Thanksgiving in Malta 2023

After a leisurely breakfast (in) we decided to brave the ferry to Gozo. Thankfully the wind was a non-event.

Gozo is a small island of ~25,000 people and known as Malta's tranquil counterpart.

Our first stop was Victoria, the capital city of Gozo. Victoria is set inland and boasts narrow winding streets, and traditional houses with Mediterranean balconies and other unique architectural styles. You could see that many would have been remarkable in their day (sadly, fifty percent have not been maintained).

The town's heart, and main tourist draw is the the Citadel, which stands like a fortified city atop the hill offering panoramic views.

In our experience, European travel ‘Stiles-fashion’ consists of layers: history then food—we did not go far off plan today! In perfect Stiles fashion, we had dessert first (chai lattes and a chocolate macaron!)
After working up an appetite stomping around the grounds of the Citadel, we wandered back to the same plaza for lunch at the excellent Roza (the mashed potatoes that came with Paul’s rabbit stew were so good he asked for the recipe. Of course the answer was “lots of butter”. I think there was also rosemary, parsley and a little sweet mustard in the mix.)

So food-history-food (see the pattern?)

Gozo is known for its dramatic coastline and we put Alex in charge of selecting the best place to view the cliffs. See the Senap Cliffs pics and video.

Once again we put Alex in charge of a late (light) dinner and he produced two absolutely delicious pizzas (from a nearby Italian restaurant). We have all the same ingredients here in Spain. Why can’t we find pizza this amazing at home?

Oh well, this is all part of travel!

11/28 Tuesday update: We’re all home safe after a very long travel day on Monday. Now it’s time to get into the Christmas spirit!En savoir plus