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25 January 2008
“Freedom! Freedom! I say, Freedom! Freeeedom!” That was the song ringing in my ears as we took off for our first exploration by automobile (other than bus) yesterday. Dave at the wheel, DeDe with Bobby in front-carrier pack, in second row seat. The kids lined across the back bench seat. We had room for two more passengers! So this should work well when my folks arrive. We took off up coastal highway 1, with plans to go to the end of the road. The sights we saw were beyond breath-taking, and we wished we'd have rented a car while Isabelle was here. Sorry Isabelle! Can you make it back in March? :) We enjoyed the views around St. Paul's Bay, Mellieha Bay, and up on a ridge above Cirkewwa, the last stop on the road. Check out Google Maps, in satellite form for a nice idea of where we traveled. We drove along the “eastern” coast. The island has a sort of slanted position from NW to SE, so it's essentially the “northern” coast as well. De De took many pictures as you can see in the web album. Our first stop was at Mistra Bay, a little inlet in St. Paul's Bay. We chatted with three senior ladies. They were totally enamored by the kids, and we asked them many questions, as they did us. They were very proud to share about their country. From there, we drove to Mellieha, and on a hillside, we could see a castle. So, naturally, we looked for a way to get up close. We found a little dirt road with a sign that said, “Red Tower.” As we were going up, we passed a car coming down the almost single-lane road. Dave feared he was on a one-way street, so he asked the guy in the passing car. The guy had a German accent and didn't seem to quite understand what Dave was asking. Finally, he said, “Very nice view at top!” And we thanked him and continued up the road. We passed the Red Tower and went on to see what was at the end of the road. [now pinch-hitting on the blog, introducing, Daddy Dave] And the end of the road offered spectacular views in practically all directions – due to the location at the far NW end of the island where it is only a few kilometers wide. After perusing the Red Tower from the outside (it closed at 1600) the drive continued to the “end of the line.” That is, where the road stops and the ferry to Gozo begins. We will return someday soon, with our van, to explore the island of Como. Heading back from whence we came we were lured into the Mellieha Holiday Centre and its siren song of “Supermarket.” Two things I’ve concluded about Malta – NEVER pass up a public restroom (yes, this is borrowed from the mantras of any veteran traveler of Europe) and NEVER pass up a “Supermarket.” ‘Sides, the Mama and some others needed a potty break. So, after they took their relief I took my pessimism into the resort’s “Supermarket” and found an overpriced C-store. Grabbed a couple of loaves of Malta bread and a cold drink for the Mama and me (diet coke) and a cold drink for the kiddos (Orange Fanta) and headed back to the waiting van-full. At which point things got interesting… the van started, moved several feet, and died. It was approximately half past five at this juncture. I turned it over a few times and nothing. Jumped out and pushed the entire vehicle and its contents around 180 to head back out the entrance and DOWN the driveway – to pop the clutch. A local found sympathy as the downslope arrived and gave us a sendoff push. No luck in spite of about five clutch “pops” on the way down. At which point I knew it was getting serious. They left us with a four-door Peugeot (with seating for five) and said they’d call us “tomorrow.” You’ll have to read the next posting to see how this turns out!
Send us an email about this post! dgibbs at uwsp dot edu or dedegibbs at gmail dot com |
