TravelStream™ news feed for member andrew.galea on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/andrew.galea en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:55:25 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192347600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192347600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192347600/tpod.html Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:55:25 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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St Paul's Bay, Malta

My last full day in Malta!My dad's cousin Louis was picking me up today and I was in for a very special treat. First stop was a local band club (aka pub) where he goes each Sunday to meet up with a few of his mates, share a beer, as well as eat pastizzi, hopz bil zajt and a selection of other Maltese delicacies. His brother Edwin was there as well and I have to say I had an absolute blast. Edwin is a legend in these parts, I took a seat next to him and Louis on a bench at the front of the club and we just talked shop for a time. Every single guy that walked past, regardless of their age would say hello and shake Edwin's hand. He was the king. He introduced me to many of them ("Dan tifil ta Joe Galea...") and I felt real cool sitting there smashing the pastizzi into me and talking my best Maltese. Any time a bar staff would walk past Edwin would call out to bring us some more food or drink and he would say "Tell them it is for Edwin". :)Well the best was yet to come. Louis told me that today the president of Malta was paying a visit to the club. Yes the president, as in the George W Bush equivalent (well the Maltese president is much cooler). Apparently he is from the area and once a year has morning tea at the club and today was the day! Sure enough a cavalcade turns up shortly afterwards and out steps the president of Malta! Whilst he had security guards etc it was nothing like the APEC summit so I got a good look at him. It came as no surprise when Edwin told me he knew the president personally however when he said he would arrange a photo for me with him I was pretty excited! I mean I was blown away! Here were all these dignitaries and I was going to get a photo with the president of Malta wearing jeans and a t-shirt. Man what a blast this was. I have shown the photo to as many locals as I can find this afternoon and they have all been blown away by it. So there you have it, Andrew from Greystanes shook hands and had a photo with the president of Malta. :)We spent a few hours at the club before Louis told me we were going to pick up his wife Lina and have lunch at a restaurant owned by her brothers in St Julians. I said good bye to Edwin and a host of guys at the pub. One of them was a boxer and asked me to say hello to Jeff Fenech, he was the biggest Maltese man I have ever seen so I said I would! Lunch was superb. I had rabbit ravioli and washed it down with a fine Maltese white wine. How Maltese can you get? I really enjoyed spending some more time with Louis and Lina and once again was treated very well by my relatives in Malta.I had a few hours to catch up on some much needed sleep in the afternoon before we were off again, this time to see my grandmother's sister and her family. These were family from my mother's side and are bread and butter Maltese living in the heartland. They spoke very little English so my Maltese skills were well and truly put to the test. I got through with just a pass I think and relied on Lillian to translate for me here and there. I am more determined than ever to learn the language properly now so that I will return fluent the next time I set foot on these shores! Throughout the day, and indeed the month I have spent here I would get many people saying I looked like my father whilst others would say I looked like my mother. Then they would say he sings like his father (well I don't sing like him but I do sing, just not as good as him!). The truth is that obviously we all have elements of both our parents in our makeup, both in physical appearance and personality. It got me thinking, as these things tend to do. Whilst it is fact we have little say in the physical aspects we inherit from our parents, I wondered what sort of control we had over the personality traits we adopt. Obviously there is both good and bad elements in everyone's personality (including our parents) and the idealistic view is that children will inherit the better elements from each parent's personality and somehow not the bad ones. We all know it does not work this way. I do believe that if we are not actually born with personality traits from our parents then we certainly adopt them from a young age, indicative of our formative years being heavily influenced by them. At some point we become old enough to observe both good and bad aspects of both our parent's and our own personalities and then have a decision whether to promote or suppress them within ourselves. I know personally over the years I have seen qualities in both my parents that I have liked and not liked, and also seen some from both types in my own personality. And I know for a fact that I have tried to suppress some qualities that I deem to be undesirable. It is this ability to recognise, acknowledge and alter our behaviours that define who we are as adults. And from personal experience when there are periods in my life where I have stopped doing this self analysis I have become someone of whom I am not proud, and that is sad. I love it when people say that I remind them of my father or my mother when they were younger. And some of the happiest times during my trip have been when I have met the older relatives of my parents and I have had the opportunity to simply talk to them face to face and observe. It is an inbuilt human desire to have a sense of belonging, a sense of history and most importantly a sense of family. A knowledge of where they came from and some understanding of why they are the person they are. My evening consisted of gathering around the family table of my uncle Leo and aunty Julie's house, sharing 2 plates of pastizzi and playing a few games of Scrabble. It was a fitting end to my holiday here in Malta, because whilst I have enjoyed so many aspects of my time here, including falling in love with the country and its people, the one thing that has stood it apart from every trip I have ever had before in my life has been the time I have spent with my extended families. It has