Gozo 2019

The whole concept of going on holiday changes when you become a parent and suddenly realize you are responsible for someone other than yourself. It suddenly isn’t about lazy beach days, afternoon siestas and late night parties anymore, now it’s all about making memories and documenting as much of that adventure as possible because you can easily forget such moments when you are so tired, making sure everyone has what they need to have fun. Hats – check, sunnies – check, snacks – check, cold drinks, the brown horse, cow, pig, sheep (because we are so into farm animals at the moment) any way you get the picture. Sure you still manage to find time for yourself, but we all know how rare that is, so if you can make it happen, it’s an added bonus. For me, looking at my son’s happy face every time we hit the beach or the pool is the ultimate goal. I would rather be strolling around markets and finding odd trinkets in some backstreet shop, but it really isn’t about me anymore and that is ok! Just spending time together, taking pictures and having time to talk and laugh about anything other than work makes it a holiday to us. We even planned on dinner at our favorite restaurant, which we had to cancel last minute because someone hadn’t had his afternoon nap and made it impossible for us to leave the house. You don’t really get to plan out a holiday when you have children; you just go with the flow of things, no matter how unexpected. However, the adventure was well worth the ride.

We rented a farmhouse in Ghasri, with a beautiful pool area immersed in the typical Gozitan countryside. Leo loved the pool but we made sure to visit the beach too and instead of the usual sandy one we opted for a pebbled beach in Qbajjar, which was an amazing experience for all of us. The water was clear, there was no mess involved and Leo still enjoyed playing with the pebbles. The only inconvenience was taking half a bucket of pebbles back home with us. We also managed to take him on a small boat trip in Dwejra after waiting for hours for him to wake up so that he could enjoy the experience. He was not the only one blown away with the stunning coastline and the majesty of the cliffs and caves surrounding it.

I did also manage to get two and a half hours to myself and strolled down Rabat’s old square and beyond for some shopping and coffee with my mum and sister while Steve watched Leo.

Home cooked dinners and gathering around the table for some wholesome food with the family has to be one of the best things to do, just because it is so good for your soul. Everyone is busy or rushing to work otherwise, and planning a vacation together gives us the space to reconnect.