untapped potential in agroturism

The latest discovery by the government of the Republic of Malta is that of the Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco when he stated that "Malta has considerable untapped potential in agrotourism and rural tourism"

Isn't that great?

Don't worry Hon. de Marco, nobody in beloved Malta will ever call you a tree-hugger :)

Speaking at the EMCS forum at the Hilton last Wednesday, he said this went beyond accommodation to rural weddings, wine tours and visits to producers of delicatessen items. Click on the items to read more possibilities!

He said that the internationalisation of property needed a coherent strategy that brought together both the public and private sector. This would have to ensure that quality remained a priority.

Linking property to tourism, he said that millions travel to owner-owned property - 15 million from Malta's four main markets in Europe alone. These increased by 6.1 per cent last year over 2006. In addition, they stay longer on average - two nights over the average for all types of tourists.

Thank God for this realization. Well done de Marco. Slowly slowly we can get there. Just put the money where the.......

Agro and Eco Holidays in Gozo

Reading the Sunday newspapers today I was so pleased to read a contribution as a letter to the Sunday Independent Editor under the name of Not. J. L. Attard (Read HERE).Not sure if Attard is the one I know.

Although the first part of his letter was focused on statistical figures of unemployment written in quite a partisan way and thus bashing the PN government, the rest of his letter was positive. I am so pleased that finally another Gozitan can see a solution to create more jobs in Gozo by investing in the agri-tourism sector.


Two summers ago, an SBS Radio representative visited Gozo. She and her family participated in one of the experiences offered by the Ager Foundation. She interviewed me (in Maltese) and some of the service providers - farmers. I downloaded the sound clip from the Sydney Radio and created the video clip below and added it to the new Ager Foundation Youtube page.

Daddy Soon

Yes indeed.

The 37 weeks are over. The date due is 10th of May....but it could be any minute now (they say). We don't know since this is our first baby. Miriam feels uncomfortable especially when it comes to bed-time. Don't blame her. She now snores too. She never snored before. Besides snoring, she makes babbling sounds....yeah, like a baby, and I like it.

I accompanied Miriam to the Parents Crafts at Mater Dei hospital. Then, we were both staying in Malta, so it was easier for us to attend there. However we want to make sure that our first newborn will have a (G) on his/her ID card :)

I missed some sessions, but the ones I attended I remember very well.

The first session was very interesting. The midwife was very nice and very enthusiastic in delivering her knowledge on the subject. Overall the sessions were not very participatory but rather informative, however the midwife was always ready to answer any questions posed by the participants.

I remember how mothers-to-be expressed their fears and concerns, especially regarding the food intake. It was interesting when the midwife asked if they noticed that they had started to be selective on the type of food they ate during the pregnancy.

We remember when back in early September Miriam and I drove down from Pisa to Marseille. It was there where we were impressed by the fish markets and restaurants by the huge harbour. Some restaurants were serving fresh seafood. Miriam was mad on seafood. We went inside “The Blue Grouper” that specializes in the typical seafood dishes of the south. The photo on the right shows the chef preparing fresh seashells. The tourist menu posted outside looked promising – a number of appealing complete meals for €15-20. We went in and were seated in the narrow outside area of the restaurant where we could watch the passersby.

Something strange happened. When it was time to order, all of a sudden Miriam refused to take her order. She told me that she would like to share from my huge bowl of shrimps, sea urchins, mussels, small crabs, spider crab, octopus, and other shellfish.

Since then she never touched these type of seafood. Yes...she was pregnant without us knowing...but her body knew. Amazing!

Back to the parents Crafts.

I think that which I did not like much was the fact that fathers-to-be present were almost completely ignored. Since these lectures were not participatory, I had no chance to express my own feelings about becoming a new dad.

For me it feels quite exhilarating one minute and completely alien the next.

What is my role during the pregnancy and how will I feel? This is a new lifestyle after almost fourteen years of marriage. By experience I learned to relax and bask in the reflective glory while my wife was getting lots of attention from all relatives and close friends. I quickly learned that providing the support is more than enough.
And what kind of support I offered (still do)? I can say that Miriam had quite an easy, no-complicated pregnancy. No morning sickness or cravings for certain foods and her moods were quite stable during the first 6 months. Recently, her moods became like a rollercoaster. Simple gestures from my part like offering to cook a meal and clear afterwards made all the difference. I am in charge of the shopping, the garden and massaging her feet every evening and lately in the afternoons as well.

