Last week, I woke up to sad news that The Azure Window of Gozo was swallowed by the sea. Created by the sea thousands of years ago and destroyed by the sea in a powerful storm.  While experts had said it was fragile, I hadn’t realized its days were numbered.  I visited this tiny island of Malta a few years ago during my sabbatical, spending three weeks exploring the island and meeting locals.  The loss of the Azure Window is Goitian & Maltese history vanished in an instant, I’m not sure there is a natural attraction in the U.S. that would be lost in the same way.

When I visited the Azure Window, I stopped for a moment to take it all in – there have been a few places on my travels that have made me stop and be thankful for the stunning beauty of nature.  It’s when I know I’m not that jaded yet from all of the travel. The summer sun of June was shining strong and the waters inviting many to enjoy a swim while yet others perused the souvenir and ice cream stands on the periphery of the visitors area.

Visiting the Azure Window

Once I walked around to soak in the otherworldly landscapes (familiar to Game of Thrones fans from the wedding in the first season), I then began taking photos (a lot of photos).  A few tourists ignored the signs not to climb the Azure Window but alas for that photo they did and I photographed their dangerous decision.

The Inland Sea Tour

We then boarded a small fishing boat to visit the Inland Sea and see the Azure Window from behind.  With viewpoints from both land and sea, The Azure Window projected different impressions.

My Favorite Photo

One photo in particular stands out for the boy would stood in the frame the whole time.  He was swimming with friends in the water below but stood for about twenty minutes and wouldn’t leave the frame of my photo so I gave up and took it with him in it.  I wanted the shot clean to look like all of the magazine photos I had seen without interference but later when I viewed the photo, I was actually happy he stayed in the frame because it gave perspective to how massive the Azure Window really was and how the view through the window didn’t change but in this case someone was standing in front of the window.

But now the window is no longer.  This wasn’t a door closing with another door open for opportunity (or maybe it was and is yet to be seen), this was a window slamming shut for good.  The view has changed but maybe that’s the point – nature, just like life, is fragile and peeking through the window is fleeting.

Travel diversification means having a points balance in a few hotel, credit card and airline programs can allow you to be spontaneous in your travels.  That’s what happened when my Starwood (now Marriott) account drew me to Malta (a country my family had to Google to figure out where I was).  When I was at the Westin Milan enjoing a Milan Spa Day and deciding where to go next, I saw a fantastic points deal (3,500 points a night!!!) at the Westin Malta (also known as the Westin Dragonara Resort in St. Julian’s.  I asked my friend if I should go to Malta solo to explore the history, the food and see some Game of Thrones sights and he suggested we vacation in Gozo instead (that was a surprise) and that definitely changed my trip.  I would extend my Milan stay moving with points to the Sheraton Diana Majestic before arriving in Malta.  With the Westin Malta Dragonara still on my mind, we decided to stay at the hotel at the end of our Gozo adventure.  I needed a bit of travel luxury & normalcy which in my world is a Westin hotel.  I was able to redeem points (Category 5) for a King Room in June (rates vary) but at the time of my stay rooms were starting at €250.

Westin Malta Location

St. Julian’s Bay is on the corner of the island of Malta (both an island and a country) and close to many shops and restaurants.  It’s only seven miles from the airport. There isn’t a sand beach (there are a few on the island) but both a pool and lido beach deck to enjoy.  You can easily swim in the sea if you want (I really wanted to do this).  We were arriving from the Gozo ferry so I had arranged a car pickup through the hotel concierge.  The driver wasn’t that friendly until my companion mentioned his youth spent in Malta and they started talking about the changes over the years.  As we drove from the ferry area around the curves of the island (funny how six/seven miles feels so much longer on windy roads), I could see the variations of villages.  When we started passing more tourist shops, a Hard Rock Café and I could see the Casino in teh distance, I knew we were in the tourist zone.  When we turned into the hotel driveway, I felt like a real person again on vacation at a luxury resort.

Westin Malta – Lobby Arrival/Check-In

It was a lovely, albeit busy, lobby area as folks were busy checking out on Sunday morning after what appeared to be a fun Saturday night. The high ceilings, contemporary furnishings and gold touches with a view of the water in the background were just what I needed to end my Malta vacation.

