangerous due to all the jellyfish in the area. This year, our swimming area was free of jellyfish. So, when we saw so many in the water, we were quite shocked. There were hundreds and hundreds of them. I tried to video what we were seeing. It’s not the greatest video, but if you look closely, you’ll see some of the jellyfish going by.
We had to wait a bit for a return bus to Sliema. Fortunately, we knew the drill for boarding at the ferry terminal bus stop, which meant we got on early enough to grab seats. Per usual, within a few stops the bus was jammed pack, especially since a group of very loud, rude Italian young men boarded, picked a fight with the driver about tickets, and then clustered right at the bus entrance, not moving to make room for others who had to push their way past the group of guys. I was very happy to be seated, for sure.
Once back at the flat, it didn’t take us long to get into our swimsuits, gather our gear, and head to our rocks for a swim. It was so refreshing! We then spent the rest of the evening at the flat enjoying the views over St. Julian’s Bay as day turned to night.
How nice to hear about your journey. It is bringing back fond memories of my trip there a few years ago.
Have fun!