Malta Residential, 14-21 Feb 2006 - Page 2

Below: after the Institute of Tourism Studies there was time for a cafe lunch and a dip in the bay for some. The beach sand came from Jordan!

The Radisson SAS Golden Sands Hotel was opened in summer 2005 as the latest addition to the properties of the Island Hotels Group in Malta. The Bugibba Holiday Complex that our group is staying in was the first and would now rate as the budget member of the Group's activities. Thanks to the Leisure Sales Director, Trevor Zahra, we were able to tour the new hotel and more photos will be added later.

Queen Elizabeth II attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting that was held at the Hotel late last year, though she stayed in the official residence of Malta's President. We had viewed the Hotel under construction in November 2004 and heard of the tight schedule to complete it on time. Besides a range of standard, de luxe and wow! rooms it has time share accommodation. We liked the penthouse suites, though the nearest we were likely to get to staying in one was this visit with time for a photo on the wide balcony. It only had half the party in it as the others were making a separate tour.

Afterwards the group sat out on the Terrace Bar area for a drink and bit of day-dreaming about might be when they were the CEOs of international companies. Just remember the old folks when that time arrives, gang.

Full report to follow: the weather stayed good though with high cloud: it was warm. The ferry crossings were very calm and quick - 15 minutes these days. Everyone fresh-air tired.

The Ggantija Temples on Gozo are oldest human-made structures still standing anywhere in the world - older than Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Giza. But they are largely unknown. Malta has a wealth of early temples and many, many later buildings, structures and monuments. There are supposedly enough churches and chapels to visit a different one on each day of the year.

Our Maltese guide took the group around Gozo, and we were able to see first hand just how much has to be done at Ggantija to make the site interesting and better presented. Work has already been carried out at the National archaeology Museum (pix on page 1) and, according to Kim, a student who visited them on Sunday, at the Mnajra and Hagar Qim Temple sites.

Here, the group listens to the guide, Geraldine, giving the story of the site that is so necessary to make it come alive.

The beautiful Ta' Pinu Church on Gozo (above and below) which was built to commemorate a local miracle. Votive offerings by people cured of sickness after visiting the church are displayed in a side room.

Dwejra is a spectacular place on the extreme western tip of Gozo (continue on and you're in Africa in due course). High cliffs, a rocky island, and an inland lake connected through a tunnel to the sea make for interesting - and choppy - boat rides. The SS Titanic (below, bottom left) was struggling a bit .... or so it appears here.

Above, centre, research is in progress concerning the transport infrastructure, while driver Manuel looks suitably impressive. The guide book seller is a persistent regular on the site and has been refused consistently by Leeds students for, oh, nine years now: an authentic and traditional tourism experience.

The thirty-metre high rock arch is seen here from the tradesman's entrance instead of our usual approach along the rocky cliff. It's doing it's geological duty and crumbling slowly (and recognisably according to photos from only 50 years ago) towards it's later life as a Stack. I know just how it feels.

Hello from all the gang on the walls of the Citadel in Victoria, Gozo, traditional kodak spot for generations of Leeds students (well, a few years of them).

Wish you were all here ....

Hover your cursor over the photo, choose the disc icon to click to save it, or the printer icon to print. A photo-quality printer with software downloaded from the manufacturer's web site (not the usual poorer quality Microsoft driver that comes with your computer) should get a high-ish quality print. ALTERNATIVELY,if no icons appear when you place the cursor over the picture, try right-clicking your mouse when the cursor is over the picture. A drop-down menu should appear, and choosing 'Save picture as' should allow you to save it.

Back at Cirkewwa after the return crossing.

Reports continue on page 3.

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