Last Friday, I was truly shocked. I went down to Dwejra for a drink and a snack at the kiosk, to enjoy a seat in the shade and the lovely view. The kiosk was still there, but there were no welcoming tables and chairs, no umbrellas – just a baking hot concrete slab. A group of elderly tourists were sitting on the little concrete and uneven stone wall bordering the kiosk, trying to balance food and drinks on their knees and obviously suffering from the heat and sore bottoms. Several guests were huddled in the little bit of shade at the side of the kiosk, again precariously balancing their food and drinks.

What happened? The kiosk was raided by armed police on Tuesday and all their tables, chairs, umbrellas and flower boxes were confiscated and shipped to Malta. This did not apply to the bar inland as it was conveniently closed that day.

I do not pretend to know all the ins and outs of permits etc. but this family-run kiosk has been there since at least 1990 when I first arrived on the island and in no ways obstructs pavements or paths or public access to anywhere. It has always offered shade and seats to the tourists, divers and locals who stop by for something to drink or eat and even to those who just want to sit and relax without purchasing anything! There are no public benches in the area, and no shade whatsoever due to the fact that most of the tamarisk trees were hacked down when the parking lot was built. So this little kiosk offers a shady haven for an awful lot of tourists. This family’s livelihood is now threatened.

I fear that this has something to do with the sanctioning of the unsightly building that will house the interpretation centre (?) in the dark, dank basement and a glass and wood restaurant upstairs.

Add this to the appalling state of the public toilets and you really have a tourist disaster. My email to the relevant authorities regarding the state of the toilets last week remains unanswered, however the natural stones and bricks at the entrance were whitewashed last week. Surely the authorities do not believe that a bit of white wash will miraculously unblock the toilets and replace the pre-war fittings?

I find the whole situation utterly disgusting, the Ministry for Gozo, Nature Trust Malta, the Tourist Authority/Association, etc. should be thoroughly ashamed of themselves. Do they not realise that this is one of the main tourist attractions in Gozo?

Lesley Kreupl

Gozo