made me reflect on my family back home and how grateful I am that my family plays such significant part in my life. My time here has drawn to a close. Hard to place into words how much I have enjoyed the experience. I knew this day would come and I am looking forward to returning home and continuing life's journey.Well this is me signing off from my journal and a wonderful month spent on the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Sicily. I needed this holiday, and whilst travelling on your own is sometimes a poor reflection on the social state of the individual (ummm...I have friends...honest!) I don't think I would have enjoyed it anywhere near as much any other way. At least not at this point in my life. There are a lot of things I have realised and learned on this holiday that I want to take and keep with me when I return to Australia. I hope you have enjoyed sharing this journey with me via my journal and I am eternally grateful for the wonderful comments many of you have sent to me about it. Those comments are what gave me the push and the inspiration to write something each day, and now I have a detailed and insightful log of my travels. Something I will cherish for all my days remaining.I look forward to seeing you all very soon. Take care and if you get the opportunity, share an extra bit of love with your families and loved ones today, it will make today a better today for both you and them! :)Love,Andrew
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192260660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192260660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192260660/tpod.html Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:39:42 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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St Julians, Malta

With my time here in Malta drawing to a close I wanted to head to Valletta for the last time today, to walk those streets and strengthen the imprint of that magical place into my mind, I wanted to remember it as well as I could. I would also take the opportunity to purchase a list of gifts for both my family back home and my Maltese family. They have gone well above and beyond what you would expect and I wanted to thank them somehow. As I have alluded to in my journal aunty Julie, uncle Leo and their children possess a deep faith in the Catholic church with their faith playing a significant role in their every day lives. I thought something that was related to the church in someway would be nice for them. As you have probably noticed I have had a few photos taken of myself standing in front of a statue of Saint Andrew in various places in Malta so I thought it would be fantastic to give them a statue of the Saint for their home. Cousin Lillian joined me today on a mission to find a suitable statue of the saint. She knew a few places in Valletta that sold religious items so she was going to be a valuable ally in my quest. Sure enough we managed to find a fantastic statue of Saint Andrew, much better than I could have imagined and I was so happy to have found the perfect gift for them. Aunty Julie was so pleased when I brought it home later in the day and it has pride of place in her kitchen where she said she would see it everyday. :)The weather had turned colder in the last few days as Autumn sets in and I realised that I had not swum since before leaving for Sicily. Today the weather was a little better so once I got back from Valletta I put on my running gear and ran to St Julians. On the way back after working up a sweat I stripped down and dived into the beautiful Mediterranean for perhaps the last time for a while. It was great.  Today was also the last opportunity for me to visit Sister Christine. So we all jumped in the family car and spent a few hours with her late in the afternoon. I realised that this was the 5th time I had visited Christine since coming to Malta, 3 times with my relatives and twice on my own. It was very much a special and unexpected surprise for me to spend so much time with Christine. I promised her I would return one day soon to visit her again. It was with a twinge of sadness that I said goodbye to her today, but I did not want to let sorrow become a memory that I would relate to my time here so I stayed in a positive mood. Like all my cousins I have a deep love for Christine, and I am pleased I got the opportunity to gain a much better understanding of the life she has chosen. She asked me to write to her when I got home. Now we are talking about snail mail here (not email) so hand writing a letter was something I had not done in a very long time. However when discussing with Lillian she suggested I write the letters in Maltese as practice and I thought that was a fantastic idea! Now that is going to be a mission!Tonight was the night that my cousins Lillian, Michael and his wife Josette had planned to take me out for a night on the town in Paceville. We had talked about it for some time so by the time it came around we were pumped. We started with dinner at Michael and Josette's house, shared a bottle of wine and also a Martini on the rocks (nice!). I was determined to get them at least a bit tipsy to ensure we had a memorable evening, little was I to know how the evening was going to finally end up! Well after a few rounds of tequila we were well and truly on our way and danced up a storm. Night clubs in Malta are certainly a lot of fun and even this late in the summer season they were all packed. We had a fantastic time until around 2pm when we thought we would call it a night. Well all hell was about to break loose! On the way to the car the heavens opened up and an absolute torrential rain storm hit Malta, and I mean torrential. By the time we got to the car it was as if all four of us had dived into a pool, we were soaked to the core. We could not stop laughing however (might have had something to do with the tequilas not sure!). So we pile into Michael's car and set off home. Not sure how much I have mentioned the poor quality of many of Malta's streets but today you will get the idea. The place was basically flooded. Street after street we drove down were just swimming pools, there were cars crawling around trying to navigate as best they could. Michael changed our route a few times to make sure we were as high as possible to avoid the flooding waters, and still the torrential rain continued. Anyway we hit this street and I said to Micheal that the water looked pretty deep