Malta and Gozo: 16th April - 5th May: After a good night's sleep we awoke to a sunny day in Malta. We immediately noticed the traffic noise as there is a road running around the marina (Port El Kantaoui had been very quiet), it took a few days to get used to it and luckily the nights were very quiet. Our first task was to complete formalities with Police and Customs in Valletta; there were no problems and it was surprisingly quick and easy- especially after dealing with over-zealous officials in Tunisia!!

Maltese and English are the principal languages spoken and the people are so helpful and pleasant that we felt immediately comfortable. The customs offices are situated near the ferry port and the dock used for cruise liners, reached via a clean and spacious promenade seafront lined with restaurants and cafes. We couldn't resist a coffee at the Hard Rock Café, it was so good to back in European surroundings! On our first trip to the supermarket we were like kids in a sweetshop! So much choice after the limited availability of provisions in Tunisia.

It was also easier to get repairs done: a problem with the radar was soon diagnosed but a new part had to be ordered from the UK, so we knew that we'd be in Malta for around 2 weeks. Plenty of opportunity to see the island!

We were pleased to see that our friends Gerard and Josje on 'Mermaid' were close by in the marina. It was great to see them again. They had spent the winter months here and were about to leave, but not before we passed a few pleasant evenings catching up with one another's news over a glass of wine! We realised that we have both booked into the same marina in Turkey for next winter, a happy coincidence!

Over the next 10 days we travelled the length and breadth of Malta on the distinctive 1950's buses that are a feature of the island. They are original and consequently some are a bit rickety and noisy. We were told that they are very popular with tourists but that locals curse them!! Fares are inexpensive - most journeys cost only 47 �'� cents. Valletta, the capital is quite lovely and was the first planned city in Europe. Built as a home for the aristocratic Order of the Knights of St John in the 1500's, it retains the feel of a fortified city. The legacy of the Knights lingers on - not least in St John's Co-Cathedral which has a plain exterior but is richly decorated and full of art treasures inside, as every Knight ordained had to make a gift to the Cathedral. We spent half a day there and were particularly impressed by the intricate silverwork, and two Caravaggio paintings.

Despite intensive bombing during World War II Valletta remains intact and visually imposing. It is built on a rocky peninsular and has few level surfaces. We wandered between tall buildings and leafy squares and climbed up through narrow streets of stairs to see fantastic views over Grand Harbour on one side and Marsamxett Harbour on the other.

I sloped off alone for one mornings' shopping in town - some of the shops were familiar (M&S, BHS, Next) but prices were very high, even taking into account the weak £. Never mind, it left Kit to potter around on the boat and fit new guard wires - which look very smart!

On Friday night, we decided to forgo our traditional curry and ventured into Valletta as we'd spotted a restaurant with a Jazz band playing. The tables were under a canopy in a leafy square opposite the illuminated and grand Bibliotheca and the band played very laid back mood music - a beautiful setting. We sampled a local dish of braised rabbit - delicious! ...and luckier than our Dutch friends who'd ordered rabbit in one restaurant and been served the head and paws!! (Apologies to vegetarians!)

The north of Malta is more undeveloped and looks over to the northern island of Gozo, a short distance away. In between lies the small islands Comino and tiny Cominotto with their famous Blue Lagoon. After stopping off at St Paul's Bay for lunch on the return journey, we walked around the headland to Bugibba, a popular resort and the destination for many British holidaymakers, as confirmed by the number of 'English' bars and 'full English breakfasts' advertised!

We also visited Marsaxlokk, a fishing village to the southeast, there was no sign of the Sunday market we'd expected but we enjoyed walking around the harbour looking at all the brightly painted fishing boats.

The days passed quickly and soon the radar part arrived and was fitted on 30th April - a Thursday afternoon. We were all set to leave but next day was Labour Day, Friday 1st May, and a Bank Holiday. Everywhere was closed so we couldn't pay for the work until Saturday morning!