As a Gold Member, I had requested early check-in in the reservation and also called the hotel the morning of check in prior to going to the Gozo ferry (we would have stayed longer on Gozo if needed).  I was disappointed to arrive at 1 p.m. to be told that my room wasn’t ready and that they would call me when it was.  “How long will that be?” I asked and the gold member desk girl said “I don’t know but normal check-in is at 3 p.m.”.  The hotel was full the night before with multiple events taking up the 340 rooms and 56 suites. She wasn’t very nice nor welcoming but fortunately would be the only negative during our stay.

We gave our bags to the bellman to store and carried out laptop bags with us to the café by the pool for a drink.  It seemed like too much work to change in the lobby bathroom to use the pool – we had hope that our room would be ready after lunch. Walking down the sweeping staircase, we passed security to the outdoor pool area for guests.

Poolside at the Westin Malta Bayview Bar

It was a gorgeous day and we had hoped for a short wait choosing to stay on property for lunch at the pool side café.  The server was good, the food was the standard hotel pool food fare of sandwiches, burgers, salads.  As this is a Westin, they also have their Superfoods Menu and Juice options available for healthy fare. Instead of being healthy, I opted for burger and fries (they always taste better at hotels don’t they?).  The prices were surprisingly reasonable for a resort property.  The pool was busy with families but there were free lounge chairs available and empty Jacuzzis.  A bonus of a busy check out day.

Westin Malta – Waiting for Check-In on the Patio

I was back at the front desk and told “still not ready” so we moved to the outdoor balcony off of the lobby bar and waited along with many others killing time looking at the pretty pool and ocean views.  We were all anxious to run to our rooms, unpack and get out to the pool and beach lido but were in a holding pattern.  Finally phones started ringing around us, including mine, indicating that our rooms were ready early – it was 2:50 p.m.! So excuse me if I wasn’t excited that the room was ready 10 minutes earlier than normal check in and my gold status wasn’t recognized.

Westin Malta – The King Room

Making our way to the room was easy and as I entered I was in familiar territory – a Westin.  I do love the heavenly beds, shower and overall wellness of the brand. As I entered there is a wet bar with coffee maker on the right as well as a closet with iron, safe and fluffy Westin slippers.

Past the King Heavenly Bed, we had a loveseat and table as well as a desk.  A special treat was the balcony with water view. The colors were muted and I felt the walls a bit bare – they could have done with a splash of color or local artistry.  The Heavenly Bed was, as always, inviting in its comfort (someday I will buy one for my house but am afraid I won’t want to leave home anymore).

Too exhausted from the ferry, taxi and unexpected wait for the room, we decided to decamp on the lovely balcony with a bottle of sparkling wine and food we had brought with us to toast the end of our holiday. The hotel is a U shape with pink and cream colors and the views from the balcony were all stunning.

Westin Malta – Heavenly Bathroom

The Westin bathroom was pretty standard – I could have been anywhere in the world. It was a relaxing space with the familiar green leaf soap and toiletries with the heavenly shower.

Concierge at the Westin Malta

The concierge was wonderful help before and during our visit.  We had chatted on the phone prior to my visit and he was attentive when I was there.  His suggestions were personal and not “here’s a list of restaurants” he explained each suggestion before booking our reservation.

Malta Westin Breakfast at the Terrace Restaurant

The hotel breakfast buffet is one level below the lobby and you can take the stairs if you want.  The offerings were quite impressive with a variety of food stations that formed a U shape with a few separate areas in between. You can sit inside or outside on the patio.  I mentioned to the host that they needed to change out the pineapples on the bar (yes, I used to work in restaurants for many years).  Breakfast was very good.

As I was leaving I mentioned the pineapples again to the host and he said “we did change the pineapple juice”.  When he realized I wanted pineapples for breakfast and they didn’t replace them he sent a waiter to the kitchen to get me fresh pineapple.  He asked what else I needed and I said “I’m good, I just need to find cappuccino for my friend – is there a coffee bar?”  Like that, a takeaway box of pineapple and a cappuccino appeared.  I was really impressed by the service. As a solo diner that morning, the staff were very attentive which is always welcome.

Drinks & Dessert in the ORVM Lounge (Westin Malta)

We chose to dine off property with a ten minute walk on the road outside of the hotel to the area of town with a plethora of dining, bars and tourist shopping.  The casino is a quick walk from the hotel but we chose to return to the hotel.  We went to the lobby ORVM Lounge and Piano Bar for dessert and after dinner drinks.  The staff were so friendly and accommodating.  After bringing our food & drinks we asked if it was ok to go out on the balcony and two waiters appeared to move us outside.  The chocolate dessert was fantastic!

