Thursday 16th February
Today was a full day trip to Gozo. We caught the morning ferry and enjoyed the very smooth 20 minute crossing.

Our first stop was in Ix-Xaghra which is typical of the other towns we passed through with overhanging balconies and lovely stone carving even on the modern houses.

We came here to visit the Ggantija Temples which date from 3600BC and are the oldest free standing buildings in the world. The walls are over 6 metres high and it is difficult to show their awe inspiring size.

The biggest megaliths are 6 metres by 4 metres and weigh 57 tons.

These small delicately carved limestone figures were found in a heap on the floor in one of the chambers.

For lunch we walked into town to enjoy traditional pastizzi in a local café. These are made from puff pastry with a filling of cheese or mushy peas.

We drove across the island to Dwejra Bay which has some wonderful limestone cliffs.

In the opposite direction is the Azure Window, a natural arch which gives a breathtaking view.

To the north of the island are the ancient salt pans which are still harvested today. The are said to date from Roman times.

Our final destination for the day was the Citadel in Victoria, the capital. The cathedral is very ornate in a baroque style. It was built between 1697 and 1711. They ran out of money before being able to build the dome, so they painted the ceiling with a trompe l'oeil. The current bells were made in Loughborough.

The view from the walls was stunning in all directions.

As evening drew on, we left the harbour at sunset.