Just a short boat trip away from Marfa Point lays the isle of Gozo, or in the more poetic vernacular language, Għawdex. During the pleasant crossing one can enjoy the stunning views of the rocky miniscule island of Comino and its multitude of caves. On arrival in Gozo, the welcoming and embracing arms of the charming harbour of Mġarr, with its new and efficient port facilities, greets the visitor.
The port itself is surrounded by pretty green hills offering shelter and protection from the north winds, and is dominated by the massive bastions of Fort Chambray (dating back to the Order of St John) and crowned at the peak by the sleek little gothic church of Our Lady of Lourdes.
From the hustle and bustle of the harbour, the capital town of Victoria is reached by a nicely finished road, flanked by cool greenery and ending right in the hub of an equally bustling centre − a magnet for scantily dressed tourists, foreign and local.
The Citadel, an Mdina-like fortress city built gradually over centuries of toil, stands grand and overlooks a sweep of magnificent landscape stretching as far as Malta itself.
The glory of the isle lies in its variegated colours of rubble-wall enclosed, patterned fields. With all this, as well as the wonderfully sculpted undulations of its topography, the Creator must surely have literally had a field day during its inception.
Victoria itself is a hive of movement and activity, with tourists strolling around sightseeing and shop/market bargain hunting.
Providentially, and unlike Malta, Gozo has been spared the ravages of war but has suffered – and not quite marginally – the ravages of peace. As the classic dictum goes “Quod non fecerunt Barbari Fecit Barberini” (“What the barbarians didn’t do, the Barberini did”).
Some grotesque, high-density buildings have already marred the charm and beauty of places like Marsalforn, Xlendi, parts of Mġarr and a few other areas.
Without exception, all the village nooks and crannies that are still free of such outrages, beckon and entice the painters brush and palette with their unique picturesqueness.
The parish churches that invariably dominate the village centres stand out for their remarkable staid baroque architecture. Every single one is a token of a tremendous feat when money was, if not completely then certainly generally, in short supply − a living monument indeed to the ordinary people for their love, generosity and free labour in all trades they gave to achieve their dreams and aspirations. One of the more interesting and unique buildings is the sumptuous and delicious Romanesque sanctuary of Ta’ Pinu, situated in the wide-open and health-giving countryside.
Gozo is not boastful by nature, but it can certainly boast about the beauty spots with which it has been so generously endowed by nature, such as the charm and beauty of Xlendi Bay, Mġarr harbour referred to in the beginning, the marvellous Fungus Rock with nearby Dwejra and last but not least the fabulous and inviting red sands of Ramla Bay – the breeding ground for sea turtles.
How striking and aesthetically pleasing it is in summer to feast one’s eyes on neat rows of healthy, vertical tomato plants loaded with juicy, red, chubby fruit nestled among the dark green foliage – all such bounty viewed against a backdrop of an apparently anaemic and dehydrated white, clayey soil but rich and active enough to nurture such a marvellous almost miraculous scene of plenty.
The locals, albeit a cut and make of their own in that, by and large, they are reserved and introvert by nature, are most welcoming and friendly to all visitors, both foreign and local and their smiles reflect the warmth and attraction that nature itself bestows on the island.
Gozo’s highly intelligent stock has produced the best brains to lead and administer the island’s institutions − a superb achievement in the context of the physical and economic constraints imposed by the tiny size of the population and environment.
Hopefully the tranquillity and beauty of this secluded little haven will remain frozen in time as an eco-island and in its adamant rejection of alien invasive building development, thus continuing to give delight and pleasure to present and future generations.
Edwin Calleja
BALZAN