Malta: Living on the Edge of Europe » valley http://79664664.com Thoughts and happenings from a life on Malta Sat, 12 May 2012 12:38:41 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Tableaux from a tourun http://79664664.com/2011/02/10/tableaux-from-a-tourun/ http://79664664.com/2011/02/10/tableaux-from-a-tourun/#comments Thu, 10 Feb 2011 09:23:40 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=1648 First, let me clear the air about this word - tourun. It's a term I coined today to capture the two specific activities of running and touring which happen concurrently. This development has been a long time a coming. I have written before how I have no qualms in pausing a training run to take in breathtaking views, to admire the appearance of an uncommon species of wildlife or, with nose to the ground, to sniff at a floral specimen of lilliputian size.

FloatingPalm 300x287 Tableaux from a tourun

This morning I decided to take it a step further by carrying my Sanyo Xacti movie cam in a waist bag. With photography being another of my interests, I have often rued the missed opportunities which arise during a dawn run. However, I have now resolved this quandary by committing myself to the occasional tourun.

RunIntoFog 300x225 Tableaux from a tourun

I can see where this is going. Next will be snacks on some craggy cliff face and, with the warming of the weather, a plunge into a cool pool of water far away from the popular bathing places. All these sensory pleasures will still be bookended by a pair of running shoes carrying me to and from my destination.

 httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkiwH1NWc9g

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYO9WgfbAzU

]]> http://79664664.com/2011/02/10/tableaux-from-a-tourun/feed/ 0 Good Hope trek http://79664664.com/2010/02/21/good-hope-trek/ http://79664664.com/2010/02/21/good-hope-trek/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 12:58:31 +0000 Sandro http://79664664.com/?p=311 Almost within the shadow of Mosta’s massive dome lies a smaller place of worship –  Knisja Ta’ l-Isperanza (Our Lady of Good Hope church), which comes with its own legend involving a Maltese maiden, marauding Turkish corsairs, a cave, cobwebs and divine intervention (for the full story, I recommend A Hundred Wayside Chapels by Kilin - ISBN 99909-93-06-8). Located on one slope of Wied il-Ghasel (Valley of Honey – that’s as tempting a location as any) and standing sentry to the stone bridge which spans it, this was the meeting point for our small group of trekkers.  The leader was Stanley Borg of Trekking Malta.

SperanzaTrek11 300x225 Good Hope trekSperanzaTrek31 300x225 Good Hope trekSperanzaTrek21 300x225 Good Hope trek

Thanks to Stanley Borg for these photos

 

The circular route was mostly along quiet country roads or tracks and is quite manageable for walkers of any ability; the most challenging part being the hill rising up from Fiddien Valley to Dwejra, although it always seems so much harder when I’m doing it with my bicycle. The 10.5km circuit can be done comfortably in 2¼ hours.

Speranza 20 02 2010 300x162 Good Hope trek

Route taken

 

Should you like to download the route to your GPS, contact me for the relevant GPX file.

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