Download
1 / 2
20 likes | 23 Vues
Malta tourism is booming. Hotels are full; so much so that some tourists have had to be sent to Gozo - and the odd one even as far as Sicily! Yes, the figures show that 2007 is turning out to be the best year for tourism in Malta in at least the last six years, with increases not only in terms of arrivals, but also in hotel rates and occupancies. National Statistics Office figures for September showed that arrivals were 17.8 per cent up on last year.
E N D
Gozo forms part of the Maltese Islands, and is the second biggest in the archipelago. It is often called the "island where time stalled" since it is one of the couple of Mediterranean destinations which is largely unspoilt. Although Gozo types part of Malta, it is rather different in both its traditions and culture. In fact, even the people are extremely different. As Joseph Bezzina put it, "the Gozitans are Maltese inasmuch as the Scottish are British, or the Sicilians are Italians"! Gozo is an exceptionally picturesque island, which can be admired throughout the year. In the summer time, water sports, and swimming in the gorgeous bays are a must. Diving is excellent here and infact, Gozo has actually begun to develop itself as an all year-round diving destination considering that the winter is extremely moderate - similar to an English summer season - and the visibility stays great. Additionally, there is no place in Gozo that is more than 20 minutes away from the coast. From fall to spring the Gozitan countryside returns to life after the hot summer season. The Maltese Islands turn green and by late spring a thousand or more types of plants bloom. Gozo boasts a charming countryside - some of which has actually been left unblemished by the 20th century! This part of the island is important for farmers and cultivators since most village life centres on the farming and fishing seasons. It is wonderful to see that these villages still maintain their old way of living, where old females and males work the fields or head out at sea. Manuals have actually been developed, that draw up ideal walking trips from one town to another. Mentioning picturesque, Gozo is likewise decorated with gorgeous natural harbours, valleys and cliffs. One particularly remarkable natural beauty is the 'Azure window' which is a megalithic archway cut by means of the crashing waves for thousands of years on the lower layers of the rock. Other amazing http://seedandspark.com/user/camundgnmr websites are Mgarr ix-Xini bay, the Citadel, the caves at Xaghra, Lunzjata Valley and Wied il-Ghasri. Ramla l-Hamra is another gorgeous website which includes a long sandy beach made up of red-tinted sand! The women of Gozo are renowned for one of Malta earliest craft tradition, lace-making. From the time of the Knights, life in Gozo along with the rural parts of Malta was reasonably severe. So, craft markets became a primary source of income for rural families, specifically embroidery, weaving and lace-making. The traditional lace is known as 'bizzilla' and this craft was initially introduced to Malta from Genoa around the 1800s It was called bobbin lace and was incredibly popular for ruffs and collars in the 16th and 17th centuries. Maltese bobbin lace is made with a number of threads which are wound upon an elongated wood bobbin or spool. An unique long cushion called 'trajbu' is used as a base for the lace development. Although parts of Gozo have actually been updated for travelers, one is mainly exposed to the raw character to the island, not just in customs, landscape and craft, however also food. One popular year-round meal is the 'Fenkata' where Maltese households go to extremely casual and normally small specialized bars and dining establishments in order to eat a meal of bunny. This is normally comprised of a very first course of spaghetti with bunny sauce, followed by bunny (normally fried in garlic and tomatoes), and finally nuts and sugary foods. The sweet that is frequently paired with the bunny is the 'Helwa tat-Tork' which is a sweet sugary mix of crushed and whole almonds. Another dish that is often served prior to bunny, however can likewise be found in numerous
typical Maltese dining establishments, is 'Bebbux'. Bebbux is the maltese word for snails, which is a delicacy in Malta. When going to Malta or Gozo, be sure to offer this a try! Gozitan 'gbejniet' (goats cheese) are a special that is finest coupled with fresh Gozitan bread. Irritable pears, a delightful seet fruit, are likewise typical here and can be discovered all over the island, both cultivated and wild. With concerns to archaeology, the islands of Malta and Gozo contain among the richest, most interesting megalithic cultures of all time. This Neolithic culture developed substantial temples out of orthostats which worked as routine websites to the opulent mother goddess. The earliest one, Ggantija Temple, is located in Gozo and is the earliest freestanding structure worldwide - much older than the Egyptian pyramids! It is over 5000 years of ages. Gozo is also home to other archaeological sites, especially Phoenician and Punic ones. Gozo is a very devout island and is cluttered with marvelous churches of beautiful architecture. One of the most lovely, and with the earliest story, is that of the Citadel. There are no less than 50 churches and chapels around Gozo, half of which are committed to the Virgin Mary. Most of the churches are in the Baroque style and were often built over even older edifices. One extraordinary chapel is that of Ta' Pinu which has actually become a trip for those from Malta, Gozo and abroad.
