Malta and Gozo are known for their "blue". The gorgeous Mediterranean sea is particularly clean and clear here compared to other parts of the sea. The water is warm and swimmable, even into December (yes, we have taken advantage of this!). But what seems to be taken for granted, especially since the temperature drops down to where you need a light jacket or sweater--is the green. Maybe its me. Maybe its the stark contrast to the white and gold of the stone that entire towns are made of. The color is brilliant, and being from the Pacific Northwest, the green is vibrant. Within abandoned terraced fields, weeds grow with abandon. Farmers till and sow earlier in the fall when the rains begin--this is the growing season. In fact, one of the big concerns with the most recent big storm, was the hail (2cm across) caused severe damage to many crops in farms throughout the north of Malta and on Gozo. This storm was more severe than the normal downpours that come with wintertime. The downpour of 10cm in three hours caused severe flooding in Gozo, and hit the Marsalforn Valley particularly hard, blocking our way home for several hours. Rescue missions abound, cars floating down streets and into drainage gulleys--field walls burst. It became the worst storm in nearly a century! Even still, it is a very small island: the water flowed into the sea in a matter of hours, leaving behind fairly dry land, cactuses, sticks, and trash everywhere. Quite a mess. The bays were thick with soil and whatever had washed down the rocky hills. Life continued on, and two days later the bay waters cleared. And the next day the sun was shining.
