The thought of some early season sunshine was too much to resist after the winter we have had here.A friend of mine asked me to do some work with him on his farmhouse in Gozo before the holiday makers arrive.
So a mixture of work and swimming and snorkelling, at least that was the plan.
The
work being stripping down the exterior doors, filling and re-painting.
We flew in to the capital of Malta 'Valetta' and picked up a hire car at
the airport which we took over on the ferry which took about twenty
minutes
I have been to Gozo before on a day trip from Malta although I can't recall too much.
Compared
to its southeastern neighbour, Gozo is more rural and known for it's
scenic hills. It is only about 8 miles long by about 3 with a population
of around 31,000.
So a mixture of work and swimming and snorkelling, at least that was the plan.
The work being stripping down the exterior doors, filling and re-painting. We flew in to the capital of Malta 'Valetta' and picked up a hire car at the airport which we took over on the ferry which took about twenty minutes
I have been to Gozo before on a day trip from Malta although I can't recall too much.
Compared to its southeastern neighbour, Gozo is more rural and known for it's scenic hills. It is only about 8 miles long by about 3 with a population of around 31,000.
 |
| Azure Window |
Our first port of call was the spectacular coastline of Dwejra and the 'Azure Window'. The arch of the Azure Window is disintegrating, as large pieces of rock
keep falling from the arch. It is expected that the arch will completely
disappear within just a few years. Looks like I got there just in time then! Several films such as,Clash of the Titans and The Count of Monte Cristo were filmed here.
Fungus Rock (background) is a small islet in the form of a 60 metres high massive lump of limestone at the entrance to an almost circular black lagoon in Dwejra. The Knights Hospitaller apparently discovered what is popularly known as the Malta Fungus on the rock and it is incredibly rare. It is actually not a fungus at all but a plant or tuber. It stinks to high heaven but the Knights used it as a dressing for wounds and a cure for Dyssentry.
The Inland Sea is a logoon of seawater linked to The Mediterranean Sea
through an opening formed by a narrow natural arch. As you exit through
the tunnel towards open sea, the floor drops away in
a series of shelves to a depth of up to 35 metres on the outside.
I had a couple of hours to kill while the car was having it's annual service so had a wander around Storton's pits. This is a nature reserve directly behind the Sixfields Football stadium managed by the Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust.
There are flooded gravel pits over 58 acres and provides a valuable habitat for many winter birds. It is a mixture of woodland, scrub, lakes and reed beds.
Reeds have been planted to provide cover for nesting birds in the breeding season, and there have been sightings of the rare bearded tit there too. Unfortunately I didn't see one but I did see a lovely male Reed Bunting along with a couple of Herons.
Also Snipe feed on the bare mud and rare water rail are regular winter visitors. The wet meadow is important for butterflies.
In the background is the once famous 'Northampton Lighthouse' originally the Express Lifts testing tower and now no longer used. Apparently there is a pair of Peregrine Falcons who have taken up residence on a lofty ledge.
I came across this wonderful huge Puff-Ball fungi. Having a ball-shaped fruiting body that when pressed or struck releases the enclosed spores in puffs of dust. Of course I had to give it a little kick just to make sure!
