Monday, 21st March 2007

Chapel of the Visitation

It was the first walk of its kind. Labelled  ?Coast to Coast? the walk was not the usual circular-style.

Starting at Buskett the walk ended up at Marsa. We grabbed the opportunity to organize transport and the outcome was satisfactory, the coach transfer convenient, comfortable and timely even though the charge of one lira per person per way was twice the usual bus fare.

The Scottish group of 18 from Biggar and Hamilton arrived by coach accompanied by the walk leader of the day, Felix Grech. Another thirty three locals assembled at Floriana to take another coach to the starting point at Buskett, collecting the dozen or so ramblers at Dingli Square as previously agreed.

All seventy-five of us started rambling down to the gardens through which we zigzagged our way to Wied il-Luq. And what a pleasant route it was, next to the lush reed valley bed through which water was still streaming after the recent rains.

Ghar Hanzir - front view

Soon we were skirting the village of Siggiewi to our left.  At Zebbug, the longer, wider but drier Wied il-Hesri was joined forthwith and followed through until we came to the stone monument dedicated to Dun Karm Psaila, Malta?s national poet. Many ramblers took interest to read the poem inscribed thereon.

We started on Wied il-Qirda at this point but not for a long way. On reaching the old Dejma Post next to the sweet but dilapidated chapel dedicated to the Visitation of Our Lady, all were ready for a pause. Snacks and drinks came out of the back-sacks to be consumed voluptuously under the warm sun out of the brisk breeze.

"Ta' Ceppuna Chapel

Refreshed, we resumed our way through the canyons of Wied Qirda, past the tomb of the English Lady engraved high in the rock-face, and stopped to visit the Ghar Hanzir (Pig's Cave). All took pains to look inside the cave that is famed to have been a troglodytic chapel in bygone days.

It was asphalt from there on as we passed by the Lowenbrau brewery and drove to the Marsa Sports Club, where we found Mr Wallie Glynn eagerly awaiting to show us the historical bits in the ex-British Services Sports Club. Mr Glynn gave an account of that part of the old stable wall that is still standing from the days of the Knights.

"Hmmm, any frogs in there?" at Wied Qirda

Then he told all he knew about the tiny Ceppuna chapel, built by farmers in 1489 when the area was still a swamp. It was here that the dead body of the first Grandmaster in Malta, L?Isle Adam, had been laid for one night during the funerary cortege from Rabat to St Angelo.

Recently restored, today it stands on the edge of Malta?s only golf course in full view of the cricket pitch, rugby ground and archery field.

The coach was waiting to pick us up at the exit of the Sports Ground and by 3:15 p.m. all were at the Valletta terminus to proceed on the journey back home.

Ramblers on valley's bed