Gozo - Intro - Thomson Villas With Pools April 2012

TOP 3 THInGs TO sEE & DO GOzO The legends come thick and fast in Gozo. And when the tales have been told, everyone heads to the harbour for drinks and home-cooked meals. 1. Citadel, Victoria set on the hillside in the centre of Victoria, the citadel is Gozo's safety-deposit box. In the 16th century, the Knights of st John used this fortified city to protect the island's jewels, art & money from being stolen during an invasion. 2. st George's Basilica, Victoria This 17th-century religious house, known as the Golden Church, is hidden among the warren of alleys and passageways of Victoria's old town. It's only when you get inside you realise how it got its name � its covered in gold stucco and marble. G ozo is a great example of good things coming in small packages. A satellite of Malta, this tiny island is just 14 kilometres long and 7 kilometres wide. But its sights-per-mile ratio rivals that of Rome and Egypt. The cream of the crop are the Ggantija Temples at the end of the Xagra Plateau. Dating back to 3,600 BC, these ancient structures are the oldest freestanding temples in the world. Just up the coast you'll find Ggantija's rival for the title of Gozo's top sight � Calypso Cave. It's mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as the place where Greek king, Ulysses, was held as a love slave. For all Gozo's connections to the past, the islanders live very much in the present. Their carpe diem outlook on life means evenings are filled with feasting and weekends are full to the brim with festivals. They take every chance they get to be near the water, too. Head down to the harbour in a coastal village like Xlendi on any summer night, and you'll find children splashing about in the shallows as their parents sip wine in waterside restaurants. 3. Calypso's Cave Overlooking Ramla Bay, Calypso's Cave is said to be the scene of one of the ancient world's juiciest crimes of passion. According to legend, this is where Greek goddess, Calypso, held Ulysses as her love prisoner. The story says he was a held captive here for seven years before he escaped back to his wife in Greece. Villa Only in Gozo per villa per week on code CET excluding flights and car hire from � 882 199 Flights to Malta FAsTFACTs APPROXIMATE FlIGHT TIME DEsTInATIOn AIRPORT KEy REsORTs return including taxes from � 3 hours from Gatwick Valletta (Malta) sannat, Gharb Visit your travel shop | Call 0871 230 2555 | Click on thomson.co.uk 114 Gozo Calls cost 10p per minute plus network extras. The cost of calls was correct at the time of publication. see page 3.

Intro contd… Gozo