Steven and I have encountered all sorts of unusual trash 'containers' on our travels, but the ones we encountered in Victoria, the capital city on the Maltese island of Gozo, surprised us - plastic bags full of compost affixed to brick walls outside apartments!
From Victoria, located almost dead center on the island, we drove a few minutes east to Nadur, Gozo's second city. In Malti, the town's name means 'lookout.' The mosaic panel depicted the "rurality of Nadur."
As Nadur is known for its large weekly market on Wednesdays in the town square, we made that our first stop of the day. However, it was a bit of a bust, as far as we were concerned, as there were primarily clothes and household goods.
We were unfamiliar with seeing chandeliers in churches, let alone jaw-dropping ones, until we toured Malta.
The church's massive size and overwhelming opulence wowed me, especially for such a small town as Nadur.
Just two kilometers further east, in the village of Qala, were 19th-century windmills that had been in use until the 1970s. However, they were on private land and therefore difficult to view. We headed west to the pretty village of Xaghra, and its impressive Ta' Kola Windmill, one of the few surviving windmills on the Maltese Islands. It dates to the Knights' era in the early 18th century. Because of its poor-quality stones and mortar, it was dismantled and reconstructed during the 1780s.
The name, Ta' Kola, was associated with the last miller, Guzepi Grech, who was popularly known as Zeppu ta' Kola or Joseph, the son of Nicola. When the wind was favorable for the mill's operation, a triton shell would be blown to alert the villagers to bring their cereals to be ground into flour.
This was a typical street in Xaghra and throughout Gozo, with pale gold-colored stone buildings and balconies similar to those we'd see in Malta. However, none of the balconies were painted the bright colors.
Xaghra's primary attraction was the Ggantija Temples, located on the crest of a hill south of the village with commanding views over much of southern Gozo. There are numerous theories as to how the Maltese megalithic culture ended. It may have been the deterioration of their environmental conditions, the result of a foreign attack, or social unrest. Whatever the reason, no traces of temple builders were found after around 2500 BC, and whatever happened to the temple builders remains a mystery. The people who settled on the islands after that were very different from those of the Temple Period.
Similar to the 'fat lady' sculptures we'd viewed in Valletta, this seated clay figurine was found in the Xaghra Circle.
I was amazed to see the elaborately carved clay and stone heads found at the Xaghra Circle.
We went from the museum into the park, where we spotted a carob tree, one of Malta's most characteristic trees. The Arabs likely introduced it in 870 AD.
Unlike the megalithic temple sites we'd explored on Malta, the temple site at Ggantija had a long entrance.
More 'historic' graffiti:
From the sublime to the amusing: also in the village of Xaghra was Xerri's Grotto, an underground cavern that we entered through a private house. The owner discovered the cave in 1923 while digging a well and decided to take advantage of the tourist potential. Xerri was 88 when he passed away in 1965.
The grandson's daughter-in-law gave us a private tour of the unusual, 8-meter-deep attraction for the cheap sum of three euros each. It was worth every penny!
Steven and I headed next to the north-central Gozo village of Marsalforn, whose name was possibly derived from the Arabic for 'bay of ships.' Low rubble walls, a common sight in the rural parts of Gozo, led to the former fishing village and a Christ Statue on the hill. Erected in the 1970s, it replaced earlier statues and a wooden cross from 1900.
Steven had to navigate a very narrow, gravel road to allow me to get a closer shot of Tas-Salvatur or the Redeemer.
Heading inland, we arrived at what is described as one of the most beautiful churches in the Maltese Islands, in the northwest village of Gharb. The Basilica of Ta'Pinu, also Malta's national shrine to the Virgin Mary, was an extraordinary sight, a huge, lone church towering over the countryside. Built in the 1920s, the important pilgrimage center was erected on the site of a chapel where a local woman claimed to have heard the Virgin speak to her in 1883.
After numerous miracles were attributed to Our Lady of Pinu, a decision was made to replace the old chapel with this grand new one, funded by public offerings. The first stone of the Romanesque-style church was laid in 1916, it was consecrated in 1931, and Pope Pius XI elevated it to the status of a basilica a year later. The basilica's name comes from Filippino Gauci, who used to tend the old church; Pinu is the diminutive of Filippino.
Behind the altar was part of the original church.
A couple of miles west was Ta'Dbiegi Crafts Village, where artisans supposedly sold Gozo's finest handmade lace, glass, and pottery. I found the 'village' rather sterile and sanitized, with few artisans and few original buildings from the British military era as promoted.
