Number 38: 'X' marks the spot, a day out in Malta

An X marks the tiny islands of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea, just like a treasure map and also like their language which is peppered with x's. Bruce and Cathy floating Sky Villa is located in Ta' Xbiex - try pronounce that or our destination for today, the village of Xemxija!

Number 38:

'X' marks the spot, a day out in Malta.

The Heritage Trail at Xemxija, an X marks the spot on Malta, where people have lived in caves, lived off the land and sea, and carved out burial chambers in the limestone for more than 7 millennia! 

Here Roman history feels recent, we stepped out on a Roman Road bending uphill away from the bay and made our way to Punic-Roman stone-built apiaries over 2000 years old. Even the name Malta, is a nod to honey, Melita, meaning the land of honey I need to go and find some delicious, local honey before we leave.

A 2000 year old apiary!

PS: found a delicious honey on our travels....

A 1000 year old Carob Tree

The treasure map took us past the most famous Carob tree on the Malta, it shades the apiaries and hangs over the Roman Road -  1000 years old, what has this tree seen!

Pilgrim graffiti along the Heritage Trail.

The crosses etched into the walls of these ancient pathways by pilgrims were so poignant.
We finished off our day with the final X marks the spot - one of the top swimming beaches on Malta, Golden Bay.
I noticed the 17th C Ghajn Tuffieha Tower, one of many that we saw on our drive, floating above a secluded beach. History dictated that people needed to communicate across the island using fires to alert a danger and here we are today, a lifesaver tower on the beach with beer, coffee and good pizza's on tap.
All this life and all this history all playing out on a speck of strategic land called Malta.

Golden Bay - a swim in the Med and people watching over lunch.

Number 37: A national gap-filler here in Malta, pastizzi

Food and how it is sold makes traveling so interesting. So the first thing I read was to look out for a hole-in-the-wall take-away pastizzi shop, we left Bruce and Cathy to get some admin done and headed out for the national gap-filler as our lunch treat while walking around the harbour here at Ta'X Biex.

Number 37:

A national gap-filler here in Malta, pastizzi.

They are delicious little pies; crusty, flaky parcels filled with ricotta cheese and rather surprisingly, mushy peas and onions. I like and so did Fred, he smashed a handful of these 40 cent treats while watching million euro yachts bob in the harbour.

Finding pastizzi, a Malta national gap-filler

Number 36: Reviewing our Sicilian hike in numbers.

Week 20 of the year and we committed to trying to walk a marathon a week as often as possible, to date we have 17 weeks with at least 42 km under the belt.

And week 20, our hiking in Sicily week, was way more than two back to back marathons in 5 days...

Number 36:

Reviewing our Sicilian hike in numbers.

Companions on the walk - lizards.

• 5 days of hiking from the centre of Sicily to the sea in spring with beautiful clear, sunny weather.
• Longest day was 25 km of walking.
• Hours spent on a path, 36; an average of 7 hours a day.
• Most varied terrain we have ever hiked through and rough underfoot; grassy plateaus, wildflowers fields, screeslopes, forests, woods, olive groves, narrow mountain passes, wide drover tracks, ancient cobbled Roman roads, tarmac and concrete side roads, streams and eroded banks.
• Rarely saw people, but when we did they were open and friendly.
• Goats, sheep, cows and horses, their bells sounding like an orchestra tuning up.
• We heard countless church bells along our walk.
• Cathy's fall scared us all, she is strong and getting through the trauma of the hospital visit and has stitches in her mouth and lip.
• Banter from Bruce kept us going and we missed his quick wit and navigation skills.
• A doctor helped clean Fred's head, knee and thumb gashes in Isnello.
• Climbed over and passed through gates made of wire with wooden posts.
• Glimpsed wild deer and a snake and the lizards were constant companions on the path.
• The high pitched screeches of the swifts dominate the early morning and evening skies.
• Fields and fields of wildflowers, all so beautiful and they made for joyous walking.
• Climbed to over 1600m in the Madonie National Park, and did it a  few times!
• Dropped 886m to sea level here in Cefalu, over a distance of 4 km on day 5.
• Visited three hilltop villages; Enna, Gangi, and Geraci Siculo.
• Overnighted in 6 very different types of accommodation; a high altitude hotel in Enna; in Villa Raino Agriturismo, a restored 18th C home; a hilltop casa in GeraciSiculo; a creepy, remote wooden chalet in the Madonie Mountains; a village B&B in Isnello and a seaside hotel in Cefalu.
• We were nourished by kind Sicilian hosts feeding us an evening meal, the traditional antipasto, pasta, secondi and seasonal fruits and of course many glasses filled with the local wines.
• We provisioned  and picnicked along the way, panini's with cheese and cold meats, and if possible a beer and expresso were welcome treats when available.
• We took in Sicily's complex history along the path, going back to prehistoric times and admired the historic buildings, the watchtowers, the fortresses and the churches; and all our paths were dotted with shrines, some neglected and others cared for.