I always ask myself: How much will our lives alter?
A lot. I used to work ill hours at the Foundation for Educational Services. When we found out that Miriam is pregnant, I decided to resign. I was determined to change my working lifestyle. I knew that eventually we were going to return to Gozo. Although Miriam is an acting head of Mosta Primary School, we knew that soon she will start her pregnancy leave. I wanted to live with her and be close to her. I applied for a job in Gozo. I applied for the post of Assistant Head of School (Gozo), went for the interview, the results were officially published in late September and I was selected. I ended my work at FES and waited to be called for duty. I do not want to get into this messy subject here....but I am still waiting to be posted even though there are the vacancies in a number of Gozitan primary schools. Perhaps this is the price I have to pay for my political involvement and not submitting the the political feudal system of asking favours from politicians. But my mind is free. Anyway I have enough time to spend with Miriam and do the necessary chores.

And sometimes I am still worried that I won't be able to deal with the labour and birth. I made sure to attend all hospital visits. I was there for all the ultrasounds and the usual routines. Now we started the weekly visits. I am there too. I am getting used to the midwives. This is great. One midwife in particular is so sweet and gentle. She took us for a tour of the labour ward. My friend Charles from New York, sent me some DVDs about birth. I am determined to be present during labour since I know that it's a one experience I wouldn't want to miss out on.

These days I am thinking on what I can do when labour starts and what I can do during the birth. Hmm so many thoughts. I hope that I will write soon before I become a Daddy Soon.

Photo below shows Miriam with her parents. They were both delighted when we first told them that Miriam is pregnant. Her father Mikieli is holding our Tetuta....but the Tututa won't look at the camera. She might be already jealous!

Halib tal-bodbod jew tal-muntun?

Hekk kif jaslu, Zeppi jistaqsihom: "Biex triduh il-kafe'? bil-halib tal-bodbod jew tal-muntun?"

U ghal mistoqsija bhal din ikollna diversi twegibiet:

"Xorta wahda ghalija"

"Nippreferi nduqhom it-tnejn jekk ma jimpurtax"

"Tal-bodbod OK."

"Ha nipprova tal-muntun. Mhux xorta?"

Imma jkun hemm min jinduna li r-rahhala taghna jghadduha fin-nejk.

Mill-bidu jindunaw li ser jghaddu gurnata relax.

Tiskanta imma fl-istess hin ma tistaghgibx.

Huma hafna dawk li jigu Ghawdex biex iwettqu wahda mill-esperjenzi li toffri l-Fondazzjon li hloqt jien: Il-Fondazzjoni Ager. Hawn numru ta' nies li tassew jinteressahom l-agro-turizmu. Wahda mill-esperjenzi l-aktar popolari hi meta jaghzlu li jqattghu gurnata ma' rahhal: Maltin, Turisti u studenti.

Jibdew il-programm billi jehdu naqra kafe tajba maghmula mic-cikwejra, hlewwa, qxur tal-laring, tacci tal-qronfol u hwawar ohra. Ikun hawn fejn ir-rahhala li jahdmu mieghi (fosthom Zeppi) jistaqsuhom x'tip ta' halib frisk iridu ma' dan il-kafe li r-rieha tieghu taqsamlek qalbek hekk kif tidhol fid-dar tar-razzett.

Ir-rahhala taghna jahilbu dak il-hin stess ftit halib tan-naghga jew tal-moghza. Ikun ghadu shun u ghidli int x'naqra kafe qed tixrob. Mal-kafe ma jonqsux ftit qriemec maghmulin id-dar stess.

