After being in Malta for almost a month, we decided to spend our last four nights in Marsaxlokk (pop.3500). Perhaps you could say that we left the best for last because this old fishing village in the southeast corner of Malta was one of my favorites. The port dates back to ancient days when it was used by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians.
Each morning I headed out for an early walk on the bay to see the fishing boats bobbing in the harbor and the sounds of water hitting the shoreline. The boats come in various sizes and some of the larger, less colorful ones, had the appearance of experiencing many days at sea. However, the brightly colored Maltese boat, referred to as Luzzu or djhajsa, makes this harbor particularly beautiful. They are painted red, blue and yellow. If you look carefully you can see the eye of Osiris painted or carved on their bow, an old custom believed to protect the boats from evil.
There are about 360 churches in Malta so the fact that this little village has a large church sitting directly in the center of town is not surprising. The church bells ring at 7 am daily as the local parishioners attend morning mass. The Parish Church of Our Lady of Pompei was built in the 1890s for local fishermen and their families.
Along the harbor of old storefronts, I found one little kiosk that was always open for coffee. It was not the type of place where you would get a cappuccino, but it suited me just fine as it was open early and the coffee only cost 60 cents. I think that the older man behind the counter has been serving his coffee and homemade pastizzi to the fishermen in the community for many years.
I always returned to our apartment before 8—that's the time the couple who own the Shipwright's Lodge delivered a hearty breakfast to our room (due to COVID they were not serving the normal buffet). We enjoyed harbor views from our balcony, and recommend this apartment.
We found a lot of other things to do around this area that included a walk to St. Peter's Pool and the nearby town of Birzebbuga. Another beautiful harbor town, Marsaskala, was easily accessible by bus. There were also convenient bus connections to the Blue Grotto and Rabat that offered great scenery along the way. Unfortunately, we missed the popular Sunday Fish Market that attracts locals and tourists from all over the island.
Finally, there is a direct bus to the airport from Marsaxlokk. We rode it on our last day to arrive three hours early for our flight so we could take the COVID test that was required to return to the US. We were both feeling healthy and believed that we would test negative, however, the consequences of not passing that test were not something we wanted to experience. It sounded like they would direct us to a hotel of their choice and we could be quarantined for up to three weeks. Fortunately, we passed our tests but the concern about the consequences of getting stuck in Malta for an uncertain length of time was not very pleasant.
For now, Ron and I both agree that our international travels are on hold amd we are happily home in for the holidays.
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| MENDING THE FISHING NETS |
