Downhill All the Way

The above title is what K.M. Peyton decided to name her book, and it describes exactly the type of walk my father and I went on yesterday. 

The book

To start off with, it would probably be a good idea to give a brief overview. After 2 months "in convalescence" it was high time I got to do a little exploration again, and what better way to do it, than going 'downhill all the way?'. To be fair we had been going on a walk here and there, but yesterday happened to be an off day and after running some errands around the central areas of the island we had some time to kill and headed to Bahrija. (Not directly though...we're not that energetic).

What I really had in mind was to explore Fomm ir-Rih. This little pebbly/rocky beach is quite secluded and not easily accessible. Usually we'd walk to the hanging cliffs above it from the Bingemma area (path in red) but there would be a road from the opposite side (yellow line). This seemed to be coming from Bahrija, and I intended to find out! 

Map of Bingemma/Bahrija area

We happened to arrive right when school was about to be finished for the primary children. Already some parents had parked their cars to the side, and the building struck me as being in such an idyllic location. It was the furthest in the village, overlooking the flora and fauna. 

The walk was so beautiful, and everything felt so fresh, especially after not being in the 'proper' outdoors for a while. This week has been really nice and sunny. It's a good break from the previously stormy and very windy days of December and January. 

At a point the path forks and we took the left path. When I looked it up on the maps later I found that it was the other road that led to Fomm ir-Rih, but the one we took was still nice. There was even a hiking trail along the cliffs but that will be an other adventure...

April Adventure

 Terribly backdated, I'm afraid!

Last April we headed to Gozo, on foot this time. After catching the bus from the Ferry to Xewkija we got off on the outskirts of Victoria.

Route: Sannat, Ta' Cenc, Mgarr ix-Xini, Xatt l-Ahmar, Ghajnsielem

Am going to label photos since I took so many!

#1 Xewkija - Sannat Road

This road connects the two localities together, but there was barely any traffic. We started off early in the morning, and I think there is another more popular route to Victoria. There isn't a pavement, just space in the side, but with little cars it was safe. 

Xewkija church in the distance

Road to Ta' Cenc

The 'paved' route of the journey. 

Oh look, there's the tower!

Mgarr ix-Xini from the track

Oh, the sea looks so gorgeous! Crystal blue-green. After we got down it took a while to find the path going up, but we did find it at last. It is a flight of stairs located at the end of the beach. From there the stairs continue carved in stone and there is even an arc made up of prickly pears.

Mgarr ix-Xini Tower

The tower looked great! I found out later that it has been restored by Wirt Ghawdex and is open on certain days. A flag is raised when it is.

A small introduction

             First of all, a big welcome to all! For those wondering, I am a Maltese girl who is very, very fond of the countryside. The name 'An Island of Adventure' was inspired by Enid Blyton's very first famous five book - which she named 'The Island of Adventure'. The story is about some children who go exploring a little island off the coast and end up finding gold. Indeed, quite an adventure!

Above: Dingli cliffs on a very windy day!

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            At the risk of going out of point, I feel that Malta herself is a little 'island of adventure'. There are so many secret paths that people don't know about. Some are rather far-off and at first glance one wouldn't even think they could lead to anywhere. But they obviously do!

Above: On one of the many walks around Ghajn Tuffieha - Lippija tower area with my father.

            I have started many blogs and websites using Wix, Webador and Weebly (coincidence they all start with a 'w', no?) but never managed to make it a regular habit of posting, so I hope to change that with this one...

            The aim of this one is more for a personal experience. I'm going to do my best to collect and share interesting information about the history, geography and culture of Malta, but ultimately my main aim is to share with you the secret paths of Malta, as Alfred Wainwright did with the Fells of the Lake District in the North of England.

Below: Alfred Wainwright in the Lake District. Photo from 'Visit Lake District' website.

            Anyway, that's all for now. Here's to 2024 - wishing everyone a happy New Year!

P.S Some of the entries might be back-dated. Previously I journaled with pen and paper.