Jibdew ix-xoghol fir-razzett u wara li jitimghu lill-fniek u liz-zrameg, inaddfu l-imxatar halli jitimghu wkoll lin-naghag u lill-moghoz. Marbut ghalih ikollna l-muntun u kulhadd jistaqsi 'l ghaliex. Izda bhalissa l-bodbod (jew il-wott) ikun mitluq mall-moghoz halli jkun jista' jghammar. Ma ghandniex hafna wtut. Wott wiehed bizzejjed ma' merhla moghoz. Kulhadd xortih fid-dinja ighidu. Bhalissa ghandna l-gidien. Il-hrief baqghalhom ftit. Ghandna l-abura u anke l-ghenieqa.

Sakemm il-merhla qed tiekol, inaddfu il-bitha mdaqqsa mid-demel. Jitghallmu kif id-demel jiffermenta u dwar l-uzu tieghu ghall-ucuh tar-raba'.

"X'inhi d-differenza bejn bajda-bajda u bajda-kannella?" Ftit huma dawk li jafu!

U wara li jingabar il-bajd immorru biex nahilbu.

Hawnhekk jibda l-ghors.

Imhatra min jahleb l-ahjar jekk hux l-irgiel inkella n-nisa. Hafna jahsbu li l-irgiel. Mhux dejjem il-kaz. Xi drabi it-tfal ahjar mill-kbar!

Anke dawk li ghall-ewwel ighidu "jaqq", x'hin jigu biex imissu l-bezzul donnhom jithajjru ghax ighidulek li din esperjenza ta' darba.

Wara li jingabar il-halib kollu, immorru insaffuh. Bil-qtar tat-tames, inhallu l-halib isir baqta. Anke din tat-tames, qed insibu li huma ftit wisq dawk li jafu kif isir it-tames mill-istonku tal-haruf ta' xi 10 jew 15-il jum.

Kollu taghlim dan, kemm ghat-tfal u anke ghal kbar. Jiehdu gost il-familji kollha li jigu. Anke dawk il-genituri li jigu bl-intenzjoni li ser jiehdu gost it-tfal taghhom - fl-ahhar jispiccaw jitghallmu u jiehdu gost huma wkoll.

Sakemm jghaqad il-halib ikun beda jirrumba. Forsi ma tafx xi tfisser jirrumba. Ma ntikx tort li ma tafx il-brejku, izda tinsiex li jien mill-Gharb u naf xi kelma 'l hawn u 'l hemm. Ikun sar hin l-ikel. Il-Fondazzjoni Ager hija membru tal-Moviment Slow Food. Ghalhekk it-tip ta' tisjir huwa tisjir li jsir bil-mod - fil-forn.

U l-esperjenza ma tieqafx hawn.

Issa li l-halib sar baqta, irridu naghmluh gbejniet. U allura b'idejn nodfa, irridu naqbdu l-qaleb u naghmlu l-gbejna. F'dixx s'intendi halli johrog ix-xorrox.

U mbaghad irridu ngizzu xi naghga bil-gelem. Is-suf tan-naghag ikun hemm min jigbru halli jnaddfu u jibqa' tifkira.

Mhux biss familji jaghzlu li jqattu jum b'differenza f'Ghawdex permezz ta' l-agro turizmu, izda anke ghalliema bil-klassijiet taghhom. Gieli gew studenti Universitarji tal-Home Economics u anke mid-dipartiment tal-Malti peress li waqt esperenza bhal din ikollhom ic-cans jitghallmu kliem Malti safi li illum tista' tghid li ftit li xejn ghadu jintuza. U x'hemm isbah milli titghallem il-lingwa minn fomm dak li jkun?
Illum, perezempju, gew studenti mill-iskola ta' Stella Maris (Gzira). Hadt gost li l-Kap ta' l-iskola giet ukoll flimkien ma' l-ghalliema tal-klassi. Kienu ppreparati sa snienhom. L-ghalliema anke ipproduciet workbook. Il-Kap ta' l-iskola kienet tassew intiza fis-suggett. Kienet tidher mara li ghandha passat qrib in-natura. Wriet interess liema bhalu. Skoprejt li hija Ghawdxija. Omm J'accuse - Jacques Rene' Zammit. Ghandha tibghatlu ritratt ghal fuq il-blog tieghu. Omm J'accuse kienet taf ezatt li la l-bodbod u lanqas il-muntun ma jahilbu.