here. "It will be ok..." he says. "Hmmm maybe this is going to be tricky..." he adds. By this stage we realised that the water was in fact above the tyres of the car and sure enough a few seconds later the car's engine stops and we are stranded. Man it was funny, we just did not know what to do. Josette's initial reaction was to start crying! And that was also her second and third reaction. :) Being the elder statesmen I assured them that we would be ok, but started to think we were in a pretty tricky situation and not sure how we were going to get out of it. The first thing was to get the car out of the deepest water. So off went my jeans and shoes and I got out of the car in water above my knees in an attempt to push the car back from where we came. Meanwhile we were all just cracking up the whole time (oh Josette was crying and laughing at the same time). Happy to say that I managed to push the car back up the hill enough to get out of the deep water, and by this stage the rain stopped as suddenly as it had started. Problem was the car refused to start so eventually we were forced to call for a tow truck. Well my fantastic evening ended with me drenched to the bone, freezing cold and shivering in the passenger seat of a tow truck meandering our way through the streets of Malta. What a memorable night, and something I will not forget for the rest of my days. Only in Malta! :)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192173660/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192173660/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192173660/tpod.html Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:31:34 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Victoria, Malta

As I mentioned yesterday my Maltese family (including Michael and Josette) had the day off work today, we were all going to the island of Gozo! Gozo is the second biggest island of the 3 that make up Malta. It is roughly 1 third the size of Malta but only has 1 tenth of its population which makes it more easy going and less stressful whilst still offering the attractive elements of beautiful historical buildings, the affable Maltese people and the stunning Mediterranean swimming spots.We drove to the top right corner of Malta, then boarded a ferry (in our car) which makes the 20 minute journey to and from Gozo throughout the day. We spent the rest of the day driving around to different points of interest and to the many beautiful swimming spots scattered around the island. I have to say that Gozo is very nice indeed. When planning my journey before leaving Australia I had originally intended to spend 4-5 days in Gozo but never really got around to it. Next time I am here I am definitely going to do it. Probably around a place called Xlendi which was very nice. Gozo is home to many converted farm houses that can be rented and it is best to do so in a group, I spoke with Michael and Josette and they are interested so next time if I am here with my brothers perhaps spending a few days in Gozo in one of the farm houses will be a fantastic experience.Highlight of the day was us buying "Ftira Pizzas" and setting ourselves up nicely on a beach. It had been threatening to rain all morning and after a few minutes I said "Perhaps we should move off the beach, looks like it is going to rain." After a further few minutes of procrastination we decided we should probably move and about 20 seconds later a monsoon hit. It was incredible and we all got completely soaked to the core, including our pizzas. It was fun though! Around 30 minutes later the storm had shifted out to sea and the weather completely cleared up and provided us with a very sunny afternoon...seemed a bit weird but I was not complaining.For the evening I was being picked up by my father's family, I was very much looking forward to seeing them all again and there were a few more coming tonight that I was not able to catch up with last time which was great. One was my dad's eldest cousin Louis (and his wife Lina) who run a dive shop and boat in northern Malta and another was my second cousin Denise. Denise is my age and we spent some time together as 6 year olds the last time I was here. It was fantastic to see her again although I don't really remember the last time! She was a lot of fun! I started to wonder whether our minds have buried memories of us spending time together all those years ago or it is simply the fact when meeting now we know we are related and have met before but I felt instantly comfortable with Denise like I had known her for a long time. In fact I got that feeling with all my relatives here, even though I had not seen them for so long. Sitting around a big table with 12 people sharing stories and just chatting is a wonderful experience, especially when we have that underlying connection and our pasts are intertwined. We shared a few bottles of wine and a lot of laughs and it was with a tinge of sadness that I said goodbye to them all at the end of the night. I would not be seeing them again until the next time I was in Malta, which I promised would not be too long down the track. I often found dad's cousins looking at me and smiling and they repeatedly said they saw a lot of my young father in me. It must be surreal for them to only see me once as a child and then see me again as a grown man in the likeness of my father, with whom they shared a lot with when they were young. I could see they were so genuinely happy for me to be there, it was great. I promised them I would encourage my brothers to make the journey to Malta soon, they want to see them again so much. I also said I would come back with them when they did visit! :)
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192145520/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192145520/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192145520/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:58:25 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Taormina, Italy

