Martello Towers

The coastline of the British Isles was defended in the 19th century by Martello towers. One, in Aldeburgh in Suffolk, belongs to the Landmark Trust – you can rent it and stay there. James Joyce stayed in another Martello, in Sandycove near Dublin. Why are they called Martello? Signore Martello was a Venetian architect who was lucky to get away with his life when he betrayed secrets of Venice’s defences to the Turks. He fled to England where his expertise in defensive forts was put to good use against the threat of invasion by Napoleon.

Well, if you believed that made-up digression I’m delighted that you have such a pullable leg. (Mine are rather stiff after long walks around Gozo.) They were in fact designed by an Italian, Giovan Giacomo Paleari Fratino, and one was built in Corsica in 1565.  In 1794 two British warships unsuccessfully attacked it but took note of its design. The Corsican peninsular is Mortella which got mis-spelt as Martello – so there you go.

Malta has similar defensive watch-towers built to protect the islands from the Turks. There are plenty on Gozo and some of them have been restored. The picture at the head of this post is a typical example with some wild flowers in the foreground. On our walks we have seen plenty of small-scale agriculture; little terraced plots bound by dry stone walls growing wheat, vegetables, flowers, lemons and oranges. Although I have drunk some Maltese wines I have not seen any vineyards on Gozo and, though I did once see a few rabbit droppings, the rabbit I had for lunch was farmed. In fact the only four-legged animals have been cats, dogs and a donkey.

Every walk on Gozo takes in sea views and often goes along the shore. Here are some old boathouses hewn out of the cliff-face. In the foreground, that brown stuff is dead Posidonia Oceanica. This is the scientific name for the sea grasses that grow in shallow waters under the sea, providing food and shelter for fish and preventing erosion of the seabed. It gets chucked up on the shore after storms. Another feature of our walks is a good lunch. On Sunday it was rabbit on a terrace with many cats in attendance to help out with leftovers; you might say a room with a mew.

Some people take pictures of food. I find that drinks are more photogenic.