Happy Palm Sunday!
Today, we took a ferry to the Island of Gozo, where a taxi met us and transferred me to Qala, where I began my hike. Dennis continued on to our hotel in Xaghra.
Looking out at the island.
I came across this funny sign when I was trying to find the start of my hike.
Look at the Blue Lagoon below.
There were lots of pretty flowers along the way.
One of the many beautiful views along the way.
I ate lunch here at the edge of the ocean. It was so peaceful.
Look at the color of this water. I was approaching an area where families were cooking freshly caught fish.
Look how clear this water is. Magnificient.
The hike had many interesting trails along the way,
An interesting gate which led to a winery. The local wine is delicious.
This dog (a Malenois?) scared the pooty out of me as he ran by. I think he was looking for his owner.
After much up and down, I finally came upon a golden beach where I had to walk through the soft sand. Just what I needed at about mile 8.
I was getting close to Xaghra when I stopped for a Diet Coke. I was kinda hungry, so I ordered a hot dog, thinking it would be small. Not small! They serve hot dogs with lettuce, sliced tomatoes, and grilled onions. I had a choice of either Catsup or Mayo. No mustard? It was good. And I was ever so thankful for the diet Coke, having just finished the last of my water.
All told, my hike was slightly over ten miles. The first thirty percent was pretty easy. It just lulled me into thinking it was a bunny hike. The last two-thirds were mountainous, and there was some strenuous uphill. I huffed and puffed, wondered why I continued to love mountains, and the minute I got to the top, I immediately forgot about the work and remembered how much I love hiking. The scenery was gorgeous, and although it was hot in the sun, the ocean breeze was cooling. Glorious!
Dennis and I ate dinner at a little bar near our B&B, the Cloisters in Xaghra. We started with fried goat cheese, topped with honey, and served with arugula. It was a fantastic appetizer. We tried the local wine, white for me and red for him. Or wine was less than $5.00 a class and marvelous.
After that filling starter, I ordered the traditional broad bean soup, Kisksu. It contained other vegetables, pearled barley, Hallumi cheese, and a boiled egg.
Dennis' entree was the show-stopper. His pasta had Maltese sausage, kalamata olives, onions, peppers, capers, and slow-cooked tomato sauce. It was one of the best pasta dishes ever. The sauce with the capers and olives had a touch of a vinegary finish. It's so unusual in the best way. I kept sneaking my spoon over to his dish for another bite. Luckily, he didn't stab me with his fork.
Every time we are near a Catholic church, there seems to be an Easter parade. This one started inside the church and was full of the cutest kids.
The guy to the far right has a real (live) lamb on his shoulders.
His horse was not thrilled with the whole parade thing.
Look at these incredible cuties.
I wish you all a good night, and God bless!
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