Xlendi Gardens Island of Gozo

We arrived this morning, everyone on the top deck to witness our entry into port. It was so windy up top that one almost fell over. I enjoyed playing Winged Victory while watching the coastline.
The harbor is fantastic, ancient fortified walls, forts, escarpments, limestone, cobblestones, towers, ships. The colors hurt the eye they are so brilliant. From the sea to the sky to the boats and wooden ...

I've just popped over to Malta for a day & a bit (as you do!) to say a quick hello / goodbye to my parents (and bring them lots of goodies over for the last time in a while).

The weather is a little warmer than the UK, but not as warm as it's going to be in a week's time (ha ha ha).

Anyway, I'll keep this blog short so ciao for now!

Anita x

... a grey cold day with showers didn’t help its cause. Maybe in twenty something years tourism will have lifted their game a bit, but couldn’t help but think perhaps years of public money siphoned off to the mob has probably ground these people down.

We are looking forward to the next part of our journey, Rome for five nights. We will leave the ship a few kilo’s heavier, but looking forward to a little more flexibility in our time table.

Sleeping on the upper bunk of the ship's cabin reminds me of having an MRI. When I went in for the procedure a month ago, I was rolled under a flat plate two inches above my face and my head was secured to the table so I couldn’t move for twenty minutes. I don’t think I got over that terrifying experience because even though the cabin’s ceiling was two feet over me I felt claustrophobic. When we rise at 6:00am from ...

... skewer with a fresh mint leaf. The skewers were made of bamboo, namesake of the airline. I must admit that this was by far the best flight and service I have had in many years and on a multitude of carriers. Although I was in the next to last row of the aircraft, I was treated and felt as if I was flying in first class. Can you believe all this was provided by a "low cost carrier"? I hope Baboo and their ...

... working in cruise ships for the past 7 years and it`s not her first Christmas away from home, like mines. We sat down and chatted and afterwards I had to get back on duty. Straight after work we had prezzies unpacking, then I went to a midnight service and to the party. Thus, it` 3:30 in the morning, and yet I`m sitting. I`m heding to bed in a minute... Tomorrow it`s a formal night, I`m gonna be busy all day long. It`s good though, I won`t have time tio think...

... was also a cute looking Cathedral here but we didn't go in. We left M thoroughly localised and headed for the Golden Bay beach which was closer to our hotel. We got to GB at around 1:15pm and had to park a little away from the beach. The beach itself was set below the mountain and there were about 100 long steps to get to the bottom. The beach however, looked stunning from the top. The sand was golden in colour and the water was superb blue. We ...

... it were the bone remains of the right wrist of St Paul stored in an alter alcove and the stone pillar on which St Paul was beheaded. That pillar was housed in a glass cabinet and had a metal head in the likeness of St Paul resting on it. Hmmm... For many years now I have not been a practicing Catholic for a number of reasons that I wont go into here however one thing I will say is that I was never quite comfortable with the reverence that was placed on saints within the ...

... house. We happily accepted, and although their car was a tiny Peugeot, we somehow managed to stuff ourselves and our baggage in their backseat. Theresa turned out to be a very nice college student, and we had a great evening together, cooking up some rabbit (a Maltese specialty) and drinking a bottle and a half of wine. Theresa's Mom and sister were planning on arrival at 3 am (their flight was delayed as well), and we couldn't quite manage to stay ...

... is a 50 meter deep hole in the rock which connects to the ocean on the other side. Supposedly, divers come here to practice since the hole provides for a nice free floating effect as the water pushes up through the whole which have a blue tint to it when the light hits it right. Probably looks better in the morning since the reflection at sun down is in front of you. I only found the hole because a guy from Wales and his friend from New York were maneuvering towards it ...