Malta is, without a shadow of a doubt, a lovely island. But every time I visit Gozo, I can’t help but think that it’s just so much more… special!
There is something primeval in me that seeks the comfort Gozo offers me every time I venture onto its shores, but for the longest time, I just couldn’t put my finger on it.
What is it that makes Gozo so special? Why does it feel so different to Malta? And why do I always long for its solace?
Then, as Carrie Bradshaw would put it, I got to thinking.
It’s greener. I miss the trees and the grass, and I miss the feeling of being among nature. Gozo has, thankfully, not been subjected to the same demonic construction frenzy Malta has – please, MEPA, keep it this way – and it can be felt throughout. Also, have you seen that LAWN in Victoria? I mean, it’s a lawn. To sit on! In Gozo. A lawn! I can’t even…
It’s quieter: If you’ve experienced Gozo at any point that isn’t Santa Maria or Carnival weekend, then you may have experienced the sheer beauty of hearing birds chirping, leaves rustling and nothing else. I love getting a pizza from Maxokk and sitting down to reflect about my past sins and what I could do worse in the future. It’s so reinvigorating!
It’s rustic-er: Is that even a word? Well, it should be, at least to describe this beautiful island. Gozo, funnily enough, feels like the Malta of back when I was young; back when Malta still felt quaint and genuine and unique. Gozo has retained its Mediterranean charm and has capitalised on it to attract visitors. I love how you can still find keys in people’s front doors, tiny shops selling hand-knitted woolen jumpers, and shepherds (remember those?) walking their flocks back to their pen.
It’s freer: I don’t know why, but whenever I go to Gozo, I feel free from worry and constraints. Time passes by slower and my mood improves with every ticking second. I also seem to become a more relaxed person and even having a coffee in St George’s Square feels like a proper treat. Gozo, if nothing else, gives you room to breathe and time to think – a luxury which even the richest of people find hard to purchase.
It’s sincerer: I often find that Malta is hiding behind the high-rises, trying desperately to break free from the chains of modern society and go back to a time when things were simpler and prettier. Gozo has escaped that. It’s still dotted with farmhouses and narrow, winding lanes. Everything feels authentic and there’s no sense of pompousness. It just is.
What’s even better about Gozo is that it always feels like uncharted territory that’s waiting to be discovered. Yes, we all know where Għarb is and how to get to Jordan’s Lighthouse, but getting there still feels like an adventure, and we definitely need more of that in our lives!
Writes Evelyn Borg on September 11, 2015
Article is from eve com mt
