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Malta: Day 7: Exploring Mellieħa area with bikes 

The flag of Malta is a basic bi-colour, with white in the hoist and red in the fly. A representation of the George Cross, awarded to Malta by George VI of the United Kingdom in 1942, is carried, edged with red, in the canton of the white stripe. 7th day on the island Nada and me decided to rent the bikes for 3 days and explore it on 2 wheels. Since the drivers looked a little dangerous on their turf, we chose nice back roads for our journey. We headed North and explored the Mellieħa area.

Previous days of our trip to Malta: Day 6, Day 5, Day 4, Day 3,  Day 2 and Day 1.

 

We left Buġibba

 

Towards Mellieħa

Easy footpaths

Nada in race mode

Our bikes

 

Around Ghadira Bay with the largest and one of the most beautiful and popular sandy beaches in Malta

Nada and the statue of the Madonna (Il-Madonna tal-Aħrax)

 

Chapel of Immaculate Conception

  

Cycling around Rdum Tal-Madonna

 

Coral Lagoon, also known as Dragonara Cave

View to Comino, formerly called Ephaestia

 

Aħrax Tower or the White Tower was built in 1658 as the sixth of the De Redin towers. Aħrax Tower is the northernmost fortification on the main island of Malta.

Armier Bay

Cat in Paradise Bay

Jellyfish photographer

 

Mauve stinger (Pelagia noctiluca) is widely distributed in all warm and temperate waters of the world's oceans.

Cleaning the feet

It inflicts a nasty painful sting. Glad we didn't try it.

Goodbye cat and Paradise Bay

Happy bikers Tuši and Nada

Cave near Ta' Qassisu cliffs is also used for climbing

2 bikes and a backpack

Malta also has some steep terrains and good mountain biking paths

 

Tasting prickly pears. All I got was some tiny thorns on my lips.

View to the south

Nada switch to race mode one more time

Another visit to Saint Agatha's Tower

Popeye Village over the Anchor Bay

 

Asphalt sideways

Manikata Aqueduct

The name Mellieħa is derived from the Semitic root m-l-ħ, which means salt. This is probably derived from the ancient Punic-Roman salt pans which existed at Mellieħa Bay. The site of the salt pans is now occupied by the Għadira Nature Reserve.

Proper road for our mountain bikes

Ghar Il-Midfna burial cave

Xemxija Roman Apiaries

 

This is supposed to be the oldest Carob tree in Malta and is estimated to be a 1000 years old. With this one we left the no biking zone.

Back in civilization

Evening ride home

Mountain biking in Malta #1

GeoCaches found (all received a visit by trackable items "Der Kleine Maulwurf", TB61FZ4, "The Green Man", TB7DXE4, "gran san bernardo", TB84C9J, "De reiziger", TB6R4VV and "FarmtagZ klompendans", TB6BAG2):
- Hippy Tree Hugger!, GC62R2J
- mellieha bastions, GC2N80N
- Slightly Burned Porridge, GC6AHVQ, where I retreived trackable item "Norway", TB6QQTT, and it stayed with me for the rest of the day
- Paradise Bay Park, GC56JHE
- Paradise Bay Climb, GC56JJQ
- Johnny Cache, GC7DQ6C
- Emily's Woodland Wander No 10, GC70CWF
- Cache Romana, GC4149Q