Business Center at The Westin Malta

Since my foot was still injured and I was flying next to Paris, I decided to lighten my suitcase by shipping clothes, shoes and stuff we bought in Malta back to London where my friend lives and my last stop before flying home. I had to trust that he wouldn’t hold my shoes hostage.  The woman at the business center was amazing to sort out the box for mailing back to the UK via the Malta postal service. She said “leave it to me and it will be fine” and it was as the box would arrive a few days later in London.

Westin Malta – Final Thoughts

While the check-in experience wasn’t great, every other touch point of our stay was really good.  The Westin is always my comfortable happy place with wellness features at the gym and on the menus. My friend joked that he could get used to 5 star hotels and this type of service and I laughed and said “that’s what my points and loyalty are all about – fantastic hotels, wonderful service and relaxation in picturesque destinations”.  We both want to go back to the Westin Malta Dragonara Resort and spend more time there to enjoy all that the hotel resort has to offer – especially the pools!

“What do we do on Gozo” I asked my friend.  He replied “we relax”.  Relax?  As a solo traveler for so long, relax isn’t usually in my vocabulary as I try to see as much as I can in a short period of time. I’m not quite “check the box” traveler but the over the top Type A, need a vacation from my vacation type of traveler. Sometimes, I will schedule a spa day to relax (notice I have to “schedule” a relaxing day, oh the irony!)  Here I was traveling with a longtime friend for the first time, without any photos of Gozo to research in advance, and being told all I’m going to do is relax – “You need to chill out” he said (easier said than done) knowing that I had run away from home.  For any East Coast, city Type A girl, like me, being told you are doing absolutely nothing for the next twelve (ended up as nineteen) days is scary. It was a test I was likely to fail, or so I thought.

On day three, I was full of stress, nowhere near a relaxing state at the nightmare Airbnb house. I didn’t anticipate fracturing my foot on day three but the universe decided I needed a “push” to relax. Getting hurt and not being able to walk without pain and swelling isn’t the ideal situation for a vacation, however, it was my reality. With all of my plans and schedules shot to hell, I had to just wave the white flag and surrender to this island life and chill out.  If you look at the Visit Malta website, their Gozo page states “For those who wish to switch off and regenerate, Gozo is the place to be“. Fair enough, let’s see…..we hit “reset” on our holiday at the five star luxury Kempinski Gozo hotel.

My new schedule became a daily routine of new lunch spot (some with water views) followed by light walking/sightseeing on different parts of the island. It’s a small island but surprisingly there so much to see along the coastlines of the many villages. Arriving back to the house, it was time to ice and then elevate my foot before pool time and our daily ice cream break (I’m a new fan of Magnum ice cream bars).  From there we had happy hour before getting ready for dinner at the local café.

Without the option of driving myself (they drive on the left) or walking to escape (foot injury), I had no other option than to roll with it and “relax”.  While I thought I might fail to embrace the whole relaxing vacation, I passed with flying colors – a gold star only to sadly leave the island and rejoin society.  Enjoy my highlights with the photos of Gozo.

Photos of Gozo at Hondoq Bay

In the village of Qala, you will find Hondoq Bay.  Its gorgeous view will make you forget that the area is primarily rocky (bad for my foot).  It has many ladders to easily get you into the water.  We would do a light hike up the side to see the inlets that my friend swam as a child. Sadly, my injury prevented further exploration and swimming at the time.

Xlendi Bay

With lights sparkling around the bay and lights in the distance from the boats, dining was interesting as the water was crashing along the wall next to our table and I was sure we would get soaked but we didn’t. This is the daytime view.

The Azure Window of Gozo

The iconic view of the Azure window was stunning and well worth the time to slowly walk out on the uneven surfaces. You can swim in the water as many folks were doing except for the young guy in my photo that stood there for more than ten minutes as all of the photographers just wanted him to jump into the water with his friends and out of our frame.

Note: Sadly, the sea reclaimed The Azure Window in March of 2017 and the window is gone, which made me so sad, however, it is still worth the visit as the views are lovely nonetheless. It is a reminder that nature is quite powerful in building and destroying the earth.

On Gozo – The Inland Sea

The sign points down the hill and yet many people miss this hidden gem.  Every twenty minutes there is a guy in his boat who will take you on a quick trip (for a small fee and tip) through the cave and out into the sea to see the Azure window from the water. There were four of us on the tour and you can see the sheer scale of the cliffs on the island. This was one of my favorite activities to be on the water.