Our spirits were lifted on reaching Gozo's west coast and the spectacular coastal scenery at Dwejra Bay.
The brooding Fungus Rock:
Dwejra's Inland Sea was a lagoon surrounded by cliffs, connected to the open sea by a tunnel running through the headland. Overlooking the 'sea' was a hilltop restaurant where we devoured pizza and vino, thinking once again, it doesn't get more beautiful than this!
As Gozo only has an area of 67 square kilometers, it was a quick jaunt back to Victoria in the center of the island after dinner. What a blissful day this had been, with amazing temples, churches, and extraordinary natural scenery!
Next post: Touring Victoria at last before returning to the island of Malta.
Xaghra's primary attraction was the Ggantija Temples, located on the crest of a hill south of the village with commanding views over much of southern Gozo. There are numerous theories as to how the Maltese megalithic culture ended. It may have been the deterioration of their environmental conditions, the result of a foreign attack, or social unrest. Whatever the reason, no traces of temple builders were found after around 2500 BC, and whatever happened to the temple builders remains a mystery. The people who settled on the islands after that were very different from those of the Temple Period.
We learned in the Ggantija Interpretation Center that strainer bowls from the Neolithic period are extremely rare. This one was discovered next to the remains of a large ceremonial stone bowl in Xaghra. It may have been used to sprinkle liquids on human remains.
Similar to the 'fat lady' sculptures we'd viewed in Valletta, this seated clay figurine was found in the Xaghra Circle.
The stylized human and animal figurines were found together in a heap on the floor at the Xaghra Circle. They were carved in limestone and likely bound or wrapped together with a perishable material like animal skin.
The figure on the top left was considered the most sophisticated of the funeral pieces and dated to 5000 BC.
The double figure stone statuette, depicting a miniature, highly detailed seated pair of corpulent figures, was the most complete and remarkable sculpture from the Xaghra Circle. Unfortunately, most of the figure on the right was missing. Images of the front and back:
Cow toe bones were used to fashion a human face at the Xaghra Circle.
I was amazed to see the elaborately carved clay and stone heads found at the Xaghra Circle.
We went from the museum into the park, where we spotted a carob tree, one of Malta's most characteristic trees. The Arabs likely introduced it in 870 AD.
Unlike the megalithic temple sites we'd explored on Malta, the temple site at Ggantija had a long entrance.
At a height of more than eight meters, Ggantija's facade would have been very conspicuous to anyone walking along this part of the valley. That's why it was probable that the choice of this location was intentional.
The typical habitat of the Ggantija plateau is the seemingly arid and treeless environment called the garrigue. However, it is one of the richest habitats on the Maltese islands, with hundreds of flowering plants. Xaghra's nickname derives from the word xaghri, meaning 'garrigue' in Malti.
The North Cave, discovered in 1949, appeared to have been a rock-cut tomb based on the pottery shards and animal bones found inside it. By the late Neolithic age, it was likely a rubbish pit.
The doorway to the first temple was built in a trilithon, in which two large standing stones hold up a large horizontal slab. Though none of the horizontal slabs have survived, we could see the notches that held them in place.
On the other side of the valley was Nuffara Hill, where evidence of a Bronze Age community dating to around 15000-700 BC was discovered.
Graffiti, some dating to the early 1800s, was found on the megaliths on both sides of the doorway. Visitors incised their names or initials on the stone for many years.
A low raised floor separated one room from the rest of the area, creating a distinct space. Pottery shards and animal bones were found here, suggesting that animals were used in rituals. Large stone blocks, possibly an altar, decorated the central niche.
More 'historic' graffiti:
Excavations carried out in 1933 behind the main entrance to Ggantija South revealed a bowl filled with 158 seashells. We'd admired a necklace made with large shells in the Interpretation Center.
Scholars know that this richly furnished apse was very popular with 19th-century artists who painted images of stone blocks decorated with carved spiral motifs found here.
It was only due to the existence of 19th-century drawings that archaeologists were able to recreate the arrangement of stones in this room, because the stones collapsed or were destroyed between their discovery in 1827 and 1901, when the site lay abandoned. The paintings documented their original shape and position.
These large stones or megaliths were probably part of a larger prehistoric structure that would have been part of Xaghra's Neolithic landscape. The round perforation or hole was common among megalithic structures on most Ggantija temples' doorways.
Even after viewing several megalithic complexes on Malta and this one on Gozo, it was still incredible to contemplate the level of sophistication and ingenuity in building the ancient temples.
