The buildings on Gozo are mostly built in warm, honey-coloured limestone. They often have elaborately carved balconies, columns and pediments although many were only built in the 1980s and 90s. Perhaps this is because there are strict planning laws and to retain Gozo’s reputation as a heritage island? Where does this limestone come from?
Go to the west coast of Gozo and there are quarries digging the stuff out with the industrial efficiency of peat fuelled power stations in Ireland. To digress, it may come as a surprise that there are three power stations in the Republic of Ireland reliant entirely on peat. This is stripped with machinery and conveyor belts from virgin bogs; euphemistically it’s called “milling”. A pity they are not home to orangutans, then the Greens would notice this environmental vandalism.
The quarries on Gozo are still family owned and I’ve read they have difficulty complying with EU health and safety legislation. It all looked fine to me although some of the abandoned quarries are being used as rubbish tips – surely better than using the Med?
Not far from the quarries is more, beautiful coastline with caves and rock arches. They are not ants on the rocks – tourists.
