Victoria Lines West, Wednesday 21st December

The third walk organised by RAM took a group of ten from Ġnien l-Ġharusa tal-Mosta westwards along the Victoria Lines through Dwejra to the Binġemma fort. The weather fortunately held out, and the intermittent drizzle proved welcome as the air was rather warm. The views to the north overlooked from the Wall along the way were magnificently clear against a cloudy but sharp crisp sky.

The group also enjoyed the unexpected visit paid to the Mosta Battery, not far from Tarġa Gap, with large dark halls which however show the good use that the British made of the Maltese skill of architectural engineering in the vaulted ceilings of globigerina limestone. What a pity that the place is in a dilapidated state of neglect, which such a historic site was left in by the last tenants who used the place as a chicken farm.

Back to the Lines again we rambled on, past the quarry and up to higher grounds with spectacular views over 270 degrees - overlooking the Mosta dome and beyond, Naxxar, Ghargur, Madliena down to Salina and Qawra, the valley directly underneath Bidnija (Wied Ħzejjen) leading from the Mġarr road to Burmurrad, and westward ho to Fomm ir-Riħ and the sea to the far west - a lovely walk in perfect surrounds were it not for the unsightly tanks flanking the road around the perimeter of a field, and the rubbish dumped on the wayside by modern-day barbarians (pictures available soon).

Thence we crossed the Mġarr Road and climbed up the ridge to Dwejra, bringing in sight, as backdrop, the villages of Mġarr and Żebbieħ across the variously shaped and coloured fields below. Here again, the only sore point, deplored by all, was the damage to the fine historic wall encountered as we approached the Binġemma Fort, what with one breach breaking flagrantly through the Lines for a ramp down to the fields below, with a rubbish dump burn-out on the side to boot!

To keep the walk within the time limit set for it, and thanks to the advice of Tony Mallia, the group took a sharp right detour next to the Binġemma Fort, and trodded down between the Torri Falka and the Falka quarry, across the Mġarr road to San Andrea School, and thence along the Wied Ħzejjen. The drizzle became persistent now and the path was very muddy, but what a pleasure it was to stop for a chat with the farmers picking the last harvest of marrows (qara bali) and cutting back the vines in preparation for the coming season, while to the left the water flowed playfully down the course on its way to Ghajn Rihana.

Soon the muddy path opened up on the road to Bidnija, which we took up in our stride back to San Guzepp tat-Targa and on to our cars parked along the Gnien l-Ġharusa tal-Mosta. The time was twelve noon exactly, a good time.

And a good time was had by all.