So its the start of a new week, week 21, just maybe I will give myself a rest from walking, I need new shoes and my feet are very tender this morning and seem reluctant to carry my weight.

Our ATG Oxford, Sicily: From the Centre to the Sea route.

Number 35: Navigating the 'middle of nowhere', Madonie National Park, Sicily

It's one thing to pull on walking clothes, tie shoelaces and get walking. These last two days of traversing the Madonie Mountains have tested my physical and mental fitness, and rather surprisingly the real challenge for Fred and me has been navigating and following instructions in the walking booklet.

Number 35:

Navigating the 'middle of nowhere', Madonie National Park, Sicily

In the wild, with the absence of landmarks, the paths overgrown with wild fennel, uneven terrain, an outright crazy terrain, made for some really stressful moments on the 4th day of our hiking.
Here are just some of Fred's photos!

"Find the tree with a Y-shape..."

'Navigate between brambles, holly, gorse, streams...'

'Take care on the scree slopes...' I say!!

'Find the dead tree, look for the water hole...'

'So Sharon, where to now says Fred'. who knows, lets find a road and call Uber!

Number 34: Being in the Middle of Nowhere

A Kostantin Grcic quote caught our attention as we were hiking in the Madonie National Reserve on day 3 of our ‘Sicily: From the Centre to the Sea hike.’ 

I cannot improve on the sentiment.

Remarkable beauty of the Madonie Mountains

Number 34:

Being in the Middle of Nowhere.

‘Being in the Middle of Nowhere. This saying expresses the silent beauty of a far away place, a remote spot on this planet without the distraction of disturbance. For us Gimmeti is such a place. Where everything is about pure sensation of the pristine Madonien landscape that surrounds you. An ambiance that invites you to be there, to linger, to contemplate; that makes you feel its wildness and infinity, where your view is free and unrestricted in every sense.’

 

A view that is free and unrestricted....rugged, tough hiking!

Number 33: Anna's Sicilian Kitchen, intense and pure flavours

Bartolo and Anna are our hosts here at Casa Albergo Maggio, warm and generous, and we communicate with smiles and our hands! As she welcomed us into her kitchen with a shot of coffee I could smell the veal ragu gentling cooking on the gas stove.

Number 33:

Anna's Sicilian Kitchen, intense and pure flavours.

Anna called us to dinner at 8pm and we were treated to the simplicity of fresh produce perfectly prepared. She explained that they grow their own vegetables, make their own olive oil, harvest wild herbs and serve their guests seasonal food. The wine and water are local too.

This meal was a window into a Sicilian kitchen and what a true gift after a day on the path to be taken care of like this!

Antipasto, primo piatto, secondo piatto and dolci.

Bruce with Anna, he particularly loved the meal after a tough day seeing Cathy fall and having to spend the afternoon at the nearest hospital. Rest well and recuperate Cathy!

