Sunday 14th January 2007

Sunday 14th January turned out to be more like glorious April weather than January weather, with a warm temperature of at least 19C and not a cloud in the sky (typical of the warmer-than-average weather all over Europe?). This no doubt contributed to the large turnout of 134 persons, much more than the average on our open walks so far.

From our meeting place in Rabat, we walked towards Santa Katerina chapel, and then downhill to the southern part of Wied Liemu. We crossed this scenic valley, mainly devoted to agriculture, walked up a short steep slope out of the valley, and then headed to the small hamlet of Misrah Suffara. From here we walked towards Ta' Baldu, overlooking Wied ir-Rum, another magnificent valley in this part of Malta. From Ta' Baldu we walked along a road parallel to the northeastern ridge of Wied ir-Rum, towards Ghar Zerriegha and the Mtahleb area. Before reaching Mtahleb chapel, we turned approximately northeast and then southeast through Ta' Laknija, and then back to Wied

Liemu, crossing the valley via a road just north of the road we had used earlier in the day. We then took a road south towards the Lunzjata area, where we stopped at the chapel dedicated to Our Lady of the Annunciation, hence "Lunzjata" in Maltese.

Lunzjata chapel is usually closed at this time; however Rector Amadeo Zammit very kindly opened up the chapel for us, and told us something about the history of this chapel, dating back to the middle ages. The chapel and friary of the Annunciation were built in 1418 with funds provided by the noble Catherine d'Aragona and given to the Carmelites who had just arrived in Malta. In 1662 the friary was demolished and the stones were used to build the Carmelite friary in Mdina. Throughout the centuries, the chapel became disused and dilapidated, until, in 1969, the Maltese Church decided to renovate the chapel and rebuild the friary as a retreat house. This was completed in 1975, when the Carmelites could therefore return back to their first church and friary in Malta.

After this interesting talk by Rector Amadeo Zammit, our group was free to roam about the chapel and the interior grounds of the adjoining Carmelite home. Following this stop, we walked back towards Rabat, taking a slightly different route through the housing estate of Ghar Barka, just in time for Sunday lunch.

All the ramblers seemed to enjoy this walk, designed to avoid the main roads all the way to Mtahleb and back.

Special thanks go to P. Amadeo Zammit O.Carm., who was very welcoming to our unexpectedly large (to him) group.

Back to Events