Discover Malta and Gozo tour: Cottonera & Hagar Qim [changed]
4* Preluna Hotel & Spa - 124 Tower Road, Sliema SLM 1605, Malta.
Contact number: 00356 21334001
DAY 4: Cottonera & Hagar Qim B/D
On today’s half-day excursion you’ll visit Cottonera, the collective description of the fortified cities of Cospicua, Vittoriosa and Senglea which are enclosed by a massive line of fortifications built by the Knights of St John. Then visit Hagar Qim, a UNESCO World Heritage Site older than Stonehenge and home to Megalithic Temples. Today’s tour also takes you through the picturesque fishing village at
Marsaxlokk.
Revised itinerary
When I woke up in the middle of the night I could hear gusts of strong wind outside. The day was initially overcast and the continuing wind made it feel less hot initially. I got out of bed
ca.8.15am; Janet got up ca.8.25am, and I shaved and showered after she vacated the bathroom. Then we went for breakfast. I didn’t have coffee, weak or otherwise, today. Today’s original programme had been replaced by a harbour cruise till
ca. midday, so our plan for the afternoon was to get the №12 bus to Buġibba by St. Paul’s Bay, to the jetty there, to try to board a boat to St. Paul’s Island(s). The replacement programme gave a start time of “09:30 hrs”, but this had been revised orally to 9.55am. Cynthia led us along Tower Road as far as the northern quay of Marsamxett Harbour, where we boarded a boat.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:14:58
Boarding the Bahari for the harbour cruise
Most of the passengers including Janet and me eschewed the windowed lower deck and went to the upper deck.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:18:28
Views of the Sliema side of Marsamxett Harbour as we wait to cast off
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:18:36
Views of the Sliema side of Marsamxett Harbour as we wait to cast off
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:20:00
View of the Valletta side of Marsamxett Harbour as we wait to cast off
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:22:42
Steeple of St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral (front) and the dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (behind)
The boat cast off ca.10.30am. We rounded the east and south of Manoel Island, passing Fort Manoel and the Lazzaretto of Manoel Island (an isolation hospital to control the periodic influx of plague and cholera on board visiting ships).
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:39:16
Fort Manoel
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:39:24
Lazzaretto of Manoel Island
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:39:36
St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral and the dome of the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on the opposite shore
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:40:10
Manoel Island
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:40:18
Lazzaretto of Manoel Island
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:40:26
Luxury yacht Talisman C
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:43:30
The town Ta’ Xbiex
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:43:30 (detail)
St. John of the Cross Parish Church, Ta’ Xbiex
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:44:36
The town Ta’ Xbiex
We passed the schooner The Black Pearl, used in the 1980 movie
Popeye, now a restaurant in the marina south of Ta’ Xbiex.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:47:20
Schooner The Black Pearl, now a restaurant in Ta’ Xbiex Marina
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:48:08
St. Luke’s General Hospital, Pietà
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:48:30
Floriana
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:48:30 (detail)
San Salvatore Bastion, Floriana
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:48:44
Fortifications of Floriana
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:48:58
Fortifications of Floriana
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:49:12
Floriana (left) and Pietà (right)
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:50:16
Floriana
We got good views of the north side of Valletta before passing out of the shelter of Marsamxett Harbour into the rough sea in order to circle round and enter the Grand Harbour (situated east and south-east of Valletta).