Number 32: Drinking the third best water in the World and curious Sicilian villages

I so enjoy not knowing where this blog is going to take me this year, but today made me smile when Fred and I arrived at the Saracen Fountain in Geraci Siculo, and we read that an American Laboratory has declared the water to be the third best in the world - makes me want to find number 1 and 2, but I am not going down that rabbit hole!

Number 32:

Drinking the third best water in the World and curious Sicilian villages.

One of the enduring pleasures of walking is water and Fred carries many litres for us, so it was such a treat to stop at the Saracen fountain, to drink deeply from the fast flowing, ice-cold water and to fill all our bottles for tomorrow's hiking. The fountain is at the base of Geraci Siculo, our destination on day 2 of our hiking.

Saracen Fountain, Geraci Siculo

Geraci Siculo, in the distance, seen from our walk, what looks like rock
is the town.

The towns in this central mountainous area of Sicily cling to mountain tops, the houses spilling down the steep slopes and they have histories dating back to prehistoric times, Greeks settled here in 550 BC, then Romans, then Saracens, then Arabs, then Normans and so on until the feudal era in the eighteen hundreds. 

And now their story is one of decline!

Our guide book quotes General George Patton in 1943, as having said that Gangi, one of these remarkable hill towns, was 'the most curious village that I have ever seen'. 

A favorite moment on the hike, been watched by Sicilian goats.

I rather agree, having stayed in Enna, hiked up into Gangi and now into Geraci Siculo to our Casa Albergo Maggio with its awesome views, these villages are curious indeed.

Number 31: Hiking among the wild flowers of central Sicily

This holiday, Spring in Europe, was centered around hiking in Sicily, doing the ATG Oxford 'Centre to Sea' walk over 7 days from Enna to Cefalu. And here we are, the four of us, Bruce and Cathy having arrived from Malta, ready to start, on a beautiful clear spring day.

Number 31:
Hiking among the wild flowers of Sicily

The flowers did not disappoint! They were a joy, fields of flowers dotted among the agricultural fields. 

We saw no people on the paths, except for a few farmers, what a privilege in the busy, chaotic world we all live in.

A perfect May day among the spring flowers in Sicily.

The 25 km challenged us but we loved it all. Roman cobbled ancient roads, farm tracks, dirt tracks, off road stream crossings, rocky tracks, concrete tracks, sometimes gentle and quite often very steep gradients, up and down. Cathy was fantastic, this being her first long day of hiking. 

At times we got lost in the books trying to figure out the route!

And we wake up today, ready to go again from our lovely rural accommodation -  an 18th C house called Villa Raino, where we were fed layers and layers of delicious Sicilian family food and litres of the house red wine. 

The scenery along our hike between Villadoro and Gangi.

Number 30: Our first Arancini from iconic Pasticceria Savia in Catania

Even with Rosella cooking for us, it is hard to believe that I have waited this long to try Arancini!

Number 30:

Our first Arancini from iconic Pasticceria Savia in Catania.

Arancini, are said to have originated in 10th C Sicily at a time when the island was under Arab rule, are stuffed rice balls, crumbed and deep fried.  

The morning plan was to breakfast at Pasticceria Savia, along Via Etnea and try our first arancini. No better way to start the morning and they are completely delicious! We tried the ragu and the aubergine and mozzarella. Landed...

Our first foodie joy in Sicily - Arancini from Pasticceria Savia.

Number 29: A very strange train experience, the boot of Italy to Messina, Sicily

The New York Times today featured a piece on travelling to Catania, and here we are at the station in Villa San Giovanni, the last stop before our ‘train crossing’ to Messina, Sicily, doing the same trip as he describes! 

I do not quite know what to expect, when Fred booked our train ride there was no mention on how we crossed this strategic bit of sea separating Sicily from the mainland.….

Number 29:

A very strange train experience, the boot of Italy to Messina, Sicily.