I awoke this morning at 7am looking forward to returning to Malta. However I wanted to savour my last few hours in Taormina not knowing the next time I would be here. Something was telling me that I would return some day, I would enjoy sharing this place with a partner down the track, we shall see!Before I knew it I was putting on my running gear and had set off to tackle the stairs behind Taormina one more time. The sun was still rising and the view from the top was exhilarating (and yes I got to the top without a heart attack once again!). The thing about running is that you rarely feel like doing it beforehand, and at times during it you would wonder why you are putting yourself through this. But when you finish you never regret going for that run. And it does not matter how many times I run I go through those emotions each time. But knowing how lifted and amazing you feel at the end provides the drive for me to push myself to do it next time. The human body is designed for activity, it is built for exercise. Even the brain has stimuli that respond to it in a positive way. Unfortunately this is something that many in the western world have forgotten.It was an incredibly clear day at the top of my run. I could see mount Etna clearly in the distance, billowing smoke, portraying some sort of anger that I had reached her summit the day before! I looked at all the towns and people that lived in the shadow of that mountain with the very real possibility it could erupt and destroy everything they own at any time. My guide yesterday informed me that residents in and around Etna are unable to get insurance against an eruption. The government does have a fund that provides assistance to those that lose their homes but it is grossly inadequate and slow in coming. The last time a home was destroyed was via a tremor during a minor eruption in 1993. It actually spewed lava 11 days ago, but there has not been a major eruption in 50 years. The fact it constantly blows smoke and produces minor lava flows occasionally is a good thing as it does not build up the immense pressure that is required for major eruptions.After the run a shower, quick breakfast, pack and then I was off on my return journey to Malta.The rest of my day consisted of 3 hours on trains and 2 hours on a ferry with roughly 7 hours waiting in between connections so it was not a lot of fun. I did make friends with a half Italian half Maltese girl and her Italian friend. Turns out he is a bit of a cross dresser (he showed me photos) so that was interesting. They both starting drinking during the journey and were pretty drunk by the time we got around to boarding the ferry! I managed to get a photo with them, they certainly spiced up my otherwise boring journey. I am meant to catch up with them before I leave Malta so stay tuned!My Maltese family were waiting for me at the ferry terminal and I was so happy to see them again. I had been missing both them and Malta and was keen to spend my last 3 days with them before I left for home. They had already planned to have tomorrow off work and we are going to Gozo which is the second island of Malta. I really wanted to see it before I left so that is something to look forward to.It is now 1 am in the morning, I am going to do a quick journal update and then sleep. Tomorrow is the start of the last leg of my Maltese adventure, I cant wait.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192058760/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192058760/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1192058760/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:32:35 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Taormina, Italy

Up at 6am to catch the coach that would be the start of an extraordinary journey to the summit of Mount Etna and back. A 12 hour round trip that incorporated the coach, a train, a cable car, a 4wd vehicle and my 2 feet that would take me to the top of a 3000 metre high active volcano that dominates the eastern landscape of Sicily. I don't know what to say other than it was like walking on another planet. Black ash and solidified lava as far as the eye could see. I had no idea that my expedition today would take me so close to the very top of the mountain. We were above the clouds and it was 0 degrees with a wind chill of -4. What a fantastic experience. I think it is best to let the photos do the talking today, I am a little speechless about it to tell you the truth. Like I said, I just did not expect to be taken so high and so close to the summit. It was pretty cool.Needless to say I was exhausted when I got back to the hotel. This was my last night in Sicily as tomorrow I had a mission to get myself back down to Pozallo in time for the 9:30pm ferry to Malta. What an amazing side journey Sicily has been for me. I have loved every minute of it. However I am looking forward to returning to Malta and spending the weekend with my friends and family there before the long haul back to Sydney. I don't want my time in Malta to end, however I am torn between that feeling and a natural desire to return home. Like I have done from the first second I stepped off the plane at Malta's airport I am going to live and love every second from now until I have to leave. That is the only way!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191971940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191971940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191971940/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:25:48 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Taormina, Italy

Today's mission was to get from Syracuse to Catania, the next stop on my Sicily journey. As fate would have it there was to be a little twist today, but one I am so grateful to have occurred. A good friend of mine, Alex, SMSed me last night to say that she had stayed in a town called Taormina on the east coast of Sicily years ago and she said it was incredible and she loved it. I looked up the town in my guide book and indeed it raved about it, claiming it was the most picturesque town in all of Sicily. Now my main aim was to see the volcano Etna and I was under the impression that Catania was the city to be in to see it. However AFTER buying my train ticket and boarding the train to Catania I discovered that Etna was in fact equidistant from both Taormina and Catania! Well I was in a quandary. Catania was more or less a big city with not a lot of tourist attractions and Taormina sounded like paradise. Well up to this point I was feeling that the Sicilians I had met were not very helpful however the train conductor on my train was a legend. See the train I was on was eventually going to reach Taormina after passing through Catania but it was a good 60 kms past it. I explained my situation to him regarding my incorrect train ticket and he winks and says "leave it to me". The train pulls into Catania station, he gets out with me, tells the driver there is an emergency, buys another ticket for me and then