David's Diary: Sunday, May 19, 2003

A Walk on Malta

Malta Countryside

I'm ready for a day off. The Maltese work on Saturday and I've been busy with boat work all week, including yesterday. We sleep in during the morning, but after lunch we are ready to explore more of Malta. We have a local guide to walks on Malta and we drive across the island to Bahrija which is near the town of Rabat.

The Family Walks

We walk along narrow paths that wind between terraced farmer's fields and over a stream before our route runs parallel with the shoreline. We are far above the sea as we meander around huge rocks. It is a pleasant day, but not too hot for us to enjoy our walk.

Church on the Bluff

Our walk takes us back inland where we pass one of Malta's 313 churches. The setting is spectacular with the church perched on the edge of a bluff. The dome and bell tower can be seen for kilometres.

No Entry

We don't visit the church. The most direct way to walk to it is blocked by a private gate. It is getting late in the afternoon and everyone is starting to get tired, so we make our way back towards our starting point.

Lucky to have a Big Sister

Allen complains that he cannot walk another step. His big sister Jocelyn takes pity on him and he climbs onto her back. The big grin on his face makes us suspect that he may not be as tired as he says. Allen is lucky to have such an understanding and strong big sister. We wonder how our two years together on the boat will affect the children's relationships as they get older. We have all become much closer living in the small environment of a boat as we adventure through the Mediterranean.