Where we eat breakfast at The Duke is on the 4th floor and this is what we get to see each morning. The Cittadella is an imposing site and spectacular to see.
Christine picked this hotel because of its relation to Queen Elizabeth, before she was queen, when she lived in Malta with Prince Phillip while he did naval assignments after WWII. While the hotel looks nothing like the original Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, there are some great photos lining the hallway showing various Elizabeth and Phillip activities.
Malta was part of the British Commonwealth and under British control from the early 1800s to the 1970s. There are still very British things around all over Gozo and Malta.
We continue to enjoy the garden next door. In the early evening birds galore come and roost in the trees right below our balcony and it is a cacophony of sound.
Today we decided to explore a little of Gozo. One can get to all the larger towns and villages by public bus. All buses start and finish in Victoria and the bus routes are like spokes of a wheel whose hub is Victoria. Every bus route is a round trip from Victoria to a town and back. I think the longest bus ride to a location in Gozo is 20 minutes. We’ll be moving to an Airbnb in Xlendi tomorrow so we thought we’d go check out where our apartment is. That will make the move with luggage in tow easier if we know exactly where we’re going.
Xlendi is a small bay and is a popular tourist location. I was rather shocked by all the development. Since the bay is very narrow and the hills into the town are steep, the new building seems that much more oppressive. I’ll post more about Xlendi after we get there. But the location is really beautiful.
While walking around the village, I spotted an old luzzu, a type of fishing boat that has been in use since the Phoenician times, up an alley. Luzzus have become sort of a symbol of Malta. They are quite distinctive and very colorful. A unique feature are eyes attached to the bow of the boat. These are the Eyes of Osiris or the Eyes of Horas, a Phoenician god of protection from evil. They are a symbol of protection and good health, and are believed to protect the fishermen from any harm while they are out at sea. This luzzu is in need of some tender loving care.
After wandering around for a bit, we took the bus back to Victoria to wait for the bus to Marsalforn, another touristy area on a bigger bay. While we waited for the next bus we strolled around a bit and found St. Francis Church and an old hospital building that is now being used by the Gozo government.
Marsalforn is a town on the north coast on the Bay of Qbajjar. The bay is beautiful and condos ring its 3 sides, but I didn’t find these buildings to be so oppressive because the bay is much larger than Xlendi Bay. We had lunch at a seaside restaurant and enjoyed looking out at the navy blue water of the Mediterranean Sea and watching waves break against some coastal rocks across the bay. After lunch we wandered around the end of the bay for a bit.
We then walked back to the bus stop where we got off. I think we must have just missed the bus and didn’t realize it. We stood there for a while and decided to walk up the road to the next stop for something to do while we were waiting. We got some gorgeous views of the sea. We stood at the bus stop for quite a while. Christine was getting a little frustrated and didn’t really trust that the bus would come as indicated on the stop schedule. There was also a sign that said from May 10 to May 13 the bus would not be stopping at the stop and we kept looking at our phones to be sure today was May 9 and not May 10. Eventually, the bus arrived and 15 minutes later we were back in Victoria.
We did a little grocery shopping for a few things for dinner and sat out on our balcony and enjoyed a light dinner listening to the birds and enjoying the end of the day. We’ve enjoyed our stay at The Duke. Another move tomorrow, our next to last. I’m glad we’re getting to the end of our trip, but looking forward to our final week in Sliema starting Saturday.
Fabulous