Gonzo's to Gozo

Panorama from Gozo's Citadel.

Hunter S. would have approved, we have finally departed the event horizon surrounding Italy, and left the orbiting pizza's and meteoroid pasta behind. The first sail of the season always has a slight frisson of fear surrounding it, but we had a cracking sail in 15-20 knot winds, a 72 mile broad reach where we were sitting on 8 knots for long periods of time. 10 hours saw us in Mgarr, a small harbour port on the northern island of Gozo.

Pavvie in Gozo

Megan, glad to arrive

Mgarr Harbour

Another view of the marina in Mgarr. 

Fort behind the port.

We docked in a tiny tight marina, not without some judicious to-ing and fro-ing. A bus trip to Victoria, the main town of Gozo put us in the centre of the action.

Flowers and topiary in an arid land.

Old church

How to bureaucratise bureaucracy... had a good chuckle at this one.

Victoria's main street

Obligatory Gozo church

Gozo streetscape

Wonderful architecture

We climbed up to the Citadel, which was undergoing an impressive restoration/modernization. The history of Malta is one of ever larger fortifications, the Citadel was an impressive example.

Rebuilt entrance to the Citadel 

Battlements galore!

At least you could be shriven before the infidels arrived.

On the top of the Citadel

View over Gozo from the Citadel, arid landscape 

Delicate stone carving in the main gate.

Marina's in Malta are some of the most expensive in the Med. We could only afford 2 nights in Mgarr, so we departed early in the morning to an anchorage off the main Malta island, in St. Paul's Bay.

You can see the modern EU funded restorations to the Citadel

Another view of the chapel

Main street of Victoria.

So we only spent one full day in Gozo, but we really enjoyed it. The air and light feel very different to Italy, and we ate 'non-italian food' which we really appreciated. The season has begun with a bang, we are loving being back on the road, and looking forward to what this year might bring. Next, we try on being Malteasers!