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...

In search of a new hiking boots!

Shoes, shoes, shoes! If you're anything like me you'll probably know what a hassle it is to find the right shoes - that perfect pair that will then stay in your shoe closet until they fall apart...

Or until you notice there is a huge dent pressing on your toe! Unfortunately this week I had to remove my old hiking boots after finding one such dent in the toe box, it wasn't the type that could be fixed and continue wearing it would most certainly have resulted in an ingrown toenail...

I had got the HI-TEC HELONE MID WP WO'S AVS.220.05 hiking
boots three years ago and have put it to good use indeed. It has travelled a thousand miles to step foot on foreign land while on holiday in England, and traced miles of the Maltese (and Gozitan) countryside! Despite only being the second pair of hiking boots owned it definitely beats any pair of shoes I previously owned. The toe box was decently wide, wide enough to be comfortable for a bunion, and by time the structure changed to match my feet's shape. And it's waterproof, which is a big plus for British weather and trekking through muddy lanes.

Now the search is on for a new shoe. I've already had a look at some of the main outdoor shops that sell hiking boots and such. There aren't that many in Malta. Probably the most decently priced are Decathlon and Sports Direct, although Decathlon has a limited number of options. That is where I got the first pair from. It wasn't waterproof.

Sports Direct has much more options and has brands like Karrimor, which like HI-TEC, is also a British brand. It also has an online website with additional discounted prices but I consider getting shoes without trying them on a big risk. Especially if they are going to be used for a lot of walking. Another good shop is Surplus and Adventure, where I got the HI-TEC boots. 

Despite spending near hours trying on practically every shoe in the shops I still haven't found the right pair. Having a bunion tends to limit options more - most boots aren't wide fit from the front. I shall probably be visiting these shops again to re-try some of the 'so-so' shoes, because no shoe will be perfect, and I do need a shoe!

Hope to find a good pair soon...

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.