  

SO Frugal Traveler writes – “at the tip of the boot, the entire train was loaded – passengers and all - onto a large ship and ferried to Sicily. Once unloaded in Messina, we continued in the same train down Sicily’s coastline, past Taormina and into Catania Central”

Train ride across to Messina, Sicily

And so we did, boarded the train in Villa San Giovanni, sat as it was delayed, we were then shunted onto the ferry, customized for these trains! We then got off, looking across to Sicily for the first glimpse of the golden Madonna gleaming in the sun, a quick half hour, back to our seats on the train and made our way to Catania, and our first glimpses of Mount Etna.

All very strange, goodness knows what politics lies behind this process!

Number 28: A ferry across the Adriatic Sea, Split to Ancoma

I am reading Andrea Camilleri, the Sicilian author of the Montalbano crime novel series, to get into the mood for the next leg of our trip - Sicily.
The stories are fine, but I pay attention to the food writing, this man knows and loves his Sicilian cuisine. Anticipation and thanks Di for pointing me to this quirky set of books.

Number 28:

A ferry across the Adriatic Sea, Split to Ancona

A slow cruise across the Adriatic Sea.

I resisted the obvious, to take a quick flight across the Adriatic Sea. Instead it was a relaxed 10 hour ferry crossing with views of the Dalmation Islands and then a gentle sea and not much else. 

This was certainly our longest ferry crossing to date and we took an upsell on a sea view cabin, a nap, a read and dreaming of Sicilian food. I like indeed; and in keeping with doing things differently this year we are using trains over the next two days. Ancona - Bologna - Rome - Catania, Sicily.

Number 27: The Hunters Menu at Konoba 'Kokot'

Just when I thought we had 'done' it all on Hvar Island, we discovered the family owned konoba 'Kokot', set in an idyllic rural landscape in the tiny village of Dol. Their story is all about homegrown ingredients and traditional cuisine.

Number 27: 

The Hunters Menu at Konoba 'Kokot'

In the gentle light of the early evening sun, we parked our car and made our way up to the konoba and were immediately entranced at the setting and unique atmosphere. We were made welcome with a bowl of partially dried figs and the house grappa.

Our host talked us through the specials. The family make their own assortment of handmade goat's cheese - fresh, salted, in olive oil, with aromatics, all delicious. Vegetables from their gardens. But more exciting for me, they hunt for boar in the nearby woods and having not eaten wild boar before, in the spirit of my hundred different things for the year, number 27 was eating slow cooked boar with gnocchi made by our host's mother. The boar was rich, sweet and tender. Fred's boar patties, with home-grown fried potatoes and 'ajvar', a sweet, smoky, fruity condiment was outstanding too.

We also tried some of the boar salami, which we could not finish and Fred has made sandwiches for our ferry crossing later today. Yum!

The satisfaction of homegrown ingredients in a rural konoba on Hvar Island.

Recipe for Ajvar:

• 5-6 red bell peppers
• 1 medium eggplant
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup chives roughly chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp salt
• pinch sugar
• pinch red pepper flakes

Roast peppers and eggplant. Skin peppers. Pulse all ingredients in a blender. Enjoy with goats cheese and crusty bread. Spice it up with a jalapeño.

Number 26: Exploring the sights and flavors of Croatia with Collen and Sarah.

I emailed Collen about our 2 bedroomed apartment in Jelsa, Hvar Island and asked if he and Sarah wanted to join us. 

He said yes, how I loved that reply.

Number 26:

Exploring the sights and flavours of Croatia with Collen and Sarah.

A window into the world of Split and Hvar Island, Croatia, may 2018.