Ta’ Cenc Cliffs

We drove around following the signs and then there were no signs. We couldn’t find the Ta’ Cenc Cliffs and stopped a kid on his bike and he pointed to walk through the fields.  We trusted him and started walking over the rocks, through the bush and were rewarded with this view of the island.  Having been on the water down below looking up, this was my view high above looking down.  Just stunning.

Photos of Gozo Salt Pans

The sea crashed on the island and leaves its salt behind.  The salt pans collect the salt and are then emptied and sold on the island.  Natural sea salt.  The largest collection of salt pans are in Zebbug past Marselforn (go there for lunch first) but you will also see others around the island.

Center of Gozo in Victoria

Victoria is the heart of the island and where you will find the stores, bus station and the historic Citadel.

Ramla Beach

For a true sand beach, we visited Ramla beach for our lunch (there are a few food stands).  As it was later in the day, renting an umbrella and chair made no sense with only a few good hours left.  We found an empty spot to put our towels and waded into the water.  The water was shallow for a good part of the trek in but was so warm and inviting.  You had to swim a far way out to get above your waist.  It was the first time in years, that I had been in the ocean and it was fantastic.  The clear waters were definitely a stark change from the Jersey shore.  This was truly the place to sit in the sun, relax and be carefree.

Most folks are visiting Gozo for the day from Malta.  They hop on the big red double decker bus, join a tour, snorkel or are fearless and rely on the local transit.  You can easily tick off the boxes for most of the above sights but I was lucky to live on the island for three weeks and take it all in as an adventure to discover.  That’s what so great about the island, at first, I didn’t see the potential, but I learned to relax, disconnect from the world and regenerate anew. Misson Accomplished!

My friend said to “book the quirky Airbnb house on Gozo” when I gave him a few choices for our last minute trip as he was more familiar with the island than I was.  He wanted a private pool and a farmhouse.  I still blame him for our calamities!

Walking past the pool and into the house after 10 p.m. as we missed the ferry, we immediately had a bad feeling about this place.  The host made up only one of the four bedrooms (we wanted our own bedrooms) and showed us around, indicating what items were broken.  I saw something move in the dark, the host stepped on the bug and said “we are in the country, there are bugs”. With that, she was off and we were hungry after a very long travel day full of delays and a missed ferry to the island.  We would need to drive to another village on the island in the hopes of finding food near 11pm on a Thursday. Lucky for us, the café just agreed to let a table sit down and would serve us.  Back at the house, in the dark we promised to explore the house and property more in the morning.  Full of wine, with fans on and windows opened we passed out exhausted from the stressful day.

Wandering in the Light of Day

I woke up first and took to exploring the house and the compound of three other farmhouses.  In the daylight, my findings were a bit dire. First off, the Wi-Fi didn’t work in the house, I needed to go to the caretaker’s house (he was away) and stand on the top step or go inside (which I attempted but it was messy with uneaten bread on the table). Then I looked into the other houses past the odd garden made up of tile, glass bottles and dead plants. Our pool, while clear, had algae on the steps, walls and floor – we would not be using that.

The house itself had dust and trash behind the couch. The couch, well-worn had obvious stains and weirdly a child’s dirty stuffed animal on it as well as christmas holiday towels.  The space wasn’t ready for our arrival.

The upstairs cushions to put on the deck had mold, the wooden table was missing wood with rusty nails sticking out.  The grill was rusted (no food was going on that thing despite my tetanus shot).  The kitchen sink had only one of two faucets working (the host mentioned that on the quick tour the night before).  The other bedrooms both upstairs and downstairs had shoved in all of the extra supplies, furniture and equipment – all dusty and full of cobwebs.  It felt that the house hadn’t been open yet for the season and we were the first guests. Despite booking a week in advance, nothing seemed ready to welcome us.

Key Take Away: Take photos of everything!  If you have any issues with the property (even a 5 star hotel) it’s always best to have photo evidence when discussing concerns with the host, Airbnb or hotel staff. Research the property on all property rental sites if you can. 

The Quirky House

The house had potential, it really did, it just needed a good cleaning, consistent décor that wasn’t weird and to be set up for visitors. But sadly, it was missing all three of those things.  The bathrooms were a mixed bag – the faucet in one was turned off and barely dripping, with black mold around, the other had a rusted toilet that made noises and the powder room was darkly lit. 