gets me back on the train. It was cool and there were high 5s all round.I have to say that snap decision to change my plans was an incredibly fortuitous one. I don't want to cast any aspersions on Malta or anything I have ever done in my life but Taormina is perhaps the most beautiful town I have ever seen. It is a sleepy town nestled amongst the pines and crevices of a huge mountain. The views are breathtaking in every direction. The streets are like walking in a movie set, I cannot state it enough, if any of you are anywhere near this place in the future do yourself a favour and pay it a visit. Thanks for the tip Alex!First thing I did was book an all day trip to Mount Etna for tomorrow. I paid extra for the final leg of the journey where I get off the bus and into a 4wd that will take me to the summit, 3000 metres above sea level! Man that is going to the best. I also booked accommodation in a quaint hotel on the main street, it cost more but I wanted to enjoy my time here to the max. I step out of my room and I am in the heart of Taormina, heaven.I gave the town the iPod treatment and walked around for most of the afternoon taking in all the sites outlined in my travel book. I thought Syracuse was amazing and it was but this place surpassed it. I have taken a lot of photos, hopefully they will capture it enough for you to get an idea of what I mean with this place. The main historical feature is a huge Greek amphitheatre that sits on the highest point of the town. Whilst walking around the town I couldn't help but notice another village at the summit of the mountain (mount Taoro) where Taormina was situated (half way up). I soon discovered there was a steep 3 km staircase that meandered up the mountain to its summit. I loved that walk, the views all the way up were breathtaking only to be beaten by the 360 degree views at the top. It was exhilarating. On my way down I decided there was only one thing to do, I wanted to run up the mountain! I got back to my hotel, put on my running gear and was pumped. The guy in the hotel foyer asked what I was doing and I told him. He said I was mental. I had done similar training runs during my football days, I was confident I could do this.Well I have to say it was extremely taxing on my body and tiring but that feeling when I reached the top was amazing. I was so high up and so relieved that I did not have a heart attack! :) I managed to scale it without stopping but man my legs were heavy the last 50 metres or so. What a feeling! The run back down was great and upon returning to the hotel received a high five from the dude at the counter. He was impressed! So was I, that was 2 high fives in the one day!I showered and then stepped out to get a few things for tomorrow. The bus was leaving at 7am which meant I would miss breakfast in the hotel so I bought a few bananas and oranges. The travel agency where I bought my Etna ticket also said that it could get very cold at the top so I should take a jumper or jacket. I did not pack one from Malta so I bought a sports type jacket with "Sicilia" on the front and an Italian flag on the side. What a wog!For dinner I was determined to have something other than Pizza or Pasta so I ordered a steak with mushroom and cream sauce. A glass of Sicilian wine and I was set. After dinner I wandered to the main square, took a seat and just observed. There were couples walking around, families with children running and playing in the square, old Sicilian men sitting on benches chatting. It was a serene setting and I had a wonderful time sitting there. I could not help but smile and be content. What a great day.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191885120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191885120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191885120/tpod.html Thu, 11 Oct 2007 19:18:46 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Syracuse, Italy

Today was set aside for the exploration of Syracuse. My guide book had two walks mapped out that took in the best elements of the old and new city. On the outskirts of the new city there was an archaeological park that contained a Greek amphitheatre first constructed in the 5th century B.C., a massive stone altar from the 3rd century B.C. and a Roman amphitheatre from the 2nd century A.D. I could not wait to see them!The Greek Amphitheatre was amazing and in remarkably good condition considering how old it was. It was a good 30 minute walk in the heat to this first stop in my journey so I took a seat in the theatre and just basked in the sunlight taking it all in. There were a few tourist groups doing the rounds. I observed a few of the groups, all from different countries with tour guides speaking in numerous foreign languages. I was imagining what it would of been like in ancient Greek times when this theatre was packed for the plays that were staged here when the Greek empire was at its peak. It could hold 16,000 people in its prime. There was actually quite a strong Greek influence in Sicily as the island held a significant place in the empire at its peak, rivalling the great cities in Greece itself. Every May and June a local theatre company runs classical Greek plays in the amphitheatre to this day, I would have loved to have seen one.Following the Greeks the Roman Empire grew in strength and prominence and of course Sicily was a big part of it during that time. The Romans had made some modifications to the Greek theatre so it could house gladiatorial combat however they eventually built their own just a few hundred metres away. This really took me back in time as you could still see the pits where the exotic animals were kept and also the chambers and corridors where the gladiators walked in the theatre 2000 years ago. Unfortunately the Spanish during their occupation of Sicily in the 16th century had used the Roman amphitheatre as a stone quarry for a time and therefore destroyed a lot of it. This theatre was the third biggest in Italy behind the Colosseum and the amphitheatre in Verone so it was still a significant structure and well worth the visit. I absolutely loved visiting the archaeological park but in particular these two structures. Just meandering around with my iPod playing tunes and soaking it in, much like I had done in Malta the past few weeks. The Sicilians had done particularly well with the park itself. The land surrounding the ruins was a maze of pathways, gardens and shady retreats with seating dotted around. It was a haven from