After finally settling up we set off for Gozo with a good weather forecast. Gozo is a smaller island, less densely populated, and looks much greener. As we rounded Comino we decided to take a look at the Blue Lagoon, a lagoon almost totally enclosed by Comino and Cominotto. Several yachts and a few motor boats lay at anchor and it looked very inviting so we dropped our sails and motored in between the rocks on either side of the entrance. The lagoon lived up to its name and we dropped anchor into crystal clear turquoise blue waters over a white sandy seabed. The motor boats left toward dusk, as they often do, and we spent a wonderful evening enjoying the peace and quiet. I took my first seawater swim of the year - a bit chilly at 17۫ C but a fantastic feeling!!

Next morning we woke early and sat on deck with a coffee just gazing out over the calm blue waters. A church bell on Gozo chimed out 'Ave Maria' in a deep resonant tone - one of those magic and memorable moments!!

Comino is almost uninhabited apart from an hotel on the other side. It was very peaceful until, to our surprise, a crowd of people appeared over the top of the hill and descended to the small jetty. We were trying to decide if they were waiting for a ferry to go to church, when we realised that they were all wearing Stetson hats and waistcoats! Just then, the strains of Country & Western music floated across the water and they took up their positions and began line dancing at the waterside!! Bizarre!! Maybe 'extreme' line dancers?? Even at a distance we could see that they were having fun - doubtless it would be an unforgettable experience to dance with the Blue Lagoon as a backdrop!

Later we reluctantly upped anchor and motored over to Mgarr marina on Gozo. Strong winds were forecast which would make it uncomfortable in the anchorage that night, and we also wanted to explore Gozo before setting off to Sicily.

Gozo: Gozo is only 14 x 7km and one third the size of Malta. Mgarr, a small port on the south of the island is a sleepy harbour; even the regular ferry from Malta hardly seems to disturb its peace. However shortly after we tied up, there was a loud engine noise and a seaplane arrived and cruised in through the narrow harbour entrance to tie up to another pontoon - it's not every day we see that!!

We just wandered around Mgarr on our first evening and had a 'sundowner' in a little bar that overlooked the harbour. Next morning we caught a bus (almost as ancient as the Maltese ones!) to Rabat (or Victoria) the main town. After a morning wandering around the imposing citadel that overlooks the town and the narrow streets and alleyways that surround it we hopped on another bus to Xlendi, a small village set in a deep inlet. Xlendi was once just a fishermen's cove but now boasts several hotels and newish apartment blocks. Nonetheless it is still a very pretty spot and we climbed up the cliff path for the lovely views over the village and inlet.

It would have been nice to linger on Gozo for a few more days but the forecast was good for a crossing to Sicily, 65 miles away, next day.

We set off to at first light next morning. As soon as we left the shelter of the Island the wind filled our sails and gave us terrific day's sailing across to Sicily. At first we had a gentle 10-12 knots breeze and with all three sails up we were making a respectable 5-6 knots. Later the wind increased, gusting up to 22 knots, so we pulled down the staysail and were still zipping along at 7 knots. This was great until early evening when we arrived at the SE corner of Sicily where we had aimed to drop anchor and overnight in Porto Palo. The entrance to the harbour looked a bit too rough as the wind had increased further around the headland of Capo Passero. We decided to continue on around to Syracusa, another 20 miles up on the East coast. Typically, once around the SE corner of Sicily the wind dropped away to nothing, so we finished our passage motorsailing in the fading light. As if to compensate a large pod of around 15 striped dolphins appeared and escorted us for a few miles, jumping, diving and racing under our bows.

It was 9.30pm as we approached Syracuse Bay and we were peering into the darkness trying to identify the leading lights to guide us in. The water was inky black and smooth as we slowly inched our way into the anchorage and dropped anchor amongst the dark shapes of other yachts. We'd covered 84 nautical miles - an awfully long day trip!