Where we anchored was not the town we expected to be in! But Gozo is a tiny island so it really didn't matter that we woke up in Mgarr not Xlendi. Once the rush of geriatrics had gone ashore we headed down to the tender port to catch our ride into town. Then if was off uphill again(yes I know that will always be the case!) towards Victoria the island capital 4 miles inland.
We found the lovely and highly decorated C17 St George's Basilica before heading up to the citadel where there has been settlement since the Middle Ages. The bustling market in the town's Pjazza Independenza was all too much and we headed out Easterly in search of something a bit older.
The village of Xaghra hosts the incredible Ggantija Temple, considered to be the oldest still standing building in the world. At C36BC that's over 5500 years, an incredible place which, now UNESCO, protected is an astonishing record of past civilisation. It was interesting to see some graffiti dating back to 1840 - Victorian bad behaviour clearly no better than Neo-Elizabethan!
We then headed back to Mgarr in the blistering heat to catch the penultimate tender back home, in time for a sail away burger by the pool.
As I write we've sailed South and are just turning to enter the harbour of Valetta on the mainland of Malta.
Unfortunately our plans didn't go as expected and we sat outside the harbour for a good while waiting for MSC, Regent and Costa ships to leave port before we were allowed in, so we were then too late to go walkabout, instead we sat in the forward jacuzzi with our nearest neighbours Margaret & Dave from Huddersfield and Ruth & David from Salisbury having a good old chat.
Eventually we were allowed in and once docked we rushed back to shower and dress for dinner. Slightly annoyed I had to send back pudding, but otherwise an excellent meal. After which it was "Rock the Deck" one of those Seabourn traditions we can do without, what with our damaged arms, dodgy knees and general label of ability to dance. It was fun watching the pro-dancers and later all the old codgers (oops I mean our fellow guests) having a great time. But enough is enough, and the staff are eyeing up our inaction ... suddenly it's time to vanish!
Comments
Post a Comment