GOZERS!

Ramla Bay, Gozo's most picturesque beach.

On our second day in Malta we decided to visit the island of Gozo, one of the other islands making up the island chain.  (Malta is the country name as well as the main island - there are actually 7 islands in the archipelago, but just 3 are inhabited.)  While much smaller than Malta (only 25 square miles) and with a low population (only 30,000 people compared to Malta's total population of 400,000), it has a very relaxed, slow-pace of life that we found very refreshing.

An interesting side-note about Gozo is that it is sometimes called "The Island of Calypso," derived from Homer's Odyssey.  According to legend, Gozo is the location of Ogygia - where the nymph Calypso detained the hero, Odysseus, as a prisoner of love for seven years.  There is a famous cave on the island called the "Cave of Calypso" - however we skipped... instead   catching a bus, ferry, and ultimately a taxi to reach our final destination: beautiful Ramla Bay on Gozo's north coast.  

A lone castle sits guard on the rocky, mostly uninhabited coastline of Gozo.

We felt the same way...

I had to go all the way to Gozo to get Hawaiian Pizza!!!  While Italians prefer simple mozerella,  it was nice to have my favorite Canadian pizza toppings.   

We found the beach to be quite nice - although with the scalding heat we were forced to purchase 2 chairs and an umbrella to stay comfortable.  It also had a very rustic restaurant, where I was able to eat my first "Hawaiian" pizza (Ham and Pineapple) of the trip.  We spent the afternoon napping, reading, and swimming - becoming true GOZERS!  (Insert Ghostbuster reference here.)

At this beach I also had my first true "Rick Steves' Backdoor Europe" moment - a time where you truly become one of the locals.  While walking down a trail near the beach, I came across a tent that was precariously pitched on a rock ledge high above the sea.  Inside were three friendly locals, who called out to me to ask if I was American.  Quickly we began a conversation, and before you know it, I was invited inside for a cold glass of water and some fun memories!  They were actually staying in the tent for 3 months of the summer (their house is 10 miles away but they love the sea!), and we discussed everything from local lifestyles to the political situation in the U.S., eventually discovering that people here in the middle of the Mediterranean are quite similar to those halfway around the world.  What a great memory!

The tent by the sea...

My new friends!

Their "private" beach just around the corner from the tent... not a bad place to spend the summer!

When the sun went down, we caught a ferry back to Malta for an "American Date Night" - by grabbing dinner and a movie!  When you travel away from home for an extended period of time, it is the little things that you miss... and movies are definitely one of my most favorite things.  We saw Sex & The City at the local multiplex, and I truly felt like I was home (except for the intermission 45 minutes after the movie began!) 

~ J. Twice