I think I have already waxed lyrical about Malta and my love of islands… So obviously, when I got the opportunity to go on day trips to Gozo and Sicily back in 2008 and 2009, I jumped at the chance!
Gozo is a beautiful island that somehow seems more lush than Malta due to all the greenery. We explored the stunning Cittadella in the capital city Victoria (aka Rabat), visited Ġgantija – a megalithic temple that is older than Stonehenge, older than the pyramids, older, in fact, than any other freestanding manmade structure on Earth – and saw the breathtaking Azure Window as well as several other sights.
Our day trip to Sicily was also wonderful – we arrived in Pozzallo, drove along the East Coast of Sicily in a coach, and visited a market in Modica before making a pit stop to sample some genuine Sicilian pizza (delizioso!). The highlight of the trip was obviously seeing the majestic Mount Etna up close. Etna is one of the most active volcanoes in the world and watching the spluttering lava was incredible. Unfortunately I couldn’t quite capture it on camera, even though my friend and I did try to hike closer to the crater (this is very much not recommended). So what do you do when you find yourself on top of your first volcano and feel a little let down because you could see the lava and smoke much better from the coast than when you’re actually right up there? Well, you take a quick selfie and then seek out a little souvenir shack that sells limoncello and chocolate liqueur, of course!