the hustle and bustle of Syracuse's new city. Getting a break from the cars was worth the trip in itself!After an hour or so I walked back towards my motel and then entered Otygia for some lunch and hopefully an internet café. I had not been online for a few days, wanted to update my journal and speak to people back home if they were on. By the time I had eaten and tracked down an internet spot (they were no where near as numerous here as they were in Malta) it was around 9pm at home but luckily my brothers Jeff and Nick were online as well as a good friend of mine from Queensland, Trent. He has asked me to mention him a few times in my journal so there you go mate. :)Afterwards I walked the streets of Otygia, perhaps for the last time as I was setting off for Catania in the morning. I have to say that the old city of Syrcuse is simply beautiful. It is a classic European city with cobble stone streets, outdoor cafes, historic buildings, the works. I really enjoyed wandering around again and saw a few new buildings following the route set out in my guidebook. A raging storm hit later in the evening and it absolutely bucketed down, I realised this was only the second time I had seen rain since leaving home. It was good to see the city in the rain with the lightning reflecting off the old buildings, however walking home in my thongs was not as much fun.Whilst eating dinner I started chatting to a couple next to me who were from London. It was good to speak to someone that spoke English. Something I have failed to mention since arriving in Sicily is that I have literally come across no one who can speak English. It has even been a little frustrating at times. The people at the desk in my hotel, every shop and restaurant, everywhere. This also includes all signs, menus and informational posters outside tourist attractions. I have always considered it a good thing that a country's inhabitants maintain their culture and traditions but it does make it very difficult for travellers when they stick to it this much! :) I realised that Sicily, and especially the part that I am currently in is not really a tourist Mecca so it is to be expected this would be the case I guess. By the time I got back to my hotel I had walked a long way today, for several hours and was looking forward to a good night's rest before heading out in the morning. I was planning to catch a train to Catania which was a city about 60kms up the coast. The main attraction there was Mt Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe. Tomorrow my journey continues.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191758640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191758640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191758640/tpod.html Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:14:12 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Syracuse, Italy

Up at 5am to catch the ferry to Sicily this morning. My aunty Julie, uncle Leo and cousin Lillian all got up at the same time and were dressed and ready to take me to the terminal at 5:30! I know I keep saying it but I have to mention how grateful I am for what they have done for me during my stay here. Getting up at 5am on a Sunday morning to take me to the ferry terminal was like getting ready to go to lunch at their favourite restaurant! They were great. We had planned to call home before we left, Julie and Leo were keen to talk to mum and dad as well. I spoke to both my parents fairly quickly before the phone was passed around. Then we were off.It was not until now that I started to think about my Sicily trip in depth. I mean this ferry was going to drop me off in a new country and Sicily is not exactly the tourist capital of Italy. I had a map of the area I was being dropped off at (Pazzallo - south east Sicily) and I knew I had to somehow get to Syracuse which is the city I had selected as my first stop over, but I was not sure how I was going to do that. The sense of adventure was stirred inside of me however so I looked forward to the next few days for sure.The ferry trip was fine, I was worried about getting sick so I sat as close to the centre of the vessel as I could to avoid any impending rocking. I needn't have worried as there was little movement and I had a pleasurable time writing the previous day's journal entry on my laptop whilst watching a "brat pack" teen flick on the big screen. Mandy Moore starred in it, an all time classic...not. The ferry port I disembarked at Pazzallo was basically an industrial port. I mean there was nothing there. I was standing on a dock with no buildings, no bus terminal, no shops, nothing. There were two coaches waiting for the passengers who had prearranged day trips to various parts of Sicily but that was obviously not me. My adventure was about to begin!I noticed a guy with a "Tarago" type van talking to 2 girls and a guy and it looked like they were negotiating a lift to somewhere. I was soon to discover that the 2 girls were from Melbourne! The guy was a German ex-pat that now lived in Gozo so I got into the negotiation and organised to take a ride with them. Seems like the driver was going to take us to the actual town of Pazzallo for 5 Euros each. Ahhh Euros, so these Maltese pounds I have in my wallet wont do hey? Hmmm. Quick stop at an ATM on the way and all was sweet. I got dropped off at the Pazzallo train station with the German guy, his name was Hubert and we waited for a train together. When I say train station by the way, it was a piece of concrete next to some train tracks. There was another girl on the "platform", she was from Spain so the three of us formed a team. A German, a Spaniard and a Maltese/Australian, all speaking a different language. Thankfully Hubert knew enough English for us to work out the timetable and sure enough after about 20 mins a train arrived (single carriage train that is) that we were pretty confident was going to Syracuse. :)During the journey the three of us chatted as best we could. Hubert intrigued me and I was keen to learn his story. I mean here is an elderly German guy catching a ferry from Malta to Sicily with a backpack on his shoulders. Turns out that he bought an old farm house in Gozo in 1992 and spent the next 13 years slowly doing it up whilst living 6 months in Gozo and then 6 months in Germany whenever he required more money. He retired 2 years ago and had been living full time in Gozo ever since. He looked remarkably well for his age. The fact that he was on the