We start this morning's hike at San Pawl tat-Tarġa, Naxxar, in front of the church dedicated to St. Paul (1699). Behind the church is the early 16th century Torri Gauci (Gauci Tower), built by the Gauci family to watch for corsair raids. Adjacent, across the road, is it-Torri tal-Kaptan (the Captain's Tower) constructed later in that century by the Knights of St. John during the reign of Grand Master Jean Parisot de Valette.
We proceed down St. Paul Street to the top of Salina Road (it-Telgha t'Alla w Ommu) where, to the left just behind a World War II gunpost, lies a small area of garigue covered extensively in enigmatic cart ruts. Among them is a set that mysteriously doubles back on itself in a U-turn. A large area immediately southwest of the garigue all the way into the mouth of Wied il-Ghasel (Honey Valley) has unfortunately been heavily quarried. Fort Mosta commands a 360° view above the mouth of the valley, across the Burmarrad plain and all the way to Malta's northern coast at Salina.
The cart ruts lie beneath the 'Great Fault' (it-Tarġa) that runs along the width of the island of Malta from southwest to northeast and above which the British had constructed the defensive Victoria Lines (1890s). Along a short stretch of the Victoria Lines in this area one can still see remnants of an earlier entrenchment constructed by the Knights in the 18th century.
From here we proceed along Fort Mosta Road, enjoying bird's-eye views above Wied il-Ghasel. Among the places of interest seen on the way are two dolmens in the area of Santa Margherita (Mosta), the chapel dedicated to St. Paul the Hermit, constructed in a cave on the northern side of the valley and what remains of a small arched bridge on the valley floor that used to form part of the Victoria Lines.
We then return through central Mosta and onward to Naxxar, passing by the famous Mosta Rotunda, Tas-Sgħajtar Windmill (1670) and the modern Divine Mercy Sanctuary at San Pawl tat-Tarġa, with it's 'love it or hate it' bronze side-door depicting the sculpted heads of 50 babies.
Music: Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 in E Minor, Op. 64, Second Movement - Andante Cantabile, Con Alcuna Licenza (extract), BBC Philharmonic conducted by Yan Pascal Tortelier.
8 сен 2024