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:50:50
Approaching the fortifications of Valletta, with St. Michael’s Counterguard and Bastion on the west corner
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:51:42
St. Michael’s Counterguard and Bastion, Valletta
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:51:52
St. Andrew’s Bastion, Valletta, and beyond it St. Paul’s Pro-Cathedral
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:52:34
Valletta
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:53:56
Valletta
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:54:20
Valletta
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 10:58:12
Valletta
We passed the breakwater that’s visible from the Tower Street promenade in Sliema (see
the last photo in this set). It projects eastwards from the tip of Valletta. To the south of it there’s another breakwater, not visible from Sliema, that projects north-westwards from Fort Ricasoli in Kalkara; so one has to steer a course somewhat in the shape of
a question mark to get into the harbour. We passed Valletta on our starboard side and went to the far south-west end of the Grand Harbour at Marsa.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:00:24
Lighthouse of the Valletta Breakwater
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:01:42
St. Elmo Bridge connecting Valletta Breakwater to the mainland
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:03:50
Left, St. Christopher Bastion; right, St. Lazarus Curtain; above, the former Holy Infirmary of the Knights Hospitallers of the Order of St. John; above that, the dome of the Church of St. Nicholas
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:04:20
St. Christopher Bastion; above, the Siege Bell War Memorial; above left, the Lower Barrakka Gardens
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:04:38
Lower Barrakka Gardens, Valletta
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:05:30
The KAROL WOJTYŁA
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:05:38
The KAROL WOJTYŁA, previously named INA SISAK
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:06:38
Fort Lascaris; above, the Upper Barrakka Gardens
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:06:52
Fort Lascaris; above, the Upper Barrakka Gardens on St. Peter and Paul Bastion; left, St. Peter and Paul Counterguard
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:07:48
The new lift from Valletta’s ditch to the Upper Barrakka Gardens, inaugurated on 15 December 2012
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:14:52
Marsa Power Station
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:15:22
Catamaran Jean de la Vallette, the ferry to Sicily, at Marsa ferry terminal
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:18:52
Kordin Grain Terminal
On the way back we visited some of the inlets on the south-eastern side (each named “[Something] Creek”): French Creek;—
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:20:10
Dock No. 6 (China Dock) in French Creek, a large dry dock
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:22:48
Drilling rigs in French Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:24:06
Senglea, and Our Lady of Victories Parish Church, seen from French Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:25:14
Dock No. 6 (China Dock) in French Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:27:12
The seaward bastions of Senglea known as “the Spur”
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:27:28
“The Spur”, Senglea
—Dockyard Creek;—
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:28:28
Senglea, seen from Dockyard Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:29:22
Senglea, seen from Dockyard Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:31:08
Our Lady of Victories Parish Church, Senglea, seen from Dockyard Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:31:42
St. Lawrence’s Church, Birgu, seen from Dockyard Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:31:52
Fort St. Angelo, Birgu, seen from Dockyard Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:33:30
Fort St. Angelo, Birgu
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:33:52
The nearer lighthouse of Ricasoli Breakwater (right), and the farther lighthouse of Valletta Breakwater (left)
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:35:14
Fort St. Angelo, Birgu
—and Kalkara Creek.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:36:36
Fort St. Angelo, Birgu, seen from Kalkara Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:36:54
Ditch between Fort St. Angelo and the town of Birgu, seen from Kalkara Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:37:24
Birgu (right), and Kalkara with the dome of St. Joseph’s Church (left), seen from Kalkara Creek
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:37:54
Former Royal Naval Hospital Bighi
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:38:44
Former Royal Naval Hospital Bighi
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:39:08
Tank Cleaning Installation at Fort Ricasoli
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:40:48
Fort Ricasoli
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 11:41:22
Passing the lighthouse of the Ricasoli Breakwater, and (behind) Fort Ricasoli
We disembarked just after midday, left the group, crossed the road, and waited at the bus stop — at the back of the bus shelter to shade us from the blistering sun. The first №12 bus came along
ca.12.15pm, but was packed, with many people standing, and the driver only allowed two people aboard. We wondered whether our chances would be increased further down, so retraced our earlier route back along Tower Road. “Not likely to improve our chances!” I thought, because it was evident from the bus stops we passed that this was the route of the №12 (it didn’t go round the headland), they were only minor stops, and significant numbers of people wouldn’t get off at them. The №12 is supposed to run every 12 minutes, but it wasn’t till “12:48:49”, “12:48:52” (according to the bus tickets) that the next one arrived. It too was packed and the driver only allowed “two people” (us) aboard, then relented and allowed a third person on as well. We squeezed our way into the mass of standing passengers.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 13:00:50
On the №12 bus to Buġibba
A young woman offered me her seat; I declined at first, but when she insisted I didn’t refuse a second time.
Janet was standing some distance away, and made her way up, so I gave her the seat. One or two got off en route, and one or two were allowed on, but the bus remained full to almost bursting. There was a diversion from the coast road because of road construction at one point. Back on the coast road, we entered “San Pawl”, so I knew it wasn’t far to go; and when the bus turned, so there was a bay to the left and a jetty ahead, I rang the bell to get off. I noticed the remains of salt evaporation ponds just below.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 13:26:52
At the “Moll” bus stop in Buġibba
A sign on the corner advertised “Seahorse Cruises… stop for 30 minutes on St. Paul’s Island… Sailing times are at 11.00am, 1.30pm, 3.30pm, 5.30pm.” It was then 1.30pm, but there was no sign of activity. We thought it was because the sea was so rough, but when I later checked on the internet I found that the trips were advertised there “Monday to Saturday”.[i]
[i] Indeed, I have since then noticed that the Seahorse
Cruises sign says: “Trips are available from Monday to Friday” —
and this day was a Sunday.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 13:34:08
“Seahorse Cruises… 30 minutes on St. Paul’s Island…”
St. Paul’s Island, visible on the horizon
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 13:34:08 (edited)
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 13:34:30
Mainland (far left); the two parts of St. Paul’s Island (mid-left and right)
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 13:34:44
Statue of St. Paul on St. Paul’s Island
We found just to the right of the corner where the road turns from north to east, on the seaward side of the road,
Angelo’s II Restaurant, in the open air under umbrellas. It wasn’t the best we’ve been in. One had to order at the counter. I had spaghetti with rabbit stew as the sauce, and a couple of bottles of
Cisk. Janet had a Diet Coke.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 13:59:44
Lunch at Angelo’s II Restaurant
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:49:44
Panorama of photos across the bay: salt evaporation ponds
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:49:52
Panorama of photos across the bay: salt evaporation ponds
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:50:00
Panorama of photos across the bay
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:50:08
Panorama of photos across the bay
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:50:18
Panorama of photos across the bay
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:50:26
Panorama of photos across the bay
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:50:50
Panorama of photos across the bay: part of St. Paul’s Island
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:51:00
Panorama of photos across the bay: the rest of St. Paul’s Island
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:51:14
Statue of St. Paul on St. Paul’s Island
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 14:58:48
St. Paul’s Island
Because the bus route at that point was a loop, we waited at the same bus stop for a №12 to take us back. It again was crowded when we boarded
(“15:14:04” and “15:14:13”, according to the bus tickets), but almost emptied at the bus station in Buġibba and immediately filled again. We were seated most of the way, initially on seats kindly relinquished by young people.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 15:24:46
On the №12 bus to Sliema
We had a drink at Mason’s Café before going back to the hotel room. There was now no doubt that the bridge and mole visible from there were the selfsame St. Elmo’s Bridge and Valletta Breakwater we’d passed at the entrance to the Grand Harbour.
Sunday 20 September 2015 — 16:12:50
St. Elmo’s Bridge and Valletta Breakwater seen from Mason’s Café
… Janet packed one suitcase completely and was satisfied that nothing further vis-à-vis packing needed to be done tonight. I wasn’t bothered about having an “aperativo” so we went down
ca.6.20pm for dinner.
… There was veal carved from the joint, which I had, and blue cheese, which I ate on the crusty Maltese bread that was available at the side. Afterwards we went to the ATM, then back to the hotel to settle the bill,
e.g. for the 0.5ℓ carafe of red wine I’ve had each dinner time, then to
Mason’s Café where Janet had Diet Coke and I had a couple of “digestivi”: Grappa followed by a Jameson’s Irish whiskey. We were back at the hotel just before 9pm and we were both in bed
ca.9.45pm.
