Malta

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We rode around on one of the bus lines one day and took some pictures along the way.

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The golden arches are even in Malta!

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For being a tiny series of islands, Malta has a lot of very nice farmland.

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Xlendia

We stopped off in Xlendia for lunch. It’s a pretty little town at the bottom of a canyon where the creek meets the sea. We were there on a particularly rough day where the swells were lined up just right to come through the narrow mouth of the harbor and smash head-on into the town. On really stormy days, water must come a good distance up into town!

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Gozo’s secondary service distribution method.

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Just like in Tunisia, guys sit around watching the tourists go by.

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The town of Rabat, otherwise known as Victoria is the largest town on Gozo. Rabat is the main fortification on the island and until the last few hundred years, all of the island’s residents were required by law to sleep within its confines. This limited the amount of land that could be cultivated on the island as a person can only walk so far in a day. That’s the reason that Gozo is such a quite, small, and laid back place.

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The ferry disgorges its passengers after the return trip to Malta.

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This basilica was built sometime in the last 100 or so years. It was placed on the site of a former chapel where, the story goes, a woman saw and talked with the Virgin Mary. I was more interested in the view from the basilica rather than the building itself.

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The Azure Window seems to make it into every single book about Malta. It might not be all that long for the world though. About a week before we saw it, a big chunk of rock fell off the window, putting the span in danger.

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Luckily for Gozo, there’s another natural window on the way. That hole in the rock actually leads out to the sea. During calm days, fishing and tourist boats go through the tunnel and out to sea.

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On Gozo we saw several flocks of sheep and goats grazing. They look just like the ones in Tunisia and use the same methods of herding.

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We paused briefly in a folk museum to see the sites. I also took a few pictures outside.

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Yes, that’s all woodworking equipment.

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The Ggantija Temples date back to 3600 BC. Little is known about the original builders but evidence of sacrificial offerings has been found at the site.

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This hole in a rock on the ground looks like a good spot for a pivot point for a wooden door.

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One of the few towns on Gozo. Seeing the cathedral in that town made me realize just what it must have been like in the middle ages for someone to enter a city with a cathedral. When the cathedral is a hundred feet taller than anything else in town and when it’s so incredibly massive, you can’t help but be impressed!

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To get around on Gozo we hooked up with a tour company. The vehicle wasn’t the most comfortable in the world, but it worked. This is the only tour like this I’ve ever been on. I think it’ll be the last too. I like independent traveling much better.

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We rode the ferry over to Gozo. The helicopter option seemed a bit extravagant. This ferry is super cool! The ship has two front ends and both open up to allow cars in and out. Inside, there are two levels for cars with one that is on huge hydraulic rams that lifts the second level up above the first once it’s full. Now that is some cool engineering!

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What trip to the island of Malta wouldn’t be complete without a Three Harbor Tour? We boarded a big boat and braved the rough seas to see all three of the historic harbors.

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Scooner anyone?

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One of the crazy cool ferries operating between Malta and Sicily.

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There was an oil rig in the drydock for repairs. The drydock was built by the Chinese for the Maltese and is the largest drydock in the Mediterranean. That’s big!

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Malta’s main industrial center and a sunken ship.

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This is the local fuel barge.

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A Libyan fishing vessel.

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The Dingly Cliffs are the highest part of Malta. It’s a good view and also a good place for a radar installation.

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