The stairs had a loose step (I made a mental note not to trip on that going up and down) and outside the bedroom was an uneven last step that was filled in but not level.  Our bedroom was weirdly decorated and there were no screens in the windows.  We had fans to provide a bit of cool air in the otherwise humid room. The bed frame was custom made of wood to support the double queen size. Downstairs there was a plant growing inside the house with so many dead leaves and a vine that grew across the wall that we needed to duck under to reach the stairs. Of course, with plants there are flying bugs, etc.  

It’s Dirty

So I assessed that the place was dirty.  I’m sure we’ve all encountered something like this (or worse) in college but I was surprised that this was allowed to be rented on Airbnb.  It was Friday morning and we were scheduled to be here until Tuesday before moving to my friend’s family house which the rental agent was cleaning for us.  They needed to clean the house before we could move in, apparently our Airbnb host didn’t get the “clean the house memo”.  The island was sold out that weekend so our options to move were few and the prices quite high so I added a few cleaning supplies to our shopping list. Pif Paf, the European version of Raid!, was a lifesaver!

My friend slept past noon and woke up with more than ten mosquito bites on his back, arms and legs. He agreed the place was dirty and we tried to figure out how we would stay here not knowing what else to do.  I texted the host for a hairdryer Friday morning as none was provided. We left the house to explore the island and tried to stay out as long as we could to avoid the house.

On Saturday (no hair dryer yet), my friend woke up with bug bites on his wrists.  This time they appeared as boil like, fluid filled arranged in a circle of five on one arm and one on the other.  In a word – GROSS!

Key Take Aways: First impressions!  One of my own suggestions with European hotels is to view the room/property in the daytime not at night so that you have time to sort out alternative options. Also, on the first showing with the host, confirm that all items noted as provided are available. Bring Bug Spray!

Airbnb Response

I sent an email to Airbnb asking what to do about the dirty house as I looked for alternatives.  The host had a generous cancellation policy so I sent a text to cancel our Monday night stay, well within her policy.  The rep replied quickly that I should have contacted them within 24 hours to work out the situation with the host. I told them it was my first time renting with Airbnb and I didn’t know about this policy.  I explained that the host wasn’t replying to text messages about the hairdryer or the canceled last night.  The rep asked me to send photos to him showing the house condition.  I told him I would once I got Wi-Fi reception as the house didn’t have it.

Key Take Away: Contact Airbnb by email or phone immediately if you feel that the property is dirty or unsafe.  They will work to accommodate you elsewhere and talk with the host.  If you feel unsafe or something doesn’t seem right, leave immediately and then call/contact Airbnb from a safe location. 

The Vacation Injury

As I was getting ready for dinner, I came out of the bedroom and the uneven step threw me into the hallway and I heard a “pop” and couldn’t move my foot.  Trying not to cry in front of my friend (silly, I know), I yelled out his name and he came up the stairs to help me try to stand (not easily).  He helped me downstairs (we both stepped gingerly on the loose step) to the couch which I was putting paper towels on the pillows and went to the freezer for ice (we had none but we did have a frozen pitcher with a stain around the inside that I wouldn’t use).

By this time the caretaker was back, he introduced himself earlier in the day with his dog.  He had brought the hairdryer to me (a bit late after air drying my hair for two days).  My friend went to the caretakers house, explained that I had fallen on the steps and was given ice after the caretaker said “you guys are not having any luck here”.  Icing my foot, my friend went for takeaway pizza as I opened the bottle of wine.  We decided that we would leave in the morning as we couldn’t take it anymore. I would visit the clinic and get an x-ray on my foot – it was bruised & fractured which greatly affected the rest of my trip as I hobbled around for the next month.

Key Takeaway: You should always make sure you have your own health & travel insurance for any injuries that require medical assistance. Also, make sure you have wine around for your pity party.

Let’s Restart this Holiday

In the morning, I called the five star hotel on the island, the Kempinski Gozo, and explained I was fleeing the Airbnb with an injured foot.  My friend and I packed our bags in the car and headed out to restart our holiday.  The hotel provided us an upgraded room with a view of the pool. We were able to sit in the sun and relax for the first time since arriving on the island.

Airbnb was quick to respond once they received the photos – they provided credits and an apology as well as intercede with the host who posted negative and libelous comments about me which violated the rules of Airbnb.  I was quite happy with their response to my plight.  

I can’t stress enough the importance of researching properties – while I found a few postive reviews on Airbnb, it took a while during my stay to find negative reviews on another property site which were spot on with the issues I encountered. If only I found that one first!