We:
Watched the sunrise from our balcony in Jelsa, Hvar Island.
Walked the old city of Split, following in the footsteps of Emperor Diocletian and the TV series Game of Thrones with our guide Vjeran Mlacic.
Navigated the steep flights of steps up the Split Bell Tower and the winding flight of stairs to the Marjan Peninsula, where we walked around the wooded peninsula.
Hopped on the Jadrolinija ferry from Split to Stari Grad.
Hired a Renault to explore Hvar Island, Fred and Collen laughed and joked with the entrepreneurial young Daniel.
Joined Sarah for Sunday Mass at the parish church of St Mary Magdalene in Svirce and quietly took in the strong clear voices of the choir echoing under the dome.
Had G&T sundowners on our balcony, the exotic Opihr Oriental Spiced Gin, a gift from Collen.
Listened to church bells.
People watched along the Riva.
Identified a surprising bird for my European list, a Turtle Dove and heard the Scops Owl calling all night.
Popped into a bakery each day to try different breads, all quite perfect.
Provisioned at markets.
Marveled at the UNESCO Stari Grad Plain, a cultural landscape unchanged since the 4^thC BC Greek colonisers, each square centimeter under crops, vines and olive groves and separated by dry stone walls. 
Appreciated the yellow broom in flower and the red of poppies standing out against the grey stones on our early morning walk on the plain.
Found the abandoned village of Malo Grablje, a cuckoo was calling, wandered around lost for a while before falling into Berti Tudor’s remarkable Konoba called Stori Komin to experience a Peka, the traditional island style of cooking under a bell surrounded by a wood fire.
Swam in the Adriatic, off a pebble beach called Dubovica, such a lovely secluded bay.
Treated ourselves to coffee and a cheese burek along our walks.
Strode out along the magnificent 5 km coastal road between Jelsa and Vrboska, watching the sea change colour and mood.
Bought traditional honey biscuits called, paprejnok, with a history going back to 1167, from a bakery in Stari Grad. Our biscuits were shaped as fish.
Drove the Pitve – Zavala tunnel; a rough, damp tunnel with poor visibility, and Fred was the first to swim in the clear, warm Adriatic Sea at Zavala.
Enjoyed an abundance of seafood; grilled sea bass, fish soup, octopus salad, prawns with chickpeas and seafood pasta.
Bought delicious olive oil, fig jam and tomato jam from Angelika at Murvica in Jelsa.
Bought 'flowers of salt' in Split, a premium Adriatic salt in a limestone container.
Ambled along the Route 116 to Sucuraj and took in the fabulous views across the Adriatic Sea to the mainland of Croatia or out to the further Dalmation islands beyond Hvar.
Had a peaceful leisurely Sunday lunch on a veranda floating above the marina and fishing harbor at Vrboska, a gem here on Hvar with its canal and stone bridges.
Drank the local beer, carafes of the local white wine and tried different varieties of prosek, a sweet desert wine.
Climbed the many steps of the 16^thC Fortress Fortica Spanjola for the exceptional views of Hvar Town, the ‘little French Riviera’ of the island.
Pottered around Stari Grad, the 'old town' which has been around for more than 2400 years, 'smashed' pizzas and enjoyed tea and cakes.

Number 25: An abandoned rural village, Konoba Stori Komin, meeting Berti Tudor and a culinary speciality, the Lamb Peka

The fascination of Malo Grablje

I had been alerted to the marvels of Peka, a Dalmatian culinary speciality by VJ our Split guide and specifically to Berti Tudor of Konoba Stori Komin, which is set in the abandoned village of Malo Grablje, en route to Hvar Town. 

Number 25:

An abandoned rural village, Konoba Stori Komin, meeting Berti Tudor and a culinary speciality, the Lamb Peka

OK, so context needed - a Konoba is a Dalmation eatery,  Stori Komin means "old hearth", Berti Tudor is owner chef and the old hearth is the heart of his family home in Malo Grablje, where he remembers being with his mother, father and grandfather around the hearth for warmth, for light and for the family dinner. 

The small rural village of Malo Grablje though, was abandoned in the 1950's, it's crumbling ruins are being taken over by nature and among his childhood memories and the ruin of his family home, Berti has created his Konoba! 

A reed thin, fast talking, hard drinking and smoking chef who fed us a magnificent feast and entertained us all afternoon.

Making our way to Konona Stori Komin, our Peka awaits us!

After hours of slow cooking our chef removed the peka dish from the coals, lifted the bell shaped lid, added sea salt and dried thyme from the mountains around the village, added more meat juices and our lamb peka was ready!