same adventure as me in his 60s (carrying a massive backpack) speaks volumes for him. Hubert was a genuinely happy and content looking man. He was meeting some friends in Messina (very north of Sicily) whereupon they were going to hire a yacht and sail around the volcanic archipelago of seven islands known as the Aeolian Islands. It sounded amazing, and what a great story. I have always enjoyed speaking with elderly people about their past experiences. It reminded me of the time I spoke with my grandfather (mum's dad) years before about the time he worked as a "fireman", which meant he shovelled coal into an open burning furnace for 10 hours a day. Or about the first came he came to Australia from Malta to start a new life with his young family. I am on an adventure on my own for pure enjoyment, Pa was hauling his whole family across the globe to begin anew. Now THAT is an adventure!Approximately 1 hour later I was at Syracuse. Hubert turned to me, grasped my hand and said "Andrew, pleasure, good luck with your journey". All I could do was smile and wish him the same. Hubert lifted my spirits and gave me a strong sense of warmth inside. Hard to explain. Travelling on your own makes you more inclined to speak with strangers, probably for companionship, maybe just to simply have someone to speak to. I was glad I had met a German man called Hubert today. I walked out of the train station, picked a direction that I thought pointed towards the town centre and walked. I spent about 90 minutes walking the streets. I had enough information from my guide book to get around. Basically Syracuse is split into two distinct areas. The old city (Ortygia) which was situated on a sort of island (had a bridge connection to the main land) and the new city which sprawled away from the harbour. It was Ortygia that I was most interested in and very excited about exploring so a I found a suitable hotel just on the edge of the new city and checked in for 2 nights. After dumping my stuff and having a shower I set out to do a bit of preliminary exploring. I walked to Ortygia and wandered the streets for a while. Oh I called mum whilst walking as I did not get a good chance to talk with her this morning. She mentioned that I should not look anyone directly in the eye and to avoid the Mafia at all costs. Important safety tips there mum, thanks. Avoid the Mafia...got it. Being Sunday most things were closed and the city was very quiet which gave me some time to just look around at my own pace and get my bearings. I got a pizza and coke from a café, took a seat and just relaxed. It was great. By this stage it was around 2:30 in the afternoon and I was getting tired after such an early start and the adventure getting here. Unfortunately I got incredibly lost walking back to my motel, and I mean lost. I did not pay attention to where it was and started to get a little concerned. I wandered around for well over an hour before I finally started to recognise some things and was relieved to get back and have an afternoon snooze. Despite finding my way back to my hotel I was still none the wiser about where things were in relation to it. The best way to solve it was to put on my running gear and run myself around until I got my bearings, and it worked a treat. I had a great run for around 45 minutes, took in a lot of sights and really sorted out where everything was (old and new city). This old guy on the street jumped out in front of me and pretended to dribble a soccer ball in and around me. I think he thought I was some sort of football player or something. It was cool, I pretended to be Francesco Totti for a day, waved, smiled and continued on. Sicily seems to have the same fixation with the automobile as Malta. They are absolutely everywhere and driving is not for the feint hearted here either. Oh and they drive on the right had side of the road (Malta and Australia are the left if you are wondering...). I don't know how a country makes a decision on which side of the road its inhabitants drive upon but it seemed odd that Malta and Sicily chose different sides. Anyway I had to keep my wits about me constantly whilst walking and jogging. As in Malta a zebra crossing has no meaning whatsoever. Even if you are half way across the street on a zebra crossing, the on coming cars wont stop. I am not exaggerating. It was treacherous! After the run I settled in for the Premier League highlights in my room before getting dressed and heading out for Ortygia. My travel guide book raved about the old city at night and mentioned that especially on Sundays all the locals venture out for dinner, gelato and mingling and it was spot on. The place was beautiful at night. Old buildings, cobble stone streets, outdoor cafes and restaurants and people everywhere. I loved it! I had a beautiful bowl of pasta, put on my iPod and walked the streets. I walked for about an hour just taking it all in, as well as getting a collection of really good night photos. Ortygia is amazing, a very romantic place, says the guy walking around on his own! :)One thing I noticed was that everyone was dressed very well. I had only packed a pair of jeans and a few t-shirts for Sicily as I wanted to only take my laptop backpack with me so I was a little underdone. Believe me, you could dress up as much as you wanted for this place and fit in. I picked up some gelato on the way back to the hotel very content with a great day. I could not wait to set out in the morning and see everything Syarcuse had on offer. I planned to catch a train to Catania early on Tuesday morning so had to get everything done tomorrow that I could here. So far I have avoided the Mafia...well I think I have, hard to say, the guy I bought the gelato off looked a bit suss. Don't worry mum, I wont buy from him again.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191671640/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191671640/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191671640/tpod.html Mon, 08 Oct 2007 08:03:45 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Valletta, Malta

