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TRAVELLER
Below
, Gozo's laid-back
capital, Victoria, known
as Rabat by locals;
right and opposite
,
plain sailing aboard
the SteredenAnn
Esperanz, with its
crew led byCaptain
Alexander Sammut
the cleats and rigging. And it shows in every voluptuous
curve of wood, in the tilted angles of the solidmasts, in the
pristine, elegant finish and the snap of the unfurling sails.
I’mhere to experience life on the oceanwave around the
Mediterranean islands of Malta and its smaller neighbour
Gozo, famed for their ancient civilisations, imposing
battlements and craggy coastlines. Often overlooked in
favour of Greek or Croatian islands, they offer an intriguing
mix of Arab, Spanish, French and British cultures, reflected
in the food, language and architecture, with a lively nightlife
of open-air bars and clubs and, crucially, year-round sun.
After a night sleeping peacefully to the gentle rocking of
the boat, I wake to the sound of the anchor being raised.
Captain Sammut has charted a course that will take us out
of the harbour heading south to the tip of Malta, then up the
southwest coast towards Gozo and Comino across a
short-hop channel. The sun is already hot, there’s a gentle
breeze, and we’re turning heads as we leave Birgu.
With no wind for the sails, wemotor along, the plunging
of the boat getting deeper andmore hair-raising as we
venture out to sea. Then somethingmagical happens: two
dolphins arc out of the waves, beckoning us to play. I race to
the front of the boat and lie on the nets, face down, watching
them ride the bowwave. They spot me and flip over, looking
directly up at me while swimming backwards. They’re
mesmerising to watch, but they’re gone as quickly as they
appeared, leaving us to wonder if we imagined them.
Bymid-afternoon we’re sailing past Cominotto and its
bigger sister Comino, and between them, the Blue Lagoon
– an aptly named channel of shallow, cobalt water. We head
on to the north-eastern tip of Gozo – and what an enchanting
find it is. Greener and lusher thanMalta, it's dotted with
terracedmarket gardens and vineyards, and seems to exist
at a slower pace – no doubt dictated by the searing heat.
There is a lovely laid-back atmosphere. It’s pretty cool,
but not pretentious. People are friendly, it’s cheap to eat out
and the hotel architecture is endearingly retro. It’s also full
of shady, Moorish-style villages, red sandy beaches, secret
little bays and picturesque working harbours. But best of all,
the startling geology of imposing limestone cliffs,
mousehole caves and natural arches make Gozo one of the
best spots in the world for snorkelling and diving.
We drop anchor near Marsalforn on the north coast:
a lively, people-watching place withmyriadmusic bars
and restaurants along the brightly lit front, offering fresh
seafood and the island speciality of rabbit. Later, the stars
come out, and I lie a while on deck trying to name the
constellations as the boat dips on a barely-there breeze.
MALTA