No blog about Gozo would be complete without mentioning Dwejra. It's where the Azure Window is located, which is the island's most famous natural landmark. But there are other natural features to be found, such as Fungus Rock, Dwejra Bay itself, and the Inland Sea, so it's a very popular spot for tourists. The area is also littered with fossils on the raised sea bed where this snap of The Azure Window was taken. Then there's Dwejra watchtower which is the best on the island and open to visitors. It's all well worth seeing, but for me Dwejra is about diving. There are three entry points which make for very different dives: At the Inland Sea, going through the tunnel and back. At the Coral Garden, which lies just to the left of the Blue Hole, shown in there with the Azure Window in the background. And the Blue Hole itself, which is the dive I describe in Naked Hero. It is the most popular dive around Gozo, and rightly so. If you want to see big fish then Reqqa Reef is better, but the Blue Hole has more in the way of geological drama. The hole itself is something to see - seemingly cut off from the sea. But ten meters down there is another window which links the Blue Hole to the main. And that's just for starters. With the reefs, boulders, a chimney to ascend, and plenty of fish as well, it's a magical dive and deserving of it's status. I hope I did it justice when I described it through Lewis's awestruck eyes. J. K. |
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Ramla is Gozo's largest and most popular beach. It can get quite busy during the peak of summer, especially at the weekend. But this morning I had it pretty much to myself. It's set in Ramla valley, and off to the right over looking the bay is Calypso's Cave. According to legend, on his way home from Troy, Odysseus got washed ashore on an island, and some think Gozo is a likely candidate, with Ramla the beach where he ended up. The story has it that the goddess Calypso, who lived in that cave, took a fancy to Odysseus and kept him captive on the island for seven years. That’s why Gozo is also known as Calypso’s Island. In Naked Hero, Lewis comes to Ramla and is told about the legend. It is one of several Greek legends that I draw upon, using them as a parallel to Lewis's own journey home. Like Odysseus, this Hero's journey home takes ten years, although only two weeks were spent to Gozo. Oddly enough, I have lived on the island for ten years, and now will make my own journey home - to Brighton in December. J. K. It's mid-November in Gozo, but there was still a dozen or so people on the beach at San Blas when I visited it today. In July there would be a lot more, so I was using a bit of licence when I wrote Naked Hero and had it deserted when Lewis went there with Gavin. I went there by car today, although you have to walk the final stretch, which is down a very steep hill, and an arduous climb on the way back to the small car park. Lewis and Gavin go to San Blas on foot, walking along the coastal path from Ramla, which is Gozo's most popular and largest beach. I made the same walk myself several times, although it is almost impossible now, as erosion has taken much of the path away, making it a difficult scramble for large sections of the route - doable, but far from easy. But however you get there, San Blas is well worth a visit, even if you don't have it to yourself. Ochre sand, azure sea, and a dramatic backdrop of cliffs and terraced fields. It's a very special place, for its beauty peace and tranquillity. A tonic to be there after the horror of this morning's news from Paris. J. K. Xlendi is a fairly new addition to Gozo. Fifty years ago there were only a handful of houses, but with the advent of tourism it has grown into a small, quite tasteful resort. There isn't much of a beach, but is has a very nice seafront boasting plenty of restaurant. And the east side of the bay has a long paved walkway and sunbathing spots, leading to an ancient bridge which crosses a ravine and gives access to Xlendi watchtower which overlooks the salt pans. It's usually bustling during the summer, with tourists staying in hotels or holiday apartments. Xlendi features in Naked Hero because it also has a number of dive centres, and being near to Sannat where I have him staying in the book, it is the obvious place where he learns to dive. There are a plenty of snaps of Xlendi and the surrounding area on my facebook page. Click on the 'F' icon above to go there and find the photo album Gozo if you'd like to see them. J. K. I don't mention the Sanap Cliffs in Naked Hero, but they are certainly worth mentioning here. While the Ta' Cenc plateau to the east of Sannat offers greater variety for walking, as a cliff/coastal walk, there is more dramatic scenes to be found heading west to Xlendi where Lewis did his diving course. He was driven there by Gavin, which is the smart way to do it during the height of summer. But in mid-November, the weather is perfect for walking, and that's what I did today. There is a full set of snaps on my Facebook page in an album called Gozo, but here is a sample of the sort of views the walk affords. J. K. I don't write about Lewis going to see the Ta' Cenc cliffs in Naked Hero, but he undoubtedly would have visited them at some point during his stay on Gozo. Being based in Ta' Cenc itself, it would have been an obvious thing to do. I went there today to take a few snaps and remind myself of how splendid they are. This is perhaps my favourite view, looking east to the Sanap cliffs. Summer evenings can be very special here, with the heat of the day blissfully cooling as the sun goes down. It's then that the cliffs take on some incredible colours, adding to their natural beauty. And if there is a hint of cloud for the setting sun to play with, then that just adds to the spectacle. Perfection comes if you are there with a good friend and a bottle of wine to share. I didn't write it, but I'm sure Lewis and Gavin would have gone there and enjoyed that special moment. J. K.
We are fortunate to have another glorious day here in Gozo, so I took advantage and went for a walk this morning, following the trail that I describe in Naked Hero when Lewis goes for his first run. It's a run I used to do regularly myself when I was a lot fitter than I am at present, so I know it pretty well. It's down hill on the way out, and a real sod of a climb on the way back. Walking is definitely the better way to do it.
I suppose you have to go away to really appreciate something. I went back to Brighton for a couple of weeks, having been away for over a year. I really appreciated being back in the city that I have always considered my spiritual home. I was lucky with the weather, it being pretty good on the whole, which for late October was a bit of a result. It's now a week later, and I'm back in Gozo - the weather here is gorgeous today, blue sky, the air clear and the light sharp as a pin. While back in the UK, storm Abigail is on it's way, supposedly the worst in over a year. Yet come December 15 I will relocate back to Brighton. Out walking this morning, some questions were raging about that decision. But nothing is permanent I told myself. Gozo has been great, but I need something different now, and Brighton is where I'm most likely to find it, assuming Abigail hasn't blown it away. But I though as I was walking that I should make a tribute of sorts. Gozo has been my base for a number of years, and of course it was the inspiration for much of Naked Hero. I've kind of moved on from that with the first in the Polar North series - North to South, which is totally set in Brighton and the surrounding area. But having finished that book, I don't want to leap into the second in the series as yet - that can wait until I'm based in Brighton. Meantime I'm going to take some trips down memory lane, returning to my favourite haunts on the island, perhaps taking a few snaps of my own to post on this blog, and recalling the scenes in Naked Hero they inspired. All very self-indulgent... and I'm going to enjoy every minute, even if no one bothers to share them with me. J. K. |
AuthorJ. K. Brighton is the author of Naked Hero. This blog is intended to give insight into the book. Archives
November 2015
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