This morning my Maltese family took me to the last two real places I was yet to see on the main island of Malta. The first was a series of limestone caves where literally thousands of remains of animals and remarkably Neanderthal man have been discovered from digs over the last century. There were remains from elephants, hippopotamuses and several foxes and the like, apparently they had migrated to Malta when there was still a land connection from Malta to Sicily and Italy. Then when the ocean levels rose many of the animals were trapped on the island and died out from the island's inability to sustain them without adequate food. Anyway enough of the science lesson! The end result was a fantastic display of archaeological relics and yet another surprising aspect of Malta that I did not know.Following that we went to a craft village and this place was pretty impressive. There were a series of local craftsmen who had got together to setup workshops and shop fronts where they made and sold their wares. The highlight was the "glass blowers" that made numerous glass ornaments and figurines by moulding and blowing into glass (via a long pipe) when it was still hot and malleable. We were able to watch them work in their workshops and then browse the finished products. I bought 2 things here, a silver ring with a series of Maltese crosses around it and a silver statue of a knight of St John (the Maltese knights). They were the first memento items I had actually bought whilst I was here and I was happy with my purchases.I was in for a treat today as there was a special day setup for Valletta where all the shops would remain open until late at night, different groups had setup special presentations including bands and art demonstrations as well. We started the evening with a visit to Sister Christine. Josette and Michael joined us and it was the first time I had seen the entire family together at the same time. It was just like when my brothers all meet at mum's house back home, well sort of. It reminded me how hard it must be sometimes for Aunty Julie and Uncle Leo with Christine in the convent, I guess it would be similar to having a daughter or son not living in the same city (being only able to visit her once a month). Aunty Julie was always very happy when we visited Christine.After the visit we hit the streets of Valletta! There was a real carnival atmosphere and like usual with these sorts of things it seemed that all of Malta had turned out in their finest. It was during this carnival that I had one of my favourite moments so far on this entire trip. The string section of the Maltese National Orchestra had setup in a stone courtyard of a 400 year old building that the Knights of St John utilised as their headquarters. They played for about 30 minutes and it was just amazing. I loved it. We got there early and managed to have seats near the front, by the time the performance had finished the courtyard was packed and the people were so appreciative. I was thinking that perhaps my brother Jeff would get the Maltese National Orchestra to play the pieces for his Opera when it plays in Valletta, now that would be pretty awesome!Other great things we saw were a presentation of photos taken by a British soldier during his commission to Malta during World War II. The damage sustained by the Maltese cities and the courage of the Maltese people were never more evident to me than through the photos and letters of that soldier. There was also some traditional Maltese music and dancing and a Christian band that had setup in one of the churches that we saw. I had a great time in Valletta and that sort of thing demonstrates the feeling of unity such a small country can get. Literally half the country was there! I got home, packed my backpack with as little as possible and went to bed looking forward to an early start and a new adventure in Sicily in the morning. This was the first day I had since Olga had returned to Moscow. I am pretty sensible about this sort of thing, meeting people on a holiday trip but I did miss seeing her today. We chatted online in the afternoon so that was good. I was grateful for the day I had and also going to Sicily will be good to change my surroundings and get me into a positive mood for the rest of my trip. For the first time I have been thinking about returning home and seeing everyone again. I don't want it to come any earlier than it is but I think by next Monday I will be ready. For the time being bring on Sicily!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191584700/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191584700/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/andrew.galea/malta2007/1191584700/tpod.html Mon, 08 Oct 2007 07:54:04 -0400 Andrew's journey to explore his roots and learn a great deal more about his Maltese heritage. Oh and to meet as many Mediterranean beauties as he can along the way! :)

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Sliema, Malta

Sometimes you have those days that you don't want to end. Days where you would like life to just pass you by and leave you where you are. To enjoy the moment forever. I call these magical days. Some are lucky enough to have a lot of these sorts of days in their life. I would like to think that I am one of those people. The magical days are when we are at our happiest, when the world seems a place full of wonder, and you feel like you could live forever. Hopefully for some of you today is that type of day.Unfortunately for some the magical days are remembered with a tinge of sadness, a sense of longing where they wish they could go back to that point in time. I never do that. Turning such wonderful days into memories that make you sad upon recollection is a tragedy. People fall down living all the days since their last magical day simply waiting for the next. I know it is not possible to have a magical day every day, if it was then no day would stand out as special. However it does not mean you can not gain strength and hope from your past magical days, and use that strength and hope to simply enjoy life everyday.I believe the happiest people in the world are those that can get a sense of magic from everyday life. Because there is a bit of magic in every day. We all encounter it, however the key is being aware and at peace enough to recognise the magic and see it through the negativity that pervades us in daily life. I know it is easy for me to speak like this now, I am on holidays and have been in paradise for the last 3 weeks. However I take this philosophy with me each day I live at home, and have done for as long as I can remember. Reminding myself at the start of each day to be aware of the magic that is going to occur today is a great way to set out from my home in the morning. Why am I writing this today? Well today was a magical day. I hope yours was for you too.
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