Saturday 17 July 2010

Marfa Ridge Walk Saturday 17th July 2010

Seventeen brave ramblers opted to wake up early on a very hot day and started walking along the coast, passing by Ta' Kassisu Entrenchment & heading towards ir-Rdum tal-Madonna. Here we had a short break to be able to observe a wonderful sunrise. Eventually on the other side of the Marfa Ridge facing Comino, we could observe all the fortifications built by the Knights: 3 redoubts (tal-Barriera, Eskalar & tal-Bir), 2 batteries (Vendôme & ta' Wied Musa), 1 coastal tower (Torri l-Abjad) and the Louvier Entrenchment also known as Is-Sur tal-Ahrax.

We could also observe all the sea inlets: Dahlet ix-Xmajjar, ir-Ramla tat-Torri, ir-Ramla tal-Armier, Ramlet il-Qortin, il-Ramla tal-Bir & ir-Ramla ta' Wied Musa, from where we headed inland along the first part of this valley to be able to reach our starting point as early as possible.

Walk Leader : Simon
Duration : about 3 hrs (0500-0800 including breaks)
Distance : 12.5 km

Some photos below, courtesy of Mario Dimech.


Mellieha Bay in the early-morning light


Near Dahlet ix-Xilep


Sunrise over Marfa Ridge


Ramblers observing the sunrise


Sunrise over is-Sikka l-Bajda


Statue of Our Lady at 6 am



Various inlets - it-Torri l-Abjad is visible in this photo

2 comments:

Unknown said...

bEHIND THE STATUE OF OUR lADY, IS THE wEID mUSA BATTERY. iT WAS BUILT IN THE LATE 1700'S. dURING THE EARLY 1900'S UNTIL AFTER ww11 IT WAS LEASED AND HOUSED THE MARFA PALACE HOTEL. IT WAS THE PLACE TO GO TO DINE. THE HALF MOON COURTYARD IN THE REAR OF THE BUILDING, HAS A PARAPET THAT ONE HELD A CANNON. THE WALLS AROUND THE COURTYARD DURING THE WAR HAD BLUE GLASS PANELS. THESE WERE FIRED UPON BY AN ITALIAN FIGHTER PLANE. THE AIM WAS MY MOTHER WHO HAD GONE OUT TO SAVE HER PLANTS DURING AN AIR RAID. SHE WAS NOT HIT, BUT I'M TOLD HER MOTHER FAINTED FROM FRIGHT. IT WAS MY GRANDFATHER'S HOTEL.

Unknown said...

here is a better description of weid musa.

http://www.mellieha.com/places_interest/fortifications/wied_musa_marfa.htm