The four of us were in awe of the simplicity of the dish, the depth of flavour, the melt in the mouth lamb, the delicious potatoes, we ate with gusto, quaffed liters of Berti's house wine, dipped crusty bread into the juices and we were happy, very happy.

An afternoon of culinary magic with Berti, he and Collen shared bee-keeping stories too.

Shutters with attitude, Malo Grablje.

There are moments in any travelers life that you know and deeply appreciate why you leave the comfort of  your home, pack a bag, put up with airports and the challenge of long flights, and navigate different languages and cultures.

And this was one of these moments for Fred and me, spending time with our friends Collen and Sarah, being away from the crowds  in a beautiful remote part of Croatia among the ruins of Malo Grablje, meeting a remarkable man, hearing his story, being fed an authentic meal with the ease and confidence of someone who knows and understands his roots, his heritage and his land. 

It's a harsh and unforgiving landscape and life has not been simple but he can show us a New York Times article from 2011 featuring him and his Konoba and we experience him just the same as the journalist and I have no doubt that he will continue his authentic path.

Number 25 in my year of a hundred different things has shifted something in me and I feel grateful.

A meal to remember: 3 starter plates - cheese, olives, tomato, Dalmation smoked ham (called Prsut); octopus salad; anchovies and capers. Lamb peka. Melted, mild goats cheese with honey. Prosek (sweet red desert wine). Sugared almonds. Turkish coffee.

Number 24: The joy of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Hvar Island

Murvica Olive Oil, Jelsa, Hvar Island, Croatica

A little bit of google research led Sarah and I down a dusty side road in Jelsa to meet Angelika 

Gurdulic of Murvica Restaurant, for an olive oil tasting and to buy her homemade products.

I have so appreciated learning about the Dalmatian olive varietals and making evo oil converts and evo oil snobs of Collen and Sarah!

Number 24:

The joy of Extra Virgin Olive Oil on Hvar Island.

The island of Hvar is dominated by the Dalmation Oblica olive along with a few other indigenous varieties. These olives makes a delicious oil with moderate bitterness and pungency and a strong smell of fresh olives.

The small scale olive groves are dotted all around the island on every available piece of land  surrounded by stonewalls. Not only olive trees but also vines, fig trees, rows of vegetables and other fruit trees too, the islanders are industrious and have made the best of the endless sunshine and rocky soils.

A typical scene on Hvar Island. Olive trees both old and new.

We have been lathering our fresh, crusty bread and salads with Angelika’s oil, a completely wonderful part of our stay. And as one restauranteur said to us while sharing her pungent new season oil: "This what we do, we make our own olive oil."

Number 23: Diocletian Split and Game of Thrones, an evening with Vjeran Mlacic

The remarkably well preserved Roman architecture in Split made for fantastic location choices for the Game of Thrones TV series. Fred and I are fans.  I have even waded through all 7 books of the George RR Martin books, thanks to June and Ross.

Number 23:

Diocletian Split and Game of Thrones, an evening with Vjeran Mlacic

Diocletian Palace basement halls built between 295-305 AD,
also the scenes of Daenerys interactions with her dragons in Game of Thrones.

The Game of Thrones shop in Split put me touch with VJ and he made time for a private tour last evening for the four of us. Collen and Sarah had arrived earlier in the day from the UK and it was thrilling to meet up over beers, wine and a G&T.
We loved the walkabout, digging deep into the Roman history for Fred, but also been shown the locations where the GoT seasons 4 and 5 were filmed. Dragons, Meereen, Daenerys, battle scenes with the Sons of Harpy, the Unsullied, the Kill the Masters scene and so much more.
Collen and Sarah belong to the rare club of never having watched the series but they were loving it all anyway.

Team K and Team B in Split, exploring the Game of Thrones film sets.

VJ is fabulous! Loves his city, is passionate about history and tells the stories with ease.

Contact email for a private tour is vjeranmlacic@gmail.com.