by Krista | Jul 4, 2013 | Bits 'n' Bobs
“The ocean was the best place, of course.
That was what she loved most.
It was a feeling of freedom like no other,
and yet a feeling of communion with all the other places and creatures the water touched.”
Ann Brashares
It is a gorgeous winter day – a day so warm I’m clad in sundress and sandals and loving every second of it.
Today is a bustling day of all sorts of projects because tomorrow I head for the Abbey Medieval Festival with my dear folks. I get to give a talk on medieval medicine and herbs, and after being nervous as all get out, now I’m excited. I’ve been brewing potions and mixing salves and ointments and my kitchen smells of beeswax and licorice root with a tang of vinegar.
So as I pack and brew I will leave you with some images of a few of my favorite spots in Gozo and Malta – on the water, of course.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend! xo
“It is life, I think, to watch the water.
A man can learn so many things.”
Nicholas Sparks
“When you sit in silence long enough,
you learn that silence has a motion.
It glides over you without shape or form,
exactly like water.
Its color is silver.
And silence has a sound you hear only after hours of wading inside it.
The sound is soft, like flute notes rising up,
like the words of glass speaking. ”
Anne Spollen
“They both listened silently to the water,
which to them was not just water,
but the voice of life,
the voice of Being,
the voice of perpetual Becoming.”
Hermann Hesse
“The places where water comes together with other water.
Those places stand out in my mind like holy places.”
Raymond Carver
“Where the waters do agree, it is quite wonderful the relief they give.”
Jane Austen
xo
by Krista | May 28, 2012 | Bootstrap Monday
After a madcap weekend of non-stop hustle and bustle, I’m in dire need of a little visual escape.
So I’m taking you with me. 🙂
Today we’re boarding one of the gorgeous brightly colored boats of Malta to putter through a few of the many harbours of this beautiful and historic island.
The sun is blazing hot, but we’re tucked under the shade of a tarp, cooled by deliciously salty breezes billowing in off the sea.
We motor past limestone ruins and wonder what used to be here: shops? a wharf? a factory of some kind? And what happened to it?
Eager for closer looks at the magnificent old churches and shuttered homes towering on the cliffs above us, we head out to the railing, basking in sunshine and stunning views.
Seeing the ramparts and turrets of numerous fortresses makes me wish I had pored over a few Maltese history books before getting on board.
Somehow watching “The Maltese Falcon” was not adequate preparation for such an adventure.
Thoroughly roasted by the afternoon sun, we seek refuge under the tarp, willingly forking over 2 Euros for bottles of water from the swarthy boatman.
We settle back in our plastic seats, resting feet that are weary from trekking all over the oven-like streets of Maltese towns.
The cool breezes pick up as we motor past enormous cruise ships, tankers, and fishing boats lining the harbor and head out into open water.
Happy sigh. I feel better already. 🙂
“Why do we love the sea?
It is because it has some potent power to make us think things we like to think.”
– Robert Henri –
Where would you like to escape to after a busy weekend?
by Krista | Aug 26, 2011 | Fabulous Friday
On a piping hot day on the island of Gozo, there is nothing better than heading to the beach for a dip in the water.
My friends, Janet and Colin, took us to one of their favorite spots. A place tucked away between towering cliffs and only accessible by narrow roads that twisted and turned down the mountain.
How I loved the brightly colored beach chairs and umbrellas…
…the warm, clear water…
…and stunning views of ocean, cliffs and sky.
The cheery fishing boats never fail to delight me.
After a soak in the water and time in the sun, we retired to a beach side cafe for icy glasses of Sprite.
What is your favorite kind of beach? Small and secluded or big and expansive?
by Krista | Aug 24, 2011 | Compatriot Wednesday
During the hot, dry months of summer Gozo can get quite brown and dusty, with no hint of the lush wildflowers that carpet the cliffs of Sannat in the spring.
But there are still gorgeous blossoms to be found as you enter cool courtyards and walled gardens, or crane your neck to look up at balconies festooned with cascades of vivid blooms.
Here are a few of my favorites found around Gozo and in the stunning garden of my friend Janet’s bed and breakfast: King’s Lodge.
What are your favorite flowers blooming this time of year?
(PS – My new article on my very favorite Italian beach is up at The Travel Belles today! Click here to read it and leave a note to tell us about YOUR favorite beach!
King’s Lodge Bed and Breakfast
Janet & Colin King
2 Panorama Court
Triq L20 Ta Lulju Off Main Street,
Sannat, Gozo, Malta
Tel: 00 (356) 21565085
Mobile: 00 (356) 99249287
Email: kingslodge2011@hotmail.com
by Krista | Aug 23, 2011 | Gulliver Tuesday
One of my favorite moments in Malta was on the island of Gozo, as I strode the glorious cliffs towering above the Mediterranean with my dear American and British friends Barbara, Janet and Colin.
The sun blazed down on us as we stepped carefully along rock-strewn pathways, stopping to gaze in awe at the stunning azure waters and blindingly white rock faces.
I love how even with lack of rain and blistering heat, greenery and flowers still manage to thrive among the rocks.
Before traveling to Malta I had never even heard of Gozo. Now it’s one of my favorite places in the world, a place I long to return to when the weather cools a bit and I can walk for hours without sweating buckets.
Although I was utterly smitten by the views, culture, and food of Gozo, it is the people I love the most. Janet and Colin, our wonderful Cockney hosts at the King’s Lodge Bed and Breakfast, made our adventure in Malta an absolute gift. I can’t wait to tell you all about them and our jolly ramblings very soon.
Where is your favorite place to go walking?