The grandson's daughter-in-law gave us a private tour of the unusual, 8-meter-deep attraction for the cheap sum of three euros each. It was worth every penny!
Perhaps a giraffe shape on the right?
Was it a flight of fancy, or did this really look like a snake?!
The guide told us these formations resembled fish fins.
An octopus, perhaps? I should probably know, as I've knitted several!
Getting a little creepy!
I remember we saw formations that looked like elephants and lions, but I can't find them now among the images!
Steven and I headed next to the north-central Gozo village of Marsalforn, whose name was possibly derived from the Arabic for 'bay of ships.' Low rubble walls, a common sight in the rural parts of Gozo, led to the former fishing village and a Christ Statue on the hill. Erected in the 1970s, it replaced earlier statues and a wooden cross from 1900.
Steven had to navigate a very narrow, gravel road to allow me to get a closer shot of Tas-Salvatur or the Redeemer.
We drove up and down the streets of tiny Zebbug, a Gozitan village in the hills west of Marsalforn, on the lookout for the excellent lace and onyx Zebbug is known for. Alas, we saw no lace or onyx shops or any open shops anywhere. The village's Church of the Assumption of Mary was also dead as a doornail, but at least it was open!
We did have to smile at the red English phone booth and ...
... the police station on the main street, identified by its signature royal blue color!
The views of Qbajiban Bay on the north coast made up for not seeing lace or onyx.
Around the next spit of land was Xwejni Bay, which owed its name to the Maltese word xini, which means 'galley.' The rocky coast was composed of Globigerina Limestone, which was often used in the construction of Megalithic temples. The bay looked perfect for swimming, but we still had places to see.
Nearby, just outside Marsalforn, were the Xwejni Salt Pans, the island's most spectacular system. Gozo's northern coast was particularly suited to salt production, as the area's flat limestone could be cut by hand. Seawater ran into the shallow basins, and the wind and sun did the rest! These salt pans date to Roman times. Later, the Knights were in charge of salt harvesting, and they fined anyone who produced salt without permission. Salt is still produced from May to September, but only for local use.
We'd noticed ATV tours are hugely popular on Gozo!
Heading inland, we arrived at what is described as one of the most beautiful churches in the Maltese Islands, in the northwest village of Gharb. The Basilica of Ta'Pinu, also Malta's national shrine to the Virgin Mary, was an extraordinary sight, a huge, lone church towering over the countryside. Built in the 1920s, the important pilgrimage center was erected on the site of a chapel where a local woman claimed to have heard the Virgin speak to her in 1883.
After numerous miracles were attributed to Our Lady of Pinu, a decision was made to replace the old chapel with this grand new one, funded by public offerings. The first stone of the Romanesque-style church was laid in 1916, it was consecrated in 1931, and Pope Pius XI elevated it to the status of a basilica a year later. The basilica's name comes from Filippino Gauci, who used to tend the old church; Pinu is the diminutive of Filippino.
As you might guess, the tranquil interior was quite remarkable, with pale golden stone throughout. I preferred its simpler style to some of the opulent and ornate churches we'd seen previously.
Behind the altar was part of the original church.
Votive offerings, including children's clothing, plaster casts, and crutches, filled rooms on either side of the altar.
We walked up a steep hill opposite the church partway to see some of the marble statues marking the Stations of the Cross.
A couple of miles west was Ta'Dbiegi Crafts Village, where artisans supposedly sold Gozo's finest handmade lace, glass, and pottery. I found the 'village' rather sterile and sanitized, with few artisans and few original buildings from the British military era as promoted.
Our spirits were lifted on reaching Gozo's west coast and the spectacular coastal scenery at Dwejra Bay.
We spotted fossilized scallop shells and sand dollars embedded in the rocky terrain.
The brooding Fungus Rock:
Dwejra's Inland Sea was a lagoon surrounded by cliffs, connected to the open sea by a tunnel running through the headland. Overlooking the 'sea' was a hilltop restaurant where we devoured pizza and vino, thinking once again, it doesn't get more beautiful than this!
As Gozo only has an area of 67 square kilometers, it was a quick jaunt back to Victoria in the center of the island after dinner. What a blissful day this had been, with amazing temples, churches, and extraordinary natural scenery!
Next post: Touring Victoria at last before returning to the island of Malta.
Posted on April 2nd, 2025, from Denver, and wishing you and your loved ones peace, good health, and happiness.
