Have you been to Salty Valley?

I remember well that many years ago, one of my nephews was here from Australia. I was still little. My brother Charlie told me to take his son to 'Wied il-Mielah'. I did and was happy to show my nephew around and explaining in 'English' the environs. And I thought that in English, 'Wied il-Mielah' should be translated into 'Salty Valley'. How funny.

I still remember the smell of drainage in this beautiful valley. In those years there were no commemorative marble plaques showing that EU dignitaries who visited the valley and no indications of the ceremonies which were to be held to celebrate the Euros from EU funding project for the rehabilitation of the valley.

Indeed, every now and then, we hear the Gharb PN Mayor and his Minister Govanna psoing for photos for the press on this site, in order to say that Gozo is to continue enjoying EU Funds, as the Gharb Local Council has succeeded in obtaining further funds for the Rehabilitation of Wied il-Mielah - not 'salty valley' anymore, but still an open drainage reserviour. Perpahs the MEPA enforcement section may like to pay a visit now that the rain season started rather than coming to gozo on a nice sunny day in Summer!

"Wied il-Mielah – towards an ecologically and culturally sensitive sustainable tourism is the name of the €600,000 project, which will be co-financed by 85% from the European Regional Development Fund. The project will give a touristic dimension to the works already carried out whilst respecting the environment."

Now imagine the tourists on this site TODAY, walking amongst the drainage flow going down from the valley to the sea! the smell is unbearable!

It seems that the rehabilitation of the valley are solely used for the construction of rubble of walls and bridges which have been destroyed, cleaning of the valley basin and resurfacing the road leading to the valley in order to make it more accessible .... yes they want more cars on eco-Ghawdex!

"Attractions including rustic furniture" - where over the drainage flow?

"Observation binoculars and audio visual equipment will be installed." - why? Perhaps to see closely the illegal hunting and trapping taking place on-site?

"The project will compliment the works carried out through the first phase also through the Structural Funds Program for Malta 2004-2006"

I wonder....

I honestly wish well for this project, but alas, if you find it hard to believe me, please have a look at the photo with the drainage flow taken today. Don't hope for any comments from the Gozo Toursim Assosiation. They have no flats or Hotels in this area.

Thank god that you can't smell it from the comfort of your home.

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.......

The left hand side of Marsalforn

The left side of Marsalforn bay fail EU's minimum water quality standards.

According to yesterday’s report, Malta’s ‘non-compliant’ bathing spots were the left side of Marsalforn Bay, the stretch of beach in Salina in front of the Coastline Hotel, the area below Neptunes Pitch in Balluta, and the ‘sandy beach’ at Balluta, St Julian’s.

The annual report takes samplings taken on a regular basis throughout the year, submitted to the EU by the Maltese authorities, and weighs the results against the requirements of the EU Bathing Water Directive, which sets minimum standards for bathing water in EU member states.

The exercise takes into account two microbiological parameters – total coliforms and faecal coliforms – and three physico-chemical parameters – mineral oils, surface-active substances and phenols.

Now, can somebody tell me which is the left side of Marsalforn Bay this report is referring to?
Is it the side of the Calypso Hotel or the side of the Otters Waterpolo Club/Restaurant?

A national swimming pool in Gozo?

The Hon. Clyde Puli, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport addresses a press conference organised by the Aquatic Sports Association.

As expected, the Aquatic Sports needs in Gozo were again dismissed - or else not reported through the government press statements.


I remember that when we proposed that the state should invest much more in Aquatic sports in Gozo -even more specifically a National Swimming Pool - the GonziPN also promised such an initiative during one of his pre-election meetings in Nadur.


I once wrote this in the press:

I would like to draw attention to the fact that part of the public coastal area near Otters Water Polo Club in Marsalforn was taken away from the public through a parliamentary deed in 2005. Now a pending application awaiting MEPA’s approval to “construct a sea water pool, for water polo and swimming purposes, pool to occupy part of existing Otters Club House and adjacent land, and replanning of part of existing ramp next to St Mary’s Street, Marsalforn” is being processed.

While I would like to point out that Alternattiva Demokratika has long been insisting that the government should invest in aquatic sports in Gozo, I question the need for this limited proposal. Why should the Otters Club have to undergo such hassle to get a semi-decent pool? Why should historic salt pans be threatened and why should the public give up yet another piece of coastline? All this for only a few months just in case of possibly jellyfish-infested waters.

Was a national swimming pool in Gozo not part of the Nationalist Party’s manifesto in 1991? We are still waiting 17 years later and the Labour Party ignores such a proposal even in its current plan for Gozo. Green Members of Parliament will urge cross party co-operation to safeguard the interests of all Gozitans and Gozo’s specific needs. We will get the government to invest in sports in Gozo rather than speculating on public land.

Two national swimming pools already exist in Malta; hence we believe that Gozitans deserve, by right, a national pool in Gozo. In its electoral manifesto for Gozo, Alternattiva Demokratika is proposing that a national heated pool to be used all year round and aquatic sports facility would form part of the existing sports complex in Victoria where adjacent land is available, or in other locations such as the abandoned Hondoq ir-Rummien distillation plant which could be rehabilitated and transformed into an indoor solar power heated pool for all citizens. EU funds could be tapped to subsidise a public aquatic sports facility for Gozo.

Given the socio-educational advantages of aquatic sports in Gozo, I sincerely hope that in the-not-too-distant future the sport finds itself on the national agenda and not used as a favourite subject for lip-servicing exercises that seem to have become something of a national pastime. Stop appropriating further public land and give Gozitans what is theirs by right. We are fed up of empty promises. Swim with AD and leave the old political system to sink.

Minn Sqallija spiccaw Ghawdex

Le, mhux ghall-immigranti rregolari qed nghid....imma kwazi. Wahda minnhom is-Sewda nghidulha fil-fatt.

Kellu jaghtiha sorpriza ghal birthday. Xtara l-biljetti biex hu u l-mara tieghu Alice jiehdu lil Joan Debattista gurnata Sqallija bl-ajrupjan. Joan donna kienet qed tistenna xi tip ta' sorpriza kif jaf jaghmel Grezzju ghal b'day taghha. Meta wasal il-Gimgha 25 ta' April f'xi l-5 ta' fil-ghodu cempel lil Joan u qallha biex tipprepara l-passaport. Dik hekk ghamlet. Miskina.

Grezzju saq bil-lajma lejn l-ajruport. Mar jizzattat quddiem biex min ghalih jaghmel ic-check-in u jirkeb l-ajruplan.

"L-ajruplan diga qabbad il-magni u c-check-in ilu maghluq. Sorry."

"Mela mhux fis-7.00am jitlaq?"

"Le. Fis-7.00am jasal Catania."

Tistghu timmaginaw wicc il-mara ta' Grezzju kif sar!
Joan tipprova tikkalma is-sitwazzjoni.
Grezzju bla kliem....soltu wara li jfattar xi haga.

F'xi l-11.00 nirceivi telefonata m'ghand Joan. Qaltli li qieghda tiehu kafe' ghand Bellusa.

"Bellusa ir-Rabat voldieri?"

"Iwa qieghda Ghawdex"

Gidtilha: "Orrajt, stennieni nitfa ha nghid lil Miriam nigu niehdu drink hemmhekk." U morna.

X'hin naslu naraw lil Joan flimkien ma' Grezzju u martu Alice. Alice kien qisha l-Alice in wonderland. Grezzju wicc l-askri (bejnietna, dak ghandu hafna tipi ta' wcuh) u Joan tikxef snienha.

Mank ilhaqna poggejna bil-qieghda li ma qalulniex bil-frattarija ta' Sqallija. Alice kellha ghajnejha miksurin. Thassartha. L-iehor le imma. Beda jipprova jikxef snienu biex ghat-taparsi ma gara xejn ta' barra minn hawn. U mur!

Qalu li marru shopping u ser jerghu jmorru shopping u fthemna li niltaqghu aktar tard. dawn l-Imlaten ukoll!

Hekk ghamilna.

Iltqajna ghand wiehed mir-rahhala li jahdmu mieghi fl-agri-turizmu.
Joan ghoxiet.

Thobb hafna l-baqar. Gibtilha l-ghogol. Tghidx kemm ferhet bih.

Grezzju iddeffes u tista' tarah fir-ritratt jipprova juri li ma jibzax mill-ghogol. Hemm arah jippoppa sormu.

Riedet tkun taf liema hu l-muntun. Ovvjament riedet tkun taf liema hu l-wott wkoll peress li fuq ix-xoghol ghandhom wott iehor imma b'zewgt saqajn.

Hawnhekk Joan u Grezzju mall-muntun. Araw naqra dak il-bully fuq wara.

Anke it-tigieg riedet tmiss. Refghet tigiega hamra u mbaghad refghet tigiega bajda.



U s'intendi riedet tigbor il-bajd.

Iddawar idha 'l hawn u ddawwar idha 'l hemm, gabret battejn.


Mur ghidilha li l-bajda tat-tigiega l-hamra kellha tispicca fuq rasha.

Viva l-birthday!





U wara morna nieklu Turkish fir-restaurant gdid li fetah fir-Rabat.

Intant it-tfal ta' Joan ma jafu b'xejn. Minghalihom qieghdin Sqallija!

Maria Helga-Zammit tibghat l-SMSes biex tara kif il-kunjata sejra ma' l-Isqallin. Ippruvajt naghtiha hjiel. Ghidt lil Joan tiktbilha SMS hekk:

'Bhalissa qieghdin Birbuba - villagg semitiku in-naha tal-punet'

Imma Helga Zammit ghandha xorti taf li l-Gharb qieghed fil-punent t'Ghawdex ahseb-u-ara fejn hi Birbuba jew San Dimitri.

Hawn qieghdin nieklu ghand tal-Lajku. Mill-lemin ghax-xellug jew mix-xellug ghal lemin: Grezzju ta' wiccu u **** xorta wahda, Joan is-Sewda, Jien u Miriam u Alice in Wonderland.
[Dan ir-rakkont inkiteb bil-kunsens tal-protagonisti ewlenin ta' l-istorja]

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.