Malta Part 2: Gozo

Another day, we drove about 30 minutes to the northern tip of Malta, and took a 20 minute ferry boat with our car to the neighboring Island of Gozo. 

Gozo is known for being the island home of the nymph Calypso in the book, The Odyssey. It was a gorgeous island with a lot to see and explore for a day, and it was a very windy day!  One of the highlights of Gozo was the Azure Window, but it collapsed in 2017, but we went to that location first, and took in the beauty of the place. 

Next, we hiked down to Dwejra Bay, in the same area.  

The water was cold!

Lots of old, colorful doors!

Heading back up to the top.

The next stop was at the top of the hill to the Dwejra Tower. 

The tower was built in 1652 during the reign of Grand Master Lascaris. It was built to guard Dwejra Bay, and was armed with 6 iron cannons. It was a small tower and we walked through it quickly, then headed back down to drive to to the next stop.

The next stop was at Xwenjni Bay, to see the famous Salt Pans. But first, the beautiful bay!

The water was so clear and blue.

Around the corner was the salt pans. Salt production has a long history in Gozo, going back to Roman times, where they made square-shaped pans and built and irrigation systems. Many families in Gozo today still use this natural method to make salt. The pans are filled with sea water, and when the water evaporates, they harvest the film of salt. This is done between the months of May and September. It was very interesting to see how even today, people are using this method to make salt!

Evaporated pans

Harvested salt from the salt farmers.

And some pretty blooming flowers :)

We drove back to the ferry boat terminal after a full day of exploring and headed back to Malta. 

Malta Part One: Valetta

At the end of April, our family took a vacation to Malta for a few days. We had a great time exploring the small but very dense country and enjoyed seeing lots of sights. Malta is the 10th smallest and 5th most densely populated country in the world, so there was no shortage of things to see, people around, and traffic to get stuck in. We stayed on the east side of the island, and each day we drove to different parts of the island - which was only 5-7 miles in any direction! This was the view from our hotel room, overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. It was a little too cool to swim, with highs in the low 70's, and the sea was very choppy. Benjamin and Caleb were waiting for the red flags to go down, but they never did.

Malta is rich in history and has been ruled over time by the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Knights of St. John, French, and the British. It has a lot of Christian history, most notable, it is believed to be where the Apostle Paul was shipwrecked on Malta. Our first and last day in Malta, we explored the Capital city of Valetta. Entering the city gates.

 Triton's fountain inside the city gates.

Lots of hills and steps to climb.

Caleb liked the red British phone booths and was curious about how a pay phone worked. He had a hard time believing that was how we made calls when we were younger.

The main square

Malta has lots of peninsulas.

Nice seaside view.

Taking a little break from walking.

More phone booths!

Back to the streets. I liked the way this cross was suspended.

Our last day, which was my 40th birthday, we went back to Valetta. We walked around the city and then took a gondola tour of the harbor, which is made up of three main peninsulas. Nathan took the boys first, then I took a ride with them afterwards. The boat operator told us lots of history about the country, it was very interested.

The country has a beautiful coastline.

First harbor, I think it was called Silema.

We stopped at one of the peninsulas for lemon gelato!

It was a fun way to turn 40!

Malta is also famous for being the filming site for the show Game of Thrones. I have never seen it, but  this is where part of the show was filmed.

Cave heading back to the harbor.

More beautiful coast.

Next blogs will be about our day trip to the island of Gozo

End of T-Ball Season

The day after school got out, Benjamin had his last T-ball game. Caleb had to sit most of the season out because of his broken arm, but the team was sweet to give him a team medal and have him participate in the end of the season ceremony. Here is Benjamin in action!

Teams recognizing their sponsors, coaches, and getting team medals.

It was a fun season and we will look forward to next year...coach pitch!

School's out...hello summer!

The boys had a great school year in both Hawthrorn School in Salem, IL and ACS in Amman. They both learned a lot, made nice friends, and had fun.

First day at Hawthorn Elementary. Caleb had Mrs. Richardson for first grade, and Benjamin had Mrs. Marcum for Kindergarten.

Last day at ACS Amman. Caleb had Mrs. Purdy for first grade, and Benjamin had Mrs. Zeina for Kindergarten. Goodbye Kindergarten and First Grade....Hello First and Second Grade!

The boys enjoyed time with friends and a week of summer camp before we headed back to the States for a few weeks. This is their good friend JJ, who departed Jordan this summer. He and Caleb were in class together the past 2 years, and they became good buddies. We will miss his family and look forward to seeing them again one day in VA.

Caleb's other good friend in class this year was a sweet girl named Rosalie. Caleb, JJ, and Rosalie were the three amigos and were always together. She also departed Jordan for the US, and we know we will see her again too. 

Her last few days in town, they saw each other a few times for swimming play dates.

Benjamin makes friends with the lifeguards at the Embassy. I think he really wanted to blow his whistle :).

New summer hair cuts...he wanted to get his hair cut short like daddy!

Caleb got a trim, he still likes it a little longer.

Here we come, summer!

Eliza Rose: 9 Months Old

Happy 9 months sweet baby girl! This month has brought many new things for Eliza. She is crawling everywhere and starting to pull up on couches and in her crib. She smiles and babbles a lot, and enjoys being read to.

Eliza adores her brothers, and they love being around her as well.

At her 9 month appointment, she weighed 21 lbs (80%) and was 28'' long (75%). She is sleeping much better the month and is sleeping through the night much more often.Eliza is a good nurser and also drinks a few bottles a day. She has two teeth and is enjoying pureed fruits and veggies, and has started eating yogurt, cheese, and cut melon. She is in size 9/12 month clothes and size 3 diapers.

Happy 9 months sweet baby girl!

Wadi Mujib

I am pretty far behind on blogging, and want to write about our trip to Malta in April, but will blog about a few smaller things first. First up, is Wadi Mujib! This hike is one of our favorite things to do in Jordan, it's a water hike down a slotted canyon just south of the Dead Sea, and every year it is a little different, based on the rainfall. The hike is open from April - October, and we typically go early in the season when the water levels are higher. Jordan had record rainfall this year, so the water levels were the highest we have seen. We have gone as an office a few times in the past, and did it again this year. It was a great way to all spend the day together and escape the heat of summer. It was 115 degrees that day by the Sea, but you are submerged in water most of the hike and it is very refreshing. You can't tell from this picture, but just around the corner, the water gets up to neck level, and you have to swim and hold onto ropes to make it through the obstacles. 

At the entrance/exit to the hike, there were some fun rocks to jump from. This is the first year the water has been high enough to do this!

It's a super fun